Explore Roaring River State Park

Roaring River Spring
“Roaring River Spring” by Jeff Weese is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Those looking for a truly unique outdoor attraction will enjoy a visit to Missouri’s Roaring River State Park. Best of all, this popular destination is less than a half hour’s drive from the Beaver Lake cabins and suites of Sugar Ridge Resort!

You could easily spend a busy week in the Eureka Springs area and still not experience all there is to see and do here. Between all the local festivals, shopping, entertainment, history, and natural attractions, there’s never a need to stray too far afield.

Eureka Springs isn’t the only interesting place in the area, however. The entire region is loaded with fun things to do and see! Roaring River State Park is a great example of what we’re talking about.

The park is in a deep, narrow, river valley, carved out over the centuries by the Roaring River. In fact, one of the park’s most fascinating features is that it’s home to the source of the Roaring River!

Not only is Roaring River one of Missouri’s most popular state parks, it’s only a scenic, 25 minute drive away!

Roaring River State Park

This fantastic State Park can be found at 12716 Farm Road 2239 in Cassville, Missouri, only ten minutes or so past the Missouri/Arkansas border.

Roaring River Spring, located beneath a high limestone cliff, produces 20+ million gallons of water a day, on average. The water flows out into a deep blue pool that, while only 10 feet across, has been explored to a depth of 223 feet!

Another, smaller spring, located at the top of the cliff, cascades down into the main pool below. The water flows out of the deep pool, through a fish hatchery, then out to form the Roaring River. Fascinating!

Roaring River State Park Dam and Spillway
“Roaring River State Park Dam and Spillway” by Keith Snyder is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

As you can imagine, with the hatchery right there, fishing at the park is excellent. The waters offer year ’round, rainbow trout fishing but anyone 16 years of age or older will need a Missouri fishing permit to wet a line. Many prefer to simply watch and feed the many trout found swimming in the deep blue of the spring pool.

Roaring River State Park also offers 7 hiking trails. Trails that explore the 4,294 acre park, including hardwood forests, small streams, and strange geological formations.

Other park features include a historic CCC and WPA structures, the Ozark Chinquapin Nature Center, a park store, restaurant, picnic tables, and more.

Visit the park website for more information.

Spend the day exploring the park, then it’s a just a a short and scenic drive back to your Beaver Lake cabin or suite at Sugar Ridge Resort. A great way to spend a vacation day!

The Great Passion Play 2024 Season

The Great Passion Play, Eureka Springs AR

Eureka Springs’ Great Passion Play theater and theme park opened in 1968 and has only become more famous with every passing year. The attraction is home to the towering Christ of the Ozarks monument, tours of the “Holy Land,” and a 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater presenting stunning reenactments of  “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

The Eureka Springs area is home to many standout attractions. For Christians, however, few can compete with The Great Passion Play. This amazing, Christian theme park was the brainchild of Gerald L. K. Smith. Smith, a conservative politician, retired to Eureka Springs in the 1960’s. Of course, his idea of retirement was a much more active pursuit than most!

Smith’s passion for spreading the word of the gospel was mighty. He proved this with his first big project: the seven story Christ of the Ozarks on the peak of Magnetic Mountain.  Not content to stop there, Smith began formulating plans for the Passion Play park during the statue’s construction.

Best of all, the park is only a half hour’s drive from the Beaver Lake cabins and suites of Sugar Ridge Resort!

Attractions at the Park

Christ of the Ozarks

The Great Passion Play theme park offers a great number of Christian-themed attractions. The most famous is The Great Passion Play itself: an hour-and-forty-five minute reenactment of Christ’s last week of mortal life. This thrilling epic drama is staged on a highly detailed, multi-level set featuring special effects, live animals, and a cast of 170 actors. All before a massive, a 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. Performances occur several times a week each month, May to October, with special performances around Easter and Christmas.

Beyond the live performances of The Passion Play are many family-friendly, theme park attractions. Popular experiences like the Holy Land Tour, where you can experience scenes and meet characters from biblical history first-hand. Visit the Bible Museum to see more than 6,000 different Bibles ​in 625 languages.

The Sacred Arts Center is home to more than 1,000 works of art, some of them going all of the way back to the ninth century! There are also special presentations to attend, a biblical marketplace to browse, and dining in The Great Hall Buffet.

Those looking to stretch their legs will enjoy the 18 miles of mountain biking, hiking, and trail running trails, designed for . One trail even leads to the Christ of the Ozarks monument, though you can also reach it by car. The 67 foot tall monument is especially striking at night, fully lit beneath a twinkling canopy of stars.

2024 Performances at The Great Passion Play

The Great Passion Play, Eureka Springs AR

The Passion Play’s 2024 season runs from Memorial Day Weekend through November 2nd, 2024. Performances are on Tuesday, Fridays, and Saturdays in June, July, and the first two Tuesdays of August. September and October performances are on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with special performances on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend Sundays.

The Passion Play theme park and most attractions are open 9am to 5pm year-round, except Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. ​The Christ of the Ozarks and the park’s trails are open 365 days a year, from sunrise to an hour after sunset.

Visit the park website for more details. You can also find the park on Facebook.

Spend as much time as you like at the park, knowing it’s just a short and scenic drive back to the comforts of your Beaver Lake cabin or suite at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Visit Onyx Cave Park – Arkansas’ Oldest Show Cave

Onyx Cave Park

The Eureka Springs area is home to a wide number of rare, unique, and historical attractions, including Onyx Cave, Arkansas’ oldest show cave. In fact, Onyx Cave Park is only a half-hour’s scenic drive from the Beaver Lake cabins of Sugar Ridge Resort!

There’s no end to the fun you can get up to here at Beaver Lake, Arkansas. Sugar Ridge Resort is perched high above Beaver Lake for breathtaking, 180 degree views. Visitors come to enjoy fishing, scenic drives, boating, hikes, and many other outdoor activities.

We’re also just next door to Eureka Springs and its cornucopia of activities, events, and attractions. Must-see destinations and happenings like Blue Spring Heritage Center, Christ of the Ozarks, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, the Original Ozark Folk Festival, War Eagle Craft Fair, Eureka Gras, and so much more.

One type of attraction that you can find all over the area is caves. Arkansas is riddled with fascinating caves that you can visit and tour.  As I mentioned above, the area is home to Arkansas’ oldest show cave: Onyx Cave.

Onyx Cave first opened to the public in 1893, making the attraction over 130 years old in 2024.

Show caves were not always as well understood, respected, or protected as they are now. In the early days, visitors didn’t think twice about taking a souvenir home with them. Consequently, Onyx shows a lot of past wear and tear. Why, the cave even had scenes from a movie shot in it: “It’s Alive,” a 1969 B-Movie thriller. Despite this fact, Onyx Cave still has plenty to reveal to those willing to explore it.

The cave gets its name from the many weird and fascinating flowstone formations found within. Flowstone, once commonly referred to as “cave onyx,”  is a smooth, sheet-like deposit of calcite found in limestone caves. It forms over thousands of years, deposited by flowing water and often resembling the flow that deposited it.

Onyx Cave Park

Visitors to the park can enjoy a self-guided, 30 minute audio tour of the cave. Paths in the cave are smooth and level, with steps and handrails where necessary. You’ll see stalactites, stalagmites, and lots of flowstone in chambers with names like the Witches Fireplace and the Friendly Dragon.

The audio guide will direct your attention to notable cave features and provide other interesting facts about the cave’s history, geology, and wildlife. You may even be luck enough to see a bat, salamander, or other natural cave denizen. Fascinating – but don’t forget an extra layer! Onyx Cave’s temperature stays around 57° F (13.8° C) all year ’round, no matter the season or weather.

Beyond the cave tour, park visitors may also enjoy semi-precious gem-panning, axe-throwing, and a host of unique items for sale in the gift shop. They even have snow cones, the perfect treat on a hot day. Yum!

Onyx Cave is located in Onyx Cave Park at 338 Onyx Cave Lane, Eureka Springs, AR 72632

Visit the cave website for seasonal hours and other information. You can also visit the cave on Facebook.

Spend your day out exploring the natural wonders of the Eureka Springs area, then head back to the supreme comfort of your Beaver Lake cabins and suites at Sugar Ridge Resort. Who could ask for more?

stalactites inside Onyx Cave
axe-throwing at Onyx Cave Park
cavern inside Onyx Cave

Experience the 2024 Solar Eclipse on Beaver Lake

2024 Solar Eclipse path of totality over North America

Make your 2024 Solar Eclipse experience even more spectacular with 180 degree views over the Ozarks, here on the shores of Beaver Lake, at Sugar Ridge Resort.

As you likely already know, there will be a total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, visible diagonally across the US, from Texas to Maine, including a large swath of Arkansas. Though our portion of Northern Arkansas is not directly under eclipse, we’re just next door, so can still expect a fantastic show.

Partial and total solar eclipses aren’t actually all that rare. In fact, there’s one visible somewhere on the planet just about every 18 months.  What makes them seem so rare is that an eclipse’s “path of totality,” the band of darkness it creates, is actually fairly narrow. If you’re not under that “path of totality,” you see only a partial eclipse – or even nothing at all if you’re too far away.

As I say above, Beaver Lake is not directly under the path of totality, so what we’ll see is a partial eclipse – still an amazing natural show to experience over the lake! Especially with the 180 degree views available from our Beaver Lake, AR cabins and suites.

2024 Solar Eclipse Over Beaver Lake

2024 Solar Eclipse Over Beaver Lake

Solar eclipse totalities, when the moon completely obscures all but the sun’s corona, can last from 10 seconds to nearly 7 and a half minutes. Here in northern Arkansas, the 2024 solar eclipse totality will last as long as 4 minutes.

On Beaver Lake, we can expect partial coverage of the sun to begin on April 8th, 2024, at around 12:37pm. The eclipse peaks at about 1:54pm, and everything will be back to normal by around 3:15pm. That’s nearly three hours of out of this world, natural phenomenon to enjoy!

They say that 180,000 eclipse watchers are coming to Arkansas for this historic, astronomical event. Most, of course, will head deeper into the state to enjoy the full path of totality. For those unable to find accommodations inside the path of totality, or maybe looking for a less crowded, lakeside experience, we suggest a stay at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Not only are our Eureka Springs cabins and suites located high above Beaver Lake with 180 degree views of the surrounding Ozarks but Eureka Springs is just next door. Consequently, our guests can enjoy fishing, boating, hiking, scenic drives, stunning sunsets, shopping, dining, festivals, theater, and more!

So go ahead and book your stay at Sugar Ridge Resort for the 2024 Solar Eclipse over Beaver Lake – but do it fast before we’re all booked up!

Learn more about the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse over Arkansas at www.greatamericaneclipse.com.

Fishing Beaver Lake Arkansas

Fishing Beaver Lake Arkansas

Anglers staying at Sugar Ridge Resort will be happy to know that Beaver Lake is a popular fishing spot. The 28,000+ acre lake is home to a wide variety of fish, with boat ramps, marinas, gear rentals, guides, and more. Read on to learn more about fishing Beaver Lake, Arkansas.

With Eureka Springs so close nearby and the beauty of Beaver Lake at your feet, there’s no end to the fun you can have during your stay at Sugar Ridge Resort. This is especially true if your idea of fun includes casting a line into the water.

Beaver Lake is an angler’s paradise with a wide variety of fish to go after. Black bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, walleye, crappie, redear sunfish, blue catfish, bream, and many others.

The White River is also nearby with its healthy stock of brown and rainbow trout; the perfect fly-fishng spot.

In fact, Beaver Lake is a favorite destrination for FLW tournaments and several 40-pound-plus state-record stripers have been pulled from these waters.

Fishing Beaver Lake Arkansas

Fishing Beaver Lake by boat

With 487 miles of shoreline and a variety of outfitters and guides to choose from, fishing Beaver Lake, Arkansas can take a variety of forms.

First thing’s first, however: you’re going to need a valid Arkansas fishing license and knowledge of the Beaver Lake fishing rules and regulations.

Next up is gear. If you didn’t bring your own, you’ll find a number of providers around the lake.  The Beaver Dam Store is just five minutes from Sugar Ridge Resort with a good fly and tackle shop, as well as fishing guides.

Those hoping to fish from the surface of the lake will discover a public access boat ramp just one mile from the resort. You say you didn’t bring a boat? No problem! Beaver Lake is home to a numerous boat rentals, including those at nearby Starkey Marina.

There’s no bad season for fishing at Beaver Lake.  In fact, you can catch fish here all year long.

fly-fishing the White River near Beaver Lake
Fly-fishing for trout in the nearby White River.

Spring and fall are the best times for bass fishing because of that’s the time of their pre-spawn and spawn. Early spring and winter are some of the best times for striper, while walleye are best in spring or fall. Summer sees most folks going after catfish, though night-time striper fishing is also popular. Fall sees very healthy populations of striped and hybrid striped bass. Crappie are very plentiful and can be caught all year long.

As with all bodies of water, some parts of Beaver Lake are better than others for finding fish. Creek mouths are some of the best areas for striper and hybrid fishing, especially in summer. The flats near where the White River and War Eagle join Beaver Lake is a prime hot spot.

View up-to-date Beaver Lake fishing reports to discover current hot spots. You may also want to consider hiring a fishing guide or charter, which we would be happy to recommended for you.

Whatever tack you take, you can’t beat fishing Beaver Lake, Arkansas – and Sugar Ridge Resort is here to help!

At Year’s End – 2023 At Our Eureka Springs Cabins on Beaver Lake

Sugar Ridge Resort Eureka Springs cabins on Beaver Lake

Can you believe we’re almost to the end of the year? New Years’ Eve is just weeks away and we’re left wondering where the time has gone. 2023 was another great year at Eureka Springs cabins on Beaver Lake, filled with wonderful guests and lots of warm memories.

We feel so lucky to be on the shores of Beaver Lake and absolutely love hosting guests at Sugar Ridge Resort. Sharing the area and this special part of the world with others truly is its own reward.

History buffs, art fans, outdoor enthusiasts, music-lovers, shoppers, foodies, and everyone else will find plenty see and do here. The Eureka Springs area is home to an endless variety of attractions. Must-see destinations like Thorncrown Chapel, Cosmic Cavern, Blue Spring Heritage Center, Christ of the Ozarks, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, and so much more.

Eureka Springs active arts community makes sure the event calendar is always full, too. Don’t miss out on popular events like the Original Ozark Folk Festival, War Eagle Craft Fair, Eureka Gras, Ozark Mountain Music Festival, Diversity Weekends, Christmas Parade of Lights, and many others. There’s always something happening in Eureka Springs, AR!

And let’s not forget the natural beauty of Beaver Lake.

The location of our resort, perched high above the lake, provides breathtaking, 180 degree views of the Ozarks and Beaver Lake. We’re also surrounded by endless opportunities for fishing, scenic drives, boating, hikes, and other fun, outdoor activities. You needn’t go anywhere else at all!

After a year of providing accommodation services, nothing is as rewarding as the lovely comments and reviews we receive from our guests. We wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you, so knowing our efforts have had a positive effect puts a real cherry on top of it all.

2023 At Our Eureka Springs Cabins

Gouri – 5/5
November 2023
“My wife always wanted the cabin experience. We stayed here for our honeymoon. It was perfect. The view of the lake was spectacular. The cabin was luxurious and spacious. The furnishings were so comfortable and charming. From morning coffee looking at the fog rise above the lake, to playing the guitar by a roaring fire, to sitting in the hot tub looking out at the stars. And the staff are so friendly and helpful. A perfect stay.“

Eureka Springs cabins at Beaver Lake

Andrew D – 5/5
October 2023
“Owners are fantastic hosts. We stayed in cabin 6 and it was an exceptional experience. The cabin has everything we could have asked for and the views are incredible! We will absolutely come back and recommend it to everyone.“

Andrew Epp – 5/5
September 2023
“Honeymoon Suite with my wife for our 7th anniversary. Everything was amazing. The location. The atmosphere. The accommodations. The view. The price. The privacy. The service. The layout of the cabin. It was all so perfect. Couldn’t be happier with this place. Will definitely go again, and I will recommend this to everyone.“

Cynthia Wilson – 5/5
June 2023
“A paradise overlooking Beaver Lake! The room as cozy and clean and the bed comfy yet sturdy. The jacuzzi tub is a definite bonus. It is a bit outside of town and the road is windy and steep in places but it’s definitely worth checking out of you want a quieter night time experience.“

Jerry – 5/5
May 2023
“Awesome resort overlooking beaver lake. Rustic cabins with modern amenities staff takes very good care of guests and the property everything you need to relax and have a good time at Sugar Ridge Resort.“

Sugar Ridge Resort Winter Special & Gift Certificates

Break in the new year with a relaxing getaway to Beaver Lake and Eureka Springs. Our 2+1 Free Winter Special allows you to enjoy a longer, more laid-back winter getaway, while saving. How?

Book your stay for any 2 nights at our Beaver Lake resort and get a 3rd night for free! Rushing to relax is counterproductive. Why not take some extra time to achieve true relaxation? Sugar Ridge Resort makes it easy by giving you that third night on the house!

Sugar Ridge Resort gift certificates

Best of all, this special is available any 3 days of the week. Take off early for the weekend, extend the weekend, or enjoy a lengthier midweek stay. It’s your choice. Now THAT is relaxing!

The 2+1 Free Winter Special is available January 4th through February 8th, 2024. Book your New Years’ getaway at Sugar Ridge Resort today!

Wanting to gift someone else with a stay at our Eureka Springs cabins on Beaver Lake? You can, with Sugar Ridge Resort gift certificates!

Sugar Ridge Resort gift certificates make an excellent gift. They have no set amount, can be used for almost anything at the Resort, and are good for up to five years from date of issue. Best of all, they’re very easy to purchase. Simply fill out the form, make your payment, and you’re done. Instant Eureka Springs vacay!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Sugar Ridge Resort!

Get Set for Ozark Mountain Music Festival 2024

Get Set for Ozark Mountain Music Festival 2024

Gear up for the 10th annual Ozark Mountain Music Festival, affectionately known as OzMoMu! Experience four days of live music at the historic Basin Park Hotel in downtown Eureka Springs. January 18th to the 21st, 2024.

OzMoMu is unmatched, combining lively American roots music on multiple indoor stages with a variety of fun, daily activities. Attendees can enjoy theme nights, whiskey tastings, yoga & mimosas, ice skating, hatchet throwing, macrame, tie-dyeing, and more.

Ozark Mountain Music Festival is a winter event, so held indoors, but is otherwise just like a top-notch, multi-band, outdoor music event. One of the festival’s highlights is its lack of a backstage. Both bands and the audience share the same space, creating a warm intimacy that sets this festival apart.

OzMoMu 2024 begins Thursday night, January 18th. Don’t miss the Late-Night Jam at nearby Chelsea’s Corner Cafe & Bar on both Friday and Saturday nights.

The festival venue, the 1905 Basin Park Hotel, sits in the heart of Eureka Springs, surrounded by dining and shopping options, all within easy walking distance. Better yet, downtown Eureka Springs is less than a half hour’s drive from your Beaver Lake accommodations at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Spend the day enjoying the festival and exploring Eureka Springs, then it’s a quick and scenic drive back to your Beaver Lake cabin or suite. A grand adventure!

2024 Ozark Mountain Music Festival Lineup

OzMoMu 2024 concert poster

Ozark Mountain Music Festival 2024 runs from Thursday, January 18th, to Sunday, January 21st, 2024. 

The festival is held at the Basin Park Hotel, located at 12 Spring Street, in downtown Eureka Springs, AR 72632.

This year’s festival lineup boasts:

  • Pixie and the Partygrass Boys
  • Pert Near Sandstone
  • Kyle Tuttle (Artist At Large)
  • Handmade Moments
  • Stillhouse Junkies
  • 3 Penny Acre
  • Chucky Waggs & The Company of Raggs
  • Reverend Hylton
  • John Depew
  • Goldpine
  • March To August
  • … and many more TBA!

Visit the festival website for more information and to purchase tickets. You can also view the festival’s Facebook event page.

Don’t Miss Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023

Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023

Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023, America’s longest continuously running folk festival, is just weeks away! The 76th annual return is set to occur November 9th through the 11th, 2023 in Eureka Springs City Auditorium.

Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023 celebrates the American Songwriter with 2 days of live music from rising stars of the folk world. This year’s lineup includes John Fullbright, Matt the Electrician, and Trout Fishing in America. There will also be a special performance by the Kelly Willis, Brennon Leigh and Melissa Carper super trio! All appearing at The Aud in downtown Eureka Springs.

The festival also includes the annual Barefoot Ball at Eureka Springs’ Basin Park Hotel. This year’s lineup for the Ball includes opening act The Nightimers (Shilah Molina and Doc Hopper), followed by Jumpsuit Jamey & the Can’t Wait To Play Boys.

Attendees on Friday and Saturday will also want to check out The Ozark Folk Faire in the Auditorium Basement, 11am to 4pm, Friday and Saturday. This is an annual arts and crafts show featuring wonderful handcrafted goods and live folk music. This year’s Folk Faire promises a variety of free performances by the Korey McKelvy Duo, Opal Agafia and DeAnna Smith, Trout Fishing in America, and many others.

The festival’s main aim is keeping the traditional folk music and traditions of the Ozarks alive. and many performers come to the festival with homemade instruments. In fact, many attend the festival hoping to buy genuine, Ozark instruments.

Best of all, Sugar Ridge Resort is less than a half hour’s drive from all the Folk Festival fun in downtown Eureka Springs!

Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023

banjo player at Original Ozark Folk Festival 2023

This year’s festival is scheduled for November 9th through the 11th, at the Eureka Springs City Auditorium. Nearby Basin Spring Park will be a site of free concerts and jam sessions throughout the weekend.

Thursday, November 9
6:30pm to 7:30pm – Hedgehoppers
8pm to 11pm – Barefoot Ball at the City Auditorium. NightTimers, featuring Shila Molina and Doc Hopper, and Jumpsuit Jamey and the Can’t Wait to Play Boys

Friday, November 10
11am to 4pm –  Ozark Folk Fair. The Kory McKelvey Duo, Opal Agafia and DeAnna Smith, and Mountain Alice & Dylan Hawf
7pm to 8:30pm – Trout Fishing in America and Matt the Electrician

Saturday, November 11
11am to 4pm – Ozark Folk Fair. Jesse Dean, Still on the Hill, Trout Fishing in America, and the Luthier Bayard Blain Trio.
7pm-9:15pm – John Fullbright and The Melissa Carper, Brennen Leigh, Kelly Willis Trio

So go ahead. Spend the day in Eureka Springs enjoying folk music, crafts, and other Ozark Mountain traditions, then it’s just a quick, scenic drive back to your Beaver Lake cabin or lake view suite at Sugar Ridge Resort. Perfect!

Visit the Ozark Folk Festival’s Facebook page for more information.

Take In the Arkansas Fall Foliage at Beaver Lake

Arkansas Fall Foliage at Beaver Lake
The view from Sugar Ridge Resort

Spring has sprung, summer has come and gone. Now it’s time for fall – and what a glorious fall it will be! This year’s autumn colors are going to be especially vibrant and Beaver Lake is the perfect Arkansas fall foliage destination!

It’s always beautiful at Beaver Lake but it’s also true that some seasons are more striking than others. While it’s hard to beat the greening in spring and sunny summer, autumn’s colors have it, hands down.

Here in Northern Arkansas, notable color change begins working its way down the mountains in late September or early October. Peak color typically appears late October. That means now is the perfect time start planning your Arkansas fall foliage getaway at Sugar Ridge Resort!

Our location, perched high above Beaver Lake, means non-stop leaf-peeping, with 180 degree views of the Ozarks and Beaver Lake. Plus we’re surrounded by endless opportunities for scenic drives, hikes, and other fall activities.

Arkansas Fall Foliage Drives

One of the easiest and most pleasant ways to take in as much Arkansas fall foliage as possible is with a relaxing, scenic drive.  The winding mountain roads of the Ozarks are always entrancing but, come fall, they verge on the fantastic. Head out and take in all those amazing fall colors, stopping whenever you like to really take in all that majestic beauty.

Autumn road trip possibilities in and around Eureka Springs are nearly endless. Many of the area’s scenic byways are absolutely stunning in fall. We suggest checking out the drive between highways 23 and 16 and highways 7 and 62, for starters.

Ozark National Forest in autumn
Ozark National Forest

Another good option is Scenic 7 Byway, one of the area’s – and the country’s – most popular fall drives. The 290 mile route, located in Ozark National Forest, just south of Eureka Springs, offers varied geography and scenic views.

Pig Trail Scenic Byway is also particularly brilliant in both spring and fall. Pig Trail is a 19 mile long tunnel of foliage that crosses the Mulberry River and the 165-mile Ozark Highlands Trail.

Pea Ridge National Military Park is another fine, fall destination. Visit the park and drive the self-guided tour to experience both the historic battlefield and the area’s amazing fall foliage.

Fall Foliage Hikes and Biking Trails

Scenic drives are great but there may be no better way to enjoy the Arkansas fall foliage than to simply get out in it. Luckily, both Beaver Lake and Eureka Springs are loaded with excellent hiking and mountain biking opportunities.

Whitaker Point, aka Hawksbill Crag, is considered the most romantic spot in the Arkansas. Come autumn, it’s also an incredible vantage point for viewing an absolute sea of fall colors. The moderately challenging, 2.7-mile round-trip hike on Whitaker Point Trail takes around 2 hours but pays off in fantastic, panoramic views.

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park is another worthy fall foliage destination. The park offers 10,000 acres hiking, biking, fishing, and exceptional views of the Ozark Mountains.

Hawksbill Crag in Autumn
Whitaker Point, aka Hawksbill Crag

Nearby Hobbs State Park is Arkansas largest state park with over 12,000 acres of dense Ozarks forest, Beaver Lake shoreline, bike trails, and walking paths. Be sure to check out the Visitor Center and Van Winkle Hollow, too.

Eureka Springs’ Lake Leatherwood City Park is another fun leaf-peeping destination. The popular park has picnic spots and lovely paths and trails for hiking and biking.

And More …

We’ve only touched on a few of the fall drives and hikes near our Beaver Lake AR cabins and suites. We didn’t even mention all the nearby shopping, dining and museums.

Nor did we talk about all the fun, fall season festivals. Things like the Bikes Blues and BBQ Weekend, Eureka Springs Oktoberfest, Corvette Weekend, War Eagle Craft Fair, the Original Ozark Folk Festival, and did I mention Halloween?

Is it any wonder that Eureka Springs is one of the best fall foliage getaways in the country. Come share it with us, on Beaver Lake, at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Attend Hillberry Music Festival 2023!

Hillberry Music Festival audience members

Hillberry Music Festival 2023 is just weeks away. The popular, multi-day festival features over 30 groups playing Americana, Bluegrass, and Funk on two stages for five nights. October 4th through the 8th, 2023.

If you like good music, good food,  and a good time, you’ll love the Ozarks, you’ll love Hillberry Music Festival. The event, which sprang to life spontaneously in 2015, celebrates the arrival of the harvest moon. Thus it’s less well known full name: Hillberry the Harvest Moon Festival.

The festival seems to get a little bigger each year and is considered one of the Midwest’s top Bluegrass Festivals. The event draws thousands of people each year and who can blame them? More than 30 bands for 5 nights plus food, drink, craft vendors, workshops, and more.

The event takes place on The Farm, a 160-acre campground and events center north of Eureka Springs. The location is a stunning camping area featuring 360-degree panoramic views of the Ozarks. Mark Twain National Forest, Table Rock Lake, the White River, and Beaver Lake are all nearby.

In fact, The Farm is less than a 15 minute scenic drive from Sugar Ridge Resort.

While many who attend the festival simply camp on site, others prefer to retire to a separate location. Somewhere like the Beaver Lake cabins and suites at Sugar Ridge Resort!

Spend as much time as you like soaking up the fun of the festival, then return to the peace and quiet of your accommodations on Beaver Lake. Perfect!

2023 Hillberry Music Festival Lineup

This year’s Harvest Moon Festival runs from October 4th through October 8th, 2023. The Farm is located at 1 Blue Heron Lane in Eureka Springs, AR

Hillberry Music Festival 2023

Wednesday, October 4 –
5:40pm – 7:10pm: Front Porch (Shrine Stage)
7:55pm – 9:25pm: Eureka Strings (Shrine Stage)
10:10pm – 11:40pm: Friends of the Phamily (Shrine Stage)

Thursday, October 5 –
11:30am – 12:30pm: Danny Spain Gang (Shrine Stage)
1pm – 2pm: Magnolia Brown (Shrine Stage)
2:30pm – 3:30pm: Red Oak Ruse (Shrine Stage)
3:40pm – 5pm: Country Jesus (Main Stage)
5:40pm – 7:10pm: Rumpke Mountain Boys (Main Stage)
7:55pm – 9:25pm: Kellergrass with the Hillbenders (Main Stage)
10:10pm – 11:40pm: Kitchen Dwellers (Main Stage)
12:55am – 1:55am: Arkansauce (Main Stage)

Friday, October 6 –
1pm – 2:30pm: Skye Pollard & Fanmily Holler (Shrine Stage)
3pm – 4:30pm: Chucky Waggs & the Company of Raggs (Main Stage)
5:10pm – 6:40pm: Sierra Hull (Main Stage)
7:20pm – 8:50pm: The Wood Brothers (Main Stage)
9:30pm – 11pm: Leftover Salmon (Main Stage)
11:40pm – 1:10am: moe. (Main Stage)
1:30am – 3am: Fireside Collective (Shrine Stage)

Hillberry Music Festival Performer

Saturday, October 7 –
9am – 10:30am: Hillberry All-Stars / Chompdown! (Activities Tent)
12:45pm – 2:15pm: The Vine Brothers (Shrine Stage)
2:30pm – 4pm: Catfish Seminar (Main Stage)
4:30pm – 6pm: Opal Agafia (Main Stage)
6:45pm – 8:15pm: Neal Francis (Main Stage)
9pm – 12am: Railroad Earth (Main Stage)
12:40am – 2:10am: Here Come the Mummies (Main Stage)
2:10am – 3:40am: Sicard Hollow (Shrine Stage)

Sunday, October 8 –
10:15am – 12:30pm: John Henry Band Competition
12:30pm – 2pm: The Gary Lawrence Show (Shrine Stage)
2:30pm – 4pm: Rochelle Bradshaw (Main Stage)
4:40pm – 6:10pm: Sad Daddy (Main Stage)
6:50pm – 8:20pm: Elephant Revival (Main Stage)
9pm – 12am: Railroad Earth (Main Stage)
12:40am – 2:10am: The Sensational Barnes Brothers (Main Stage)
2:15am – 3:30am: Blurrred Name (Shrine Stage)

Festival tickets are limited and sell out every year. Get yours while you still can on the Hillberry Music Festival website. You can also find this event on Facebook

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