Conveniently located among several other tourist destinations, Fort Smith is a great place to stay. You can take advantage of the great prices and beautiful scenery, while taking day trips to nearby attractions. For example, if you’d like to plan a trip to Branson, it’s only a three-hour drive from Fort Smith. You can also visit Hot Springs, which is an easy two hours and 45 minutes by car. You can visit Oklahoma in a morning, as the city of Spiro is only a 30 minute drive from Fort Smith. Here are some more detailed day trips for your next visit to Fort Smith...

Plan a trip to Branson.....See a show and get in some shopping time! Leave Fort Smith at 7:00 AM and be in Branson at 10:00, just in time for the outlet malls to open! Enjoy lunch aboard the Branson Belle. Options for the afternoon: take a ride on the Branson Scenic Railway, enjoy an afternoon show or visit the Veterans Memorial Museum. Enjoy dinner before heading back to the Fort!

A day trip to the Altus Wineries/Mount Magazine areas....Leave Fort Smith at 9:00 AM on Highway 22, arriving in Paris at 10:00. Visit the Arkansas Historic Wine Museum/Cowie Wine Cellars which includes winery tours and tasting. Travel on to Mount Magazine Lodge and State Park, located atop Mount Magazine, the highest peak in Arkansas. Enjoy lunch at the lodge and the breath-taking views of the valley and Blue Mountain Lake.

Following lunch, go North to Altus and visit the Altus Heritage House Museum and tour St. Mary’s Catholic Church. This 1902 Roman Basilica-style church is known for its paintings and ornate gold leaf work and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visit both Post Familie Winery and Wiederkehr Wine Cellars for tour/tasting and shopping in the gift shops! Dine at the charming Weinkeller Restaurant where you’ll enjoy the old-world cuisine in the candlelit restaurant listed on the National Register of Historic Places, before returning to Fort Smith.

A day trip to Eureka Springs....Leave Fort Smith at 7:00 AM, arrive in Eureka Springs by 9:30 AM. See the Eureka Springs Visitors Center and take the guided tram tour of the historic district and enjoy lunch downtown. Visit Thorncrown Chapel and Abundant Memories Heritage Village. Experience the New Holy Land Journey, and see the Christ of the Ozarks monument on the Passion Play grounds. Spend time at The Bible Museum, the Sacred Arts Center and enjoy the Parables from the Potter. Dine at the Passion Play Restaurant and see the Great Passion Play performance, then head for the Fort!

Visit Hot Springs.....Leave Fort Smith at 7:00 AM, arriving in Hot Springs by 9:45 AM... Tour Garvan Woodland Gardens, Arkansas’ Premiere Botanical Gardens, with miles of blooming forestlands with tours ranging from 1 to 3 hours. See the home site, high school, and “hang out” sites of former President Bill Clinton. Enjoy a thermal spring bath in the bathhouse of your choice followed by a full body Swedish massage. Drive up to the Mountain Tower to get a lofty view of the Spa City; breathtaking views and see the sunset! Following dinner, return to Fort Smith, arriving at 9:30 PM.

A day trip to Queen Wilhelmina.....Leave Fort Smith at 9:00 AM, stopping in Mena to visit the Depot, then on to lunch at Queen Wilhelmina State Park. Following lunch, take the Talimena Scenic Drive, a 54 mile route spanning one of the highest mountain ranges between the Appalacians and the Rockies. This national forest byway winds along the crests of forested peaks between Mena, Arkansas and Talihina, Oklahoma. Then return to Fort Smith.

Visit Oklahoma.....Leave Fort Smith at 8:30 AM, arriving in Spiro, Oklahoma at 9:00 AM. Visit the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, located 3 miles east and 4 miles north of Spiro in LeFlore County. This Center preserves and interprets the site where prehistoric Indians lived between A.D. 600 and A.D. 1450. See an introductory slide program and interpretive murals and displays with artifacts such as effigy pipes, ornaments, and trade items.

Leaving Spiro, the next stop will be at Sequoyah’s Cabin near Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Sequoyah identified and created a symbol for each sound of the Cherokee language, which produced a syllabary rather than an alphabet. His fame as the inventor of the Cherokee nation’s written language has become worldwide. Sequoyah built this one-room log cabin in 1829 to serve as his home.

After visiting the Cabin, travel on to Tahlequah where you will visit the Cherokee Nation Heritage Center, Cherokee National Museum, Ancient Village and enjoy the Trail of Tears Drama and dinner before returning to Fort Smith.

 

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FORT SMITH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
2 North B, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901
1-800-637-1477 | (479) 783-8888
Fax (479) 784-2421
E-Mail:tourism@fortsmith.org

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