Lake Leatherwood, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

A few years ago, we were exploring around Eureka Springs and wanted to find a hiking trail that was not touristy. We heard about Lake Leatherwood from a local and thought we would give it a chance. We have been back a few times since and have never been disappointed. 

While our main goal of our trip was hiking, we were pleased to find out they have great options for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, bird watching, biking, camping, picnicking and much more on the nearly 1600 acre park. The first time we went was in the fall and the leaves were gorgeous. Our subsequent trips have been in the spring and summer when it is hot, but there is enough shade from the trees to still have a great time. The highlight of hiking at Lake Leatherwood is always the handcut limestone dam built in the early 1940s that has a beautiful waterfall flowing from it. 

 

While we have explored about five miles of trails so far, the park boasts over 21 miles of hiking and biking trails--much more for us to explore. We hope to stay in one of the cabins or camp next spring. There are great locations for enjoying a picnic or letting kids play.

Dogwood Canyon

Dogwood Canyon in Lampe, Missouri is one of our favorite places to visit. This 10,000 acre nature preserve is nestled in the Ozark Mountains between Eureka Springs and Branson. The property was acquired by Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro, and was developed by the Dogwood Canyon Foundation to promote natural conservation and preservation. The majority of the park has been kept in its natural state with pathways and recreational sites setup throughout. The water is crystal clear and it flows along the walkways and trails.

 The first time we visited, we took the tram ride through the huge park. The ride has several stops along the way and takes you through areas that attendees with day-passes cannot access like the buffalo hills. We took three toddlers on this visit and they loved feeding the animals and seeing the huge bison and elk. 

On our last visit, we took a picnic lunch and rented bicycles to bike throughout the park. We explored for hours and relaxed under a waterfall. They even had tandem bikes for my husband and son to ride together. Since we did not have to stay with a tour group on this trip, we got to explore a lot more. We hiked along ridges, we went through small caves, and we fed huge bass in the pool. 

There are many options for family visits including horseback riding, fishing, hiking, biking, and even segways. There is a beautiful wooden chapel, a large teepee, a canteen area, and much more. There is even a fly-fishing school with cabins that supposedly Johnny Cash visited.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

One of the most amazing cultural venues in the Midwest is Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. We are lucky that this gem is located less than an hour from our home so we get to visit often. Admission to the museum is free, which is an added bonus!  When visiting, make sure to check out the beauty of the building itself which was designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie. 

The museum has a large, permanent collection of American art spanning five centuries. One of my favorite pieces in the permanent collection is Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter. The museum also has a nice permanent collection of sculptures in an outdoor sculpture garden, including this giant stainless steel tree. 

This week, we had the pleasure of visiting the State of the Art Exhibit which I highly recommend to anyone--even my six year old loved it. But hurry, the exhibit ends on January 19, 2015. 

The exhibit represents new artists that are innovative and creative and who use a variety of mediums from paperback books to tapestries. Several pieces are interactive and allow you to become part of the artwork. My husband was very excited that there was an interactive piece that let him select records from the 1960s to play on an old hi-fi while my son loved the piece that allowed him to climb inside a kaleidoscope and the crocheted hallway. 

The museum is situated on 120 acres that has beautiful trails and nature areas. The trail system meanders along a natural spring that runs on the property and that feeds the pools and streams.  

Recommendations: 
1) Take a picnic lunch to enjoy after a hike/walk on the beautiful trails. 
2) Family photos taken on the trails are gorgeous during just about any season so make sure to take your camera. 
3) Check the museum website or Facebook page to check their calendar of events. They often have concerts, art classes, and activities for kids. 
4) Visit the museum shop where you can find amazing presents for yourself or a loved one. 
5) There is a nice park nearby if you have kids that want to play on actual park equipment. There is even a skate/bmx bike park. 
6) In August, 2015, a new science center called Amazeum will open next to the museum!

The next big exhibit (starting in February) will be Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. 
Trail map

Wilderness Park Trails--Pittsburg, Kansas

We wanted to travel to the Pittsburg, Kansas area and were in search of good hiking trails near there. We were excited to find the Wilderness Park trails just outside of Pittsburg. We enjoy trail systems that have diverse terrain and nice scenery.  We were pleasantly surprised by just how nice the trails in the park were. The land was donated to the city by the Casaletto family in 2000 to preserve the ecosystem and to provide the community with recreational opportunities. Much of the trail spans along a ridge that follows what was once open pit mines. The ridge provides a very picturesque landscape where we saw a variety of birds and other wildlife.

There are over four miles of trails that loop through the area, part of which follows the Cow Creek Tributary. There are also four good areas for fishing. Some of the trails have significant hills, but most are easily accessible. We were there on a cold, rainy day and several of the water pits were frozen over. 

We hiked the Casaletto Loop, the Millennium Trail, the Miner's Trail, and the Cross Creek Trail. We walked along the Cow Creek Tributary, the Deep Ell Pit and the White Snake Pit. In one area, the pits flow in the tributary creating a nice flowing brook. If it had not been so cold, we would definitely explored more!  We look forward to going back in the spring! 






Park Brochure

Springfield Conservation Nature Center

In all of our years exploring the Ozarks, somehow we never visited the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the park. Regular visitors to Joplin's Wildcat Glades, we expected a similar nature center. What we found was a great center, well designed, with more wildlife than we anticipated. 

Our six-year-old had recently gotten a camera from his Aunt Stacey and Uncle Chris and wanted to take some nature pictures. Most of the pictures that follow are ones he shot. 

The conservation center is on 79 acres of woodlands, forest, prairie, and glades. Lake Springfield is on one side and a creek and marsh flow through other areas of the center. The trails are open daily and there is no admission fee. The indoor conservation center has tons of interactive areas including a wild turkey viewing area.  

We decided to start with the Boardwalk Trail that had a nice boardwalk over a marshy section of Lake Springfield where we watched ducks. Then we followed the Sycamore Cut-off trail, crossed the bridge to the Photo Blind Trail. Along the bridge, we saw blue herons flying in to their nests.

The Photo Blind Trail ends with a view of the open lake. We found out that there is a place along the lake that you can rent canoes and paddle boats, which he plan to do on our next visit. We also plan to take a picnic lunch on our next visit.

We went back across the bridge and followed half of the Long Trail to see the spring and the bridge. On our way back to the nature center building, we found ourselves less than 10 feet away from a fawn having a snack along the edge of the lake. 

Trail Map 

How to get to the Center