Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

Contact the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism, 1 Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201 (tel. 800/NATURAL [628-8725] or 501/682-7777; www.arkansas.com), and request the state's comprehensive vacation kit, which includes a map, visitor's guide, and calendar of events.

Fourteen tourist information centers are located at strategic entry points and long major road routes within the state. The centers are open 8am to 5pm daily (they are closed on several major holidays; summer hours extended by 1 hr.) and are staffed by travel counselors who will gladly dispense attractions and sightseeing information.

Getting There

By Plane -- Arkansas's largest commercial airport, Little Rock National Airport (tel. 501/372-3439; www.lrn-airport.com), which spent $170 million upgrading facilities in the 1990s, is served by nine major domestic and discount carriers. Most of the major car-rental agencies have desks at the airport.

By Train -- Amtrak's Texas Eagle train (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) makes stops at several cities in Arkansas, including Little Rock and Texarkana, as it travels from Chicago to Dallas.

By Car -- I-40 enters the state out of Tennessee and continues west into Little Rock, then shifts slightly northward and heads in the direction of the Ozark region and Oklahoma. I-30 enters the southwest corner of the state from Texas and ends in Little Rock. I-540 and U.S. 71 both offer lots of scenery as they run through the Ozarks. Note: A major portion of the state's 655-mile interstate network is currently undergoing a $950-million renovation that will add an I-69 and I-555 (visit www.arkansasinterstates.com for updates). It's scheduled to run until 2010.

Special Events

Held in mid-October, the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show, at the State Fairgrounds and Barton Coliseum in Little Rock (tel. 501/372-8341; www.arkansasstatefair.com), will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2009. The festivities include educational exhibits, concerts, a rodeo, a carnival, a midway with rides and games, arts and crafts, clowns, magicians, strolling musicians, and talent contests.