Past Publications

This presidential guide to Arkansas offers an overview of the important figures who have visited Arkansas through the years. Visit and explore the communities that hosted our presidents and see Arkansas through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest leaders. As you journey through Arkansas, we invite you to visit all of the attractions that make this state so special.

Arkansas’ first inhabitants knew well the rich resources and beauty of the land we call The Natural State.The Native Americans who occupied the region hunted and fished in its rivers, lakes and forests, just as we can today. They built shelters and elements from its trees, earth and stones, and we are still able to visit and honor those sites. They fashioned beautiful artifacts from its clay, and some of the largest collections of enduring Native American crafts and art can be found in the state. By following in their footsteps and discovering who they were through the wealth of sites and museums all around the state, we live their past in the present, celebrating the glory of their accomplishments and imagining their noble history.

Follow the dream through Arkansas. Discover and explore the heritage of our civil rights struggles, musical innovations and artistic revolutions that shaped this state known for natural beauty. Visit historic sites in the hometowns of Arkansans who contributed to our common heritage. A people as diverse as the land where they were born, Arkansans count among their unique leaders visionary civil rights activists, innovative musicians, inspiring poets and distinguished judicial and political figures. Throughout Arkansas’ history, some of the most powerful contributions have been made by African Americans who succeeded in the worlds of arts and entertainment, politics and the civil rights movement. The stories of these legendary people weave together to reveal the singular heritage and culture of The Natural State. 

The beauty and diversity of Arkansas make it an exciting place for wildlife-watching throughout the year. From songbird migration in spring to summer butterflies, from bugling elk in fall to vast winter flocks of waterfowl, there’s always something to see in The Natural State. Paddle a whitewater stream where Bald Eagles nest, or take a lazy float along a bald cypress bayou under trees full of herons and egrets. Hike through a pine forest where endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers breed, or explore a wildflower-spangled prairie alive with butterflies. If you’re lucky, you might spot a black bear snacking on blackberries, or an alligator swimming through a bottomland swamp. With dozens of parks and wildlife areas and millions of acres of national forest, Arkansas offers unlimited opportunities for discovery. Wherever you are in our state, there’s a trail or woodland byway nearby. Get outside and enjoy!

Known as The Natural State, Arkansas’ rich history grows out of fertile soil that feeds millions around the world. Our farmers produce countless crops to eat and use, from rice and soybeans to poultry, pork, cotton, catfish, cattle, milk, eggs, sorghum and more. Read this booklet to discover the treasures growing along Arkansas’ roadways as you travel around the state and experience our storied agricultural heritage first-hand.

From the Arkansas Delta to the Ozark Mountains and every geographic region in between, Arkansas' history and heritage are deeply rooted in its landscape. History trips across the state can lead from Mississippi River bottomlands to mid-America's highest peaks or from a legacy of Deep South cotton culture to a town on the edge of the Wild West frontier.

These Heritage Trails document land and water routes along the Arkansas Trail of Tears, The Butterfield Overland Trail mail route pre-dating the Pony Express, the Southwest Trail in Arkansas and Arkansas Civil War actions that determined the fate of a nation divided.

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