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Highpoint and The Park!
High Point Information:
Mt. Magazine is in Logan County, Arkansas, 55 miles southeast of Fort Smith and 110 miles west of Little Rock. At 2,753 feet above sea level, it's the highest point in the state and considered the highest mountain between the Rockies & the Appalachian's. To be more specific and "correct" it is the highest change in elevation between those two points. Believe it or not, Kansas has a higher point in Mt. Sunflower at 4039', but because the average sea level is generally higher in that area, the difference between the highest and lowest point in Kansas does not offer a great change. Mt. Sunflower is actually a wide open Prairie on private land & there is no mountain to speak of. Surrounding highpoints include Louisiana at Driskill Mountain at 535', Texas at Guadalupe Peak in the Rockies at 8749', Oklahoma in the panhandle at Black Mesa at 4973', Missouri at Taum Sauk Mountain at 1773', Tennessee at Clingmans Dome in the Appalachians at 6643', Mississippi at Woodall Mt. 806'.
The
trail to the Signal Hill highpoint has three trail heads. One located near
the lodge, one located near the Cameron Bluff campground and
another one located along the road as part of the House Gap trail. All are
just off the road that circles the park and whichever trail you use, it is an
easy 15 minute hike to the highpoint on well maintained trails once you get out
of your vehicle. In 2004, Americorps workers led by park staff completed a
wonderful highpoint monument featuring a scale map of Arkansas built of native
stone and constructed around the USGS survey marker indicating the exact
highpoint. That marker is located on the map where Mt. Magazine would be
found. Please be aware that the towers on the west end of the mountain are not
indicative of the mountains high point and are located in an undeveloped area
closed to vehicle traffic. The highpoint trail is not wheelchair
accessible.
The Park Features:
CAMPSITES
Campers must register at the Visitors Center
before occupying a site, as all sites are assigned. Campsites are on a
first-come basis and camping units must be in the park before registering. A
limited number of sites are available for reservation and may be reserved by
calling the Visitors Center. Reservations may be made up to 1 year in advance.
CAMPING DISCOUNTS
U. S. Citizens age 65 and over; or U. S. Citizens with Golden Age Passports; or
U. S. Citizens permanently and totally and or 100 percent disabled will be
admitted to Arkansas State Park campgrounds at one-half the regular fee (See the
Arkansas State Parks Guide for more information).
RATES
We recommend contacting the park directly for current rates and site
availability.
Some History:
According to one of the many legends that have been recorded, "Magazine" was named by an officer leading a platoon of French soldiers in the early days of exploration for trade routes. It was given the name "Magazine" because its fortress-like rock foundation resembling wartime storage facilities called Magazins. Others say that the mountain was actually named for its use as a storage facility or "magazine" by the Confederate Army during the Civil War period. Mt. Magazine has been used by local residents for recreational purposes for well over a hundred years. In July, 1840, the town of Magazine was platted and recorded but never developed, however a hotel was built and some tourist related development took place but eventually interest wained and eventually disappeared during the depression. In 1934, the Federal government took over the land atop the mountain and began to develop the area once again as a vacation destination and around 1936, a road from Paris to Havana was built by the WPA. 2006 will not be the first time a visitor has slept comfortably in a lodge on Mt. Magazine. The WPA constructed a lodge on the site of the present day construction in 1940 and the CCC completed several projects it maintained through the war years in the 40's and 50's. The old lodge hosted dances, featured a mountain top restaurant and 27 comfortable rooms. It burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances in 1971 and most believe it was arson that brought the lodge down. In 1998, the state of Arkansas leased the land from the USDA Forest Service to redevelop the park facilities into Arkansas newest State Park, Mt. Magazine. On May 16, 2002, the park was formally dedicated.
CCC Amphitheater looking northwest toward Paris. With the snowfall, it is easy to distinguish the seating and stage layout.
Today:
The State Park visitors center located on State Highway 309 was completed in 2001. It features natural and historical exhibits and displays, a multimedia theater for interpretive presentations and classroom activities, gift shop, vending machines, restrooms and offices for the administrative staff. The visitors center is the host area for all of the park events including the Annual Butterfly Festival and Mountain Memories Days. The gift shop offers park specific souvenirs and nature themed gifts. The Greenfield Area pavilion and restrooms, located across the street from the visitors center is the parks group pavilion and is the center of activities for park festivals and events.
The main attraction to the park is the hiking trails, peace and quiet, the scenery and the fact that it is the highest point for many miles. Hidden history is everywhere on the mountain and park staff have made cataloging the history a priority. Don't look for billboards, amusement parks, golf courses, souvenir shops, endless concessionaires and the like as it is the goal of the State Park to provided visitors a unique visit without a lot of clutter, distraction and overdevelopment. Come with the mindset of getting away from the distractions of modern life but still have the amenities that make life comfortable.
Mt. Magazine State Park is the crowning jewel of the Arkansas State Parks, a park system that is one of the best in the country.
Geography and Climate:
Mt. Magazine is in the Boston Mountains and located between the Oucahita Mountains to the south and the Ozark Mountains to the north. All three mountain ranges are among the oldest in North America and are unique in that they run east-west rather than north-south. Because of their age, the mountains in these ranges have tops that have worn away through millions of years of geological changes and creates flat mesa like mountain tops as opposed to the jagged peaks found in the Rockies. Because of the change in altitude, the park is often up to 15 degrees cooler than the valley below offering a cool break from the sometimes sultry Arkansas summer months. Generations of locals have been traveling to the top of the mountain for adventure and relief from the heat. However, don't limit your visit to just the summer months. The winter offers a different change of scenery with quiet, solitude and views that are less restricted due to the foliage. More historically related features are visible also due to less foliage. Because of the change in altitude, the Mountain sometimes has more snowfall than the valley below.
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