When it comes to the great outdoors, nothing tops Arkansas. From the rugged Ozark and Boston mountains to the sweeping Delta; from the River Valley and Ouachitas to the Coastal Plain and piney forest; the woods, waters and wetlands of The Natural State are without peer.
Arkansas Wild is proud to salute the winners of this year’s Best of Arkansas Wild voting as determined by you, the reader. We asked for the best in hiking trails, outfitters, float locations, brewers, boat dealers, guides, duck call makers and much, much more, and you responded.
As we close another year and look confidently to the next, there are more adventures to be had and memories to be made. Use this list as your resource guide for making the most of everything our state’s beautiful wilds have to offer.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NOVO STUDIO
ARKANSAS BREWED BEER
Winner: Superior Bathhouse Brewery
Finalists: Core Brewing, Flyway, Lost Forty Brewing
ARKANSAS OUTDOOR BRAND
Winner: LIVSN
Finalists: RNT Calls (Rich-N-Tone Calls), Ozark Outdoor Supply, Riceland Foods
BEST ARKANSAS OUTDOOR BRAND
LIVSN
Five years ago, Andrew Gibbs-Dabney set out to create the perfect pair of pants through his Bentonville-based company LIVSN. It was a mission that bordered on obsessive, but has paid off today with legions of fans whose loyalty has turned LIVSN into a must-have for outdoor living.
“When we launched, we launched a couple of products, the fleece and the pants, and very quickly it became clear that the pants were what people were most interested in,” Gibbs-Dabney said. “I couldn’t really do more than one thing really well, so I decided maybe we don’t need to make 12 products all at once and every head-to-toe piece of apparel you can think of. Maybe we could just make this one as good as we possibly can.”
As much as the approach was corporate strategy, it was also an intensive classroom, and the products that have followed in the wake of the pants have all benefited from the early years of discovery and trial and error.
“Once we got the fit and a lot of the details to a really good place with the flex canvas pants, that allowed us to take that directly into the ecotrek pants, which is our second product,” Gibbs-Dabney said. “We were able to take all those learnings and apply it to that. When we did shorts, it was an easy evolution and even when we went into overalls, we used a lot of the same fit, pocket layout features, different things we learned over time.”
Voted a Best of Arkansas Wild winner, LIVSN’s popularity among outdoor enthusiasts shows no sign of slowing down.
“We still have so much more to figure out that it’s not hard to keep that pioneering mentality,” Gibbs-Dabney said. “I’ve got really great people around me that make a lot those decisions, so it’s turned less from just doing, doing, doing to a lot of time spent planning and managing and trying to keep the ship moving forward.”
livsndesigns.com
ATV/OFF-ROAD TRAILS
Winner: Hot Springs Off-Road Park
Finalists: Greasy Bend Off-Road Park, Carter Off-Road Park, The Ridge Off-Road Park
BEST WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Winner: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Finalist: Bell Slough State Wildlife Management Area, Camp Robinson State Wildlife Management Area, Arkansas Wildlife Management
BIKE SHOP
Winner: Arkansas Cycling & Fitness
Finalists: Phat Tire Bike Shop, Magnolia Cycles, Shift Modern Cyclery
BIKE TRAIL
Winner: Northwoods Trails (Hot Springs)
Finalists: Arkansas River Trail, Back 40 Trailhead (Bella Vista), OZ Trails (Springdale)
BOAT DEALER
Winner: War Eagle Boats
Finalists: Arkansas Marine, Arts Marine, SeaArk Boats
DIVE SHOP
Winner: Ocean Extreme Dive & Travel Center, Inc.
Finalists: Charlie's Scuba Shop, Scuba Doo Dive Shop, The Scuba School
DUCK CALL MAKER
Winner: Elite Duck Calls
Finalists: RNT Calls (Rich-N-Tone Calls), Echo Calls, Havoc Calls
DUCK LODGE
Winner: The Elms Lodge
Finalists: Bill Byers Hunting Club, Old Post Duck Lodge, Big Jim's Lodge
FAMILY ATTRACTION
Winner: Byrd's Adventure Center
Finalists: Garvan Woodland Gardens, Little Rock Zoo, Motley’s Tree Farm and Pumpkin Patch
FISHING RETAILER/BAIT SHOP
Winner: Southern Reel Outfitters (Trader Bill's Outdoor Sports)
Finalists: Fish 'n Stuff Outdoors, Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop, Hook Line & Sinker Outdoors
GUIDE SERVICE
Winner: Ryder’s Run Guide Service (Fishing)
Finalists: Cranor's Guide Service (His Place Resort), Gaston's White River Resort (Fishing), Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (Climbing)
GUNS/AMMO DEALER
Winner: Arkansas Armory
Finalists: Don's Weaponry, Ratterree Pawn & Surplus, Bullseye Guns & Ammo
HIKING/RUNNING TRAIL
Winner: Crystal Bridges/Razorback Greenway Trail (NWA)
Finalists: Blowing Springs Park (Bella Vista), Pinnacle Mountain State Park (Roland), Woolly Hollow State Park (Greenbrier)
BEST HIKING/RUNNING TRAIL
RAZORBACK GREENWAY TRAIL
The Razorback Greenway Trail, voted Best Hiking/Biking Trail by readers of Arkansas Wild, represents arguably the most ambitious and well-designed pedestrian thoroughfare to be had anywhere in Arkansas. In a state known for its trails and the movement to connect neighborhoods and communities via two-wheeled and two-footed traffics, the Greenway sets the standard all other urban trails seek to match.
The trail isn’t just one thing, but instead serves a collection of purposes all geared toward improving residents’ quality of place. Covering 40 miles, the Razorback Greenway connects neighborhoods and communities while promoting excellent local art, food and beverage attractions, all while promoting a healthy lifestyle that transcends generations.
The backbone of the area, the trail connects seven cities and towns including Fayetteville, Rogers, Lowell, Johnson, Springdale, Bentonville and Bella Vista, while also linking 23 schools, three hospitals and major corporate headquarters such as Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Walmart. Residents in these communities are used to hopping on for a quick run, walk or bike ride as a regular part of everyday life.
razorbackgreenway.org
HUNTING LODGE
Winner: Five Oaks
Finalists: The Elms Lodge, Delta Heritage Lodge, Ivory Billed Duck Hunting Lodge and Outfitters
HUNTING RETAILER
Winner: Mack's Prairie Wings
Finalists: Cavender’s Western Wear, Gellco Outdoors, Hunter's Refuge
LAKE
Winner: Greers Ferry Lake
Finalists: DeGray Lake (Diamond Lakes Region), Lake Fort Smith, Lake Greeson
MARINA
Winner: Fairfield Bay
Finalists: Self Creek Lodge and Marina, Shiloh Marina, Brady Mountain Resort and Marina
MOUNTAIN RANGE
Winner: Ouachita Mountains
Finalists: Magazine Mountain, Mount Nebo, Pinnacle Mountain
OUTDOOR EVENT
Winner: Little Red River Trout Unlimited — Chapter #722: Little Red River Crawfish Boil
Finalists: 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell (Horseshoe Canyon Ranch), Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, Hope Watermelon Festival
OUTDOOR NONPROFIT
Winner: The Mayfly Project
Finalists: Arkansas Fly Fishers, Little Red River Trout Unlimited — Chapter #722, The Nature Conservancy
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
Winner: Camp Aldersgate
Finalists: Little Red River Trout Unlimited — Chapter #722: Kids Fishing Camp, Arkansas Climbers Coalition, Camp Orr High Adventure Base
OUTDOOR RETAILER
Winner: Wild Bill's Outfitter
Finalists: Buffalo River Outfitter, JB Trading Co., Ozark Outdoor Supply
OUTDOOR VEHICLE DEALER
Winner: Adventure Subaru
Finalists: Gwatney, McLarty, Moix RV
PLACE TO CAMP
Winner: JB Trading Co.
Finalists: Mount Nebo, John F. Kennedy Recreation Area & Campground (Heber Springs), Petit Jean State Park
PLACE TO EAT
Winner: The Hive
Finalists: Gaston's White River Resort, The Cajun Trouxth, Zeke and Lizzy's Seafood and Steakhouse (Heber Springs)
BEST PLACE TO EAT
THE HIVE
Just because you’re roughing it outdoors doesn’t mean you can’t come in for a good meal. A long day on the mountain or in the woods can work up quite the appetite and few places can tame hunger like The Hive in Bentonville.
Helmed by Executive Chef Micah Klasky, The Hive has redefined culinary art in The Natural State. The restaurant’s focus on seasonal ingredients from local farmers displays a deep connection to the community while providing the highest-quality ingredients for dishes both thoughtful and approachable that showcase the unique culinary identity of Arkansas.
A meal at The Hive is a true feast for the senses from the chef-crafted dishes to the decor. Rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and site-specific installations carried over from the adjoining 21c Museum Hotel are as pleasing to the eye as the food is to the palate.
In addition to topping Arkansas Wild’s reader’s list of Best Place to Eat, The Hive has also wowed critics from other major media outlets including Garden and Gun magazine and Eater.
thehivebentonville.com
PLACE TO FLOAT
Winner: Buffalo National River
Finalists: Caddo Valley, Spring River, White River
PLACE TO SCUBA
Winner: Lake Ouachita
Finalists: Greers Ferry Lake, Jordan Marina, Beaver Lake
PLACE TO STAY
Winner: Stetson's on the White Resort
Finalists: Rileys Outfitter (White and Buffalo River), River View Cabins & Canoes (Ouachita River), Mather Lodge (Petit Jean)
RESORT
Winner: Gaston's White River Resort
Finalists: Fairfield Bay, Iron Mountain Lodge & Marina, Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa
RIVER
Winner: Buffalo National River
Finalists: Little Red River, Spring River, White River
RUN SHOP
Winner: Rock City Running
Finalists: The Sporty Runner, Fleet Feet, Hibbett Sports
RV/CAMPER DEALER
Winner: Moix RV
Finalists: Goss, Camping World, Razorback Camper Sales
SHOOTING RANGE
Winner: AGFF Jacksonville Shooting Sports Complex
Finalists: Arkansas Armory, Machine Gun Grotto, THOR Elite Firing Range
STATE PARK
Winner: Devil's Den State Park
Finalists: Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Petit Jean State Park, Woolly Hollow State Park
WEEKEND GETAWAY
Winner: Bear Creek Log Cabins
Finalists: Gaston's White River Resort, Lindsey’s Resort, Mather Lodge (Petit Jean)
