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National GeographicOct 20, 2026

Why Your Next Adventure Getaway Should Be to the Ozark Mountains

The rugged landscape of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri offers top-notch mountain biking, world-class art, and some of the most pristine wilderness in America.

11 things in this story

Dogwood Canyon Nature ParkTrail10,000-acre park with trails and wildlife
Big Cedar LodgeHotelResort beside Table Rock Lake
Top of the RockSightHighest elevation in Taney County
Ancient Ozarks Natural History MuseumMuseum
Elsewhere
OZ Trails Bike ParkTrailBella Vista, United StatesBella Vista's first chairlift-served bike park
Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtMuseumBentonville, United StatesHouses five centuries of American art
The ComptonHotelBentonville, United StatesHotel with a cycling concierge
8th Street Gateway ParkTrailBentonville, United StatesMiles of beginner mountain bike trails
Razorback GreenwayTrailFayetteville, United States40-plus-mile trail system
Northwest Arkansas National AirportPlaceBentonville, United StatesAirport serving Bentonville
Springfield-Branson National AirportPlaceSpringfield, United StatesAirport serving Southern Missouri

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