Ever since its founding in 1879, Eureka Springs has been an oasis in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas. So named for its abundance of natural springs, said to possess natural healing elements, people have been flocking here ever since — for its springs, and so much more.
For a small community of under 3,000, Eureka Springs has the shopping, scenery, hotels, art and restaurants of a much larger city, all nestled in a pastoral patchwork of winding roads, rainbow-painted staircases and rolling hills.
Downtown, the Spring Street main drag ascends past historic hotels, like the wrought iron-clad New Orleans Hotel and the Basin Park Hotel. The latter overlooks Basin Spring Park, host to numerous events — like outdoor concerts and a New Year’s Eve “water drop” throughout the year. Up and down the hill, you’ll pass all manner of storefronts, from Tee Rex Toys and the wonderland-themed Missy’s White Rabbit Lounge to Grotto Wood-Fired Grill and Wine Cave and Rogue’s Manor, a classic American restaurant in a vintage mansion right next to Sweet Spring.
Lodging options range from soaring historic hotels, like the Basin Park and the allegedly haunted Crescent Hotel & Spa (which offers guided ghost tours into the basement), to cute cottages and rustic inns. Rock Cottage Garden Bed and Breakfast is a 1935 motor court-style inn made of rocks, with the look of a fairy tale, and the nearby Wanderoo Lodge — perched on the meandering, tree-lined crest above downtown — is a mod, art-filled motel with live music and an on-site bar.
On the outskirts of town, amid the lush hardwood forests that flank Eureka Springs, travelers can swim and hike at Lake Leatherwood, sample lavender-infused pastries at La Grange Lavender Co. farm and marvel at the architecture of Thorncrown Chapel, a 6,000-square-foot feat of wood and glass in the hills.
