Harrison

Harrison's courthouse square has been the center of town for well over a century, while just down the road, the Ozarks open up into some of Arkansas’ most rewarding terrain.


Cultural and Historic Stops
Hanging baskets of flowers accentuate the old brick storefronts lining the walkable downtown square of Harrison. Part of a national historic district, the square includes the 1909 Boone County Courthouse, the 1914 Boone County Jail, and the 1929 Hotel Seville. The historic Lyric Theater, the Boone County Heritage Museum, art galleries, antique dealers, and a handful of restaurants fill in the picture. The Harrison Historic Walking Tour connects these landmarks and the downtown parks on foot. Beyond the square, a more contemporary spread of dining and shopping extends through town.

Locals gather on Main Street for Saturday farmers markets, summer concerts in the park, and hot‑air balloons rising over town each fall. Annually, the city hosts more than 75 sports tournaments ranging from volleyball, softball, and baseball to 7-on-7 football and basketball.

Outdoor Activities
The National Park Service headquarters for the Buffalo National River is located in Harrison.  Just south of town, America's first national river runs 153 miles through remote Ozark wilderness, with 135 of them protected by the NPS. Canoe past towering limestone bluffs, camp on gravel bars under a sky full of stars, and fish clear water for smallmouth bass. For hikers, the Buffalo River Trail at Pruitt is a mere 12 miles from downtown Harrison. Photographers and wildlife watchers enjoy the large elk herd that roams the Buffalo River corridor. Nearby waterfalls include Hemmed-In Hollow, Twin Falls and Hide-Out Hollow. Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and Buffalo Outdoor Center offer mountain biking trails and ziplines.

Within town, Crooked Creek forms Lake Harrison just blocks from the historic area. Complementing the lake is a 7.5-mile hiking and biking trail. Crooked Creek and the Buffalo are renowned for smallmouth bass fishing. Nearby, Bull Shoals Lake adds stripers and walleye to the mix. This massive 45,000-acre reservoir offers boating, water skiing, swimming, and a laid-back marina culture that anchors summer weekends.

Motorcyclists have claimed Harrison as a hub. Scenic Arkansas 7 runs south from town through some of the state's most dramatic Ozark terrain. Named routes, such as the Ozark Moonshine Run, the Peel Ferry Route, the Jasper Disaster, branch out from Harrison into the hills. Lake Norfork and the trout waters of the White River are about 40 miles away.

Getting Here
Harrison is located on Ark. 65, intersected east and west by Ark. 62 and 412 and south by Scenic 7 Byway. Harrison is about 1 hour from Branson, MO, 2.5 hours from Little Rock, and 3 hours from Springfield, MO. Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is 90 minutes away.