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Downtown
Pocahontas
Live
Webcam
One of the most popular activities in this area is
visiting historic downtown Pocahontas, one of the oldest towns in
Arkansas. A seventeen block area of downtown Pocahontas is a National
Historic Commercial District featuring primarily Victorian architecture
dating back to 1873. This area offers unique shopping opportunities
(several in the studios of local artists), exceptional regional cuisine,
museums, music venues, a unique downtown woolen mill, Black River
Overlook Park, antique and collectable stores, Statue of Princess
Pocahontas, old train depot, a clogging and dance studio, the state’s
oldest pharmacy and oldest barber shop, a veteran's memorial, and many other attractions.
Here are some other things to do in the
Shady River area...
See current area events calendar
here.
Birding and Wildlife -This
area is where the Ozark Mountains meet the Delta of the
Mississippi River. We’re also in the Mississippi bird
migration flyway, in a section where the flyway narrows,
giving us more birds per square mile than wider parts of the
flyway.
This is a fabulous birding area where
guests are likely to see significant numbers of varieties of
bird and wildlife species. In addition to observing species
inhabiting or passing through here at Shady River, spotting
is excellent in the Arkansas Wildlife Management areas here
in Randolph County—Dave Donaldson Black River WMA and Robert
L. Hankins Mud Creek Upland WMA. Another excellent spot for
observation is Buck Hollow Ranch, which offers wildlife
photo safaris of elk, deer, wild turkey, and many other
wildlife and bird species. Birding and wildlife observation
is also excellent along any of Randolph County’s five
navigable rivers (but we think Eleven Point is the best).
Crowley's Ridge Nature Center - Forrest L. Wood
Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in Jonesboro offers visitors
the chance to experience and explore a unique piece of North
America and its wildlife. Inside the center, exhibits reveal
the natural forces that formed the 200-mile-long ridge and
native wildlife, ranging from large game animals to small
insects. In addition to self-guided exhibits and trails,
Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center offers many
activities and nature education programs.
MAP (from Shady River)
Davidsonville
Historic State Park
- Site of the 1815 town of Davidsonville, which included Arkansas' first courthouse and land office.
The town no longer exists, but there are yearly
archaeological digs there.
MAP (from Shady River)
Rolling Hills Country Club
- Visitors to our county are always welcome at Rolling Hills' 18-hole
golf course! (They have a great 19th hole, too.)
MAP (from Shady River)
The Irish Wilderness
- Part of Mark Twain National Forest, the Irish
Wilderness is a dense forest of oaks and hickory. The
Wilderness is set aside by Congress as a natural area
affected primarily by the forces of nature with little
evidence of man’s works - “where man himself is a visitor
who does not remain.” Many outdoor enthusiasts seek out its
peace and special closeness to experiencing the wonders of
nature. No two individuals share the same meaning and values
of the wilderness experience, but it is primitive and
challenging, and recreationists must be self-reliant. The
Wilderness hiking trails are great, but it's also a nice
place just to drive through. If you're going to the
Wilderness, a GPS unit is recommended!
MAP (from Shady River)
Mammoth Spring State Park - Mammoth Spring is
Arkansas's largest spring and the second largest spring in
the Ozark Mountains. A National Natural Landmark, the spring
flows nine million gallons of water hourly.
MAP (from Shady River)
Grand Gulf State Park - Just 11 minutes from Mammoth
Spring (above), this Missouri state park is often referred
to as Missouri's "Little Grand Canyon." Grand Gulf State
Park offers visitors a chance to view a variety of natural
wonders. From a canyon to a cave to a natural bridge -- this
state park has plenty to see and much to do. The 322-acre
park presents the most spectacular collapsed cave system in
the Ozarks. Part of the cave's roof forms one of the largest
natural bridges in the state, spanning 200 feet with an
opening 75 feet high and 50 feet wide.
MAP (from Mammoth Spring, above, to Grand Gulf)
Other Outdoor Activities:
Boating, canoeing, kayaking*, fishing, and camping along the
county’s five rivers. Some of Arkansas’s best duck hunting,
the state’s #1 walleye stream (our Eleven Point River), deer and wild turkey hunting.
*Shady River provides a
canoe, kayaks, and tubes, along with the necessary
personal flotation and safety devices. Due to insurance
regulations, all equipment, including the electric kart,
is for use by Shady River registered guests only.
Small Fiber Farm
- This small, unique woolen mill in the Pocahontas
Downtown Shopping District offers tours of the mill as
well as locally-produced woolen yarns from a variety of
wool-producing animals grown locally, as well as
finished woolen pieces for sale. Tours of their sheep
ranch are also available. MAP (from Shady River)
Row Crops and Ranching
- Randolph County grows rice, soybeans, milo, corn, and
cotton in the fields of the flatlands in the eastern
part of the county. The western uplands include cattle
and sheep ranching as well as more unusual animals such
as alpacas.
Black River Beads
- View beautiful hand-made pottery and jewelry and
perhaps meet the artists who created them. In downtown
Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Pearcy Gallery -
Displaying locally-created artwork. Open occasionally,
or by appointment. On the town square in Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Imperial Dinner Theater
- High quality Broadway-type stage productions and dinner in an elegant atmosphere.
Dramas, comedies, and musicals. In
Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Randolph Music Theater
- Regional and name bands perform live bluegrass, Southern gospel, and traditional country
and western music, as well as a
few modern country hits, performed in a historic old downtown building
that was once Pocahontas' movie theater.
MAP (from Shady River)
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History and Heritage:
Randolph
County was one of the first areas in Arkansas
settled by U. S. citizens both before and after the
1803 Louisiana Purchase. Numerous state firsts may
be found here including the sites of Arkansas’s
first courthouse, first U. S. Post Office, first
school, first U. S. Land Office, first river ferry,
first grist mill, first Baptist church, first
Methodist circuit, first Masonic Lodge, first circus
performance, first national road, first court, and
several others.
Eddie Mae Herron Center Museum
- African-American heritage and cultural museum in
Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum - In the
nearby town of Piggott, the museum includes a
barn-studio associated with writer Ernest
Hemingway and the family home of his second
wife, Piggott resident Pauline Pfeiffer.
MAP (from Shady River)
Looney Tavern
and Inn - Built in 1833 and recently
restored (though not yet open to the public),
this is Arkansas’s oldest known standing
commercial structure. The old tavern is right on
the Eleven Point River. We can arrange for you
to travel there by boat if you'd like. Though
it's not open to the public, you can see it from
the river bank. (click Looney Tavern and Inn
link for more information and map)
Maynard Pioneer
Park and Museum - Housed in an over
100-year-old cabin; filled with antiques from
the 1800s; also has many pictures, newspaper
clippings and historical documents making it
ideal for genealogy studies for people from that
area. Also on the grounds is a park with three
pavilions, barbeque pits, playground equipment
and 4 RV hook-ups; and a log cabin that served
as both church and school. Located in the
charming nearby valley village of Maynard.
MAP (from Shady River)
Pocahontas
Historic District - The Secretary of the
Interior has designated a 17-block area of
downtown Pocahontas as a National Historic
Commercial District. The district, centered on
the restored 1873 Victorian Italianate
Courthouse, features structures which are mostly
over 100 years old, constructed in the Victorian
style. The district also features exceptional
regional cuisine, art galleries, antique stores,
flea markets, and the oldest continuously
operating drug store and the oldest continuous
barber shop in Arkansas. Visit the Randolph
county Tourism Association offices in the 1873
courthouse.
MAP (from Shady River)
Powhatan Historic State Park
- Preserves an 1888 courthouse and a small nearby nineteenth-century river port
town. MAP (from Shady River)
Randolph County Heritage Museum -
Collects, preserves, and displays the history
and heritage of Randolph County. An excellent
museum in downtown Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Ravenden Springs
Community Museum - This outstanding museum
in the small town of Ravenden Springs, a
thriving and bustling spa town in the late
1800's and early 1900's, displays the history of
the town and its healing springs. It's located
in the old rock school building, a National
Historic Register property. Visitors wanting to
tour the museum should inquire at the Ravenden
Springs post office.
MAP (from Shady River)
Rice House - One of
the oldest houses in Arkansas (1827) is very
close to Shady River and now fully restored. Access is by
appointment only.
MAP (from Shady River)
St. Paul’s Grotto
- This 1936 rock grotto and garden at the 1901
St. Paul’s Catholic Church is a representation
of the miracle site at Lourdes, France.
MAP (from Shady River)
Walnut Ridge Army
Flying School Museum
- There was a major World War II airfield near
Pocahontas. This museum is a tribute to the
airmen of WWII, the planes they flew and the
military and civilian personnel who supported
their mission.
MAP (from Shady River)
Our county
has beautiful vistas in its uplands and
lowland areas, with wetlands, rolling hills,
rivers, creeks, and lakes. Spring brings
many thousands of flowering trees and
plants. Our area offers excellent fall
foliage.
National Trail System—Benge Route of the
Native American Trail of Tears - A
driving trail. The trail passed just south
of our Shady River property.
Arkansas
Heritage Trail--The Southwest
Trail/Natchitoches Trail/Military
Road/National Road/Arkansas Road - A
driving trail. Here in Randolph County, the
trail follows the same route as the
Benge Route of the Trail of Tear.
Scot Cemetery
Trail - A walking trail in
Davidsonville
Historic State Park.
MAP (from Shady River)
Civil War
Trails:
Shaver’s March Trail - A driving
trail. This is the famous march Shaver's
7th took after Shaver organized a
brigade at Smithville, Arkansas.
Recruits poured in from all all over
this area and marched from Smithville to
Pocahontas, where they established the
state's only basic training camp at Camp
Shaver. The trail goes from Smithville
to Powhatan to Black Rock to
Davidsonville to Pocahontas.
MAP (of the trail, starting in
Smithville and proceeding to the Camp
Shaver location in Pocahontas)
Pitman’s
Ferry Trail - A driving trail. The
Pitman's Ferry Trail follows the same
route as the
Southwest Trail--Gov. Rector ordered
every soldier in Arkansas to Pitman's
Ferry in 1861 when Arkansas seceded from
the Union.
Civil War River Walk Memorial Trail
- A walking trail in Black River
Overlook Park, Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Randolph
County Quilt Trail - A walking or
driving trail. Life-size reproductions of
locally hand-stitched quilts, mounted on
building walls around downtown Pocahontas. A
map of the quilt locations is available at
the
Randolph County Heritage Museum.
Veterans
Memorial Trail - A walking trail in
downtown Pocahontas.
MAP (from Shady River)
Rock and Roll
Highway 67 - U. S. Highway 67 in
Randolph, Lawrence, and Jackson counties has
been officially designated as Rock and Roll
Highway 67 due to the many pioneers and
stars of early rock and roll who appeared at
venues here. These include Elvis Presley,
Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Fats Domino, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Burgess
and many more. Randolph County venues are
marked with historical markers.
We recommend you try E
Street Bistro in Pocahontas, which serves a great
breakfast and lunch every day, plus dinner on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. They serve a wide variety of foods,
including soups, specialty salads, sandwiches, and full
meals.
MAP (from Shady River)
For good steaks, try Don's
Steakhouse, beside Walmart in Pocahontas. They also have
good fried catfish, shrimp, and sandwiches.
MAP (from Shady River)
The
Amish-Mennonite Country Store in the nearby town of
Dalton makes fresh sandwiches on homemade bread and they
have natural foods. 7 miles (11 minutes) north of Shady River on HWY 93.
MAP (from Shady River)
Pocahontas Founders Day Weekend -
First weekend of May each year. This
celebration in downtown Pocahontas
features a Regional Quilt Show, a
Vintage Tractor Show, free music venues,
clogging demonstrations, free music all
day, and special events each year.
Special exhibits and shows are held in
conjunction with the celebration at the
Randolph County Heritage Museum and
annual Art Show at The Gallery. The
court square is filled with food and
craft vendors as well as demonstrations
of vintage crafts.
Rock and
Roll Highway 67 Music Festival -
October.
National
Canoe Races - July.
Sources of more Information...
Pocahontas Map (also see downtown
close-up below)
Downtown Pocahontas Close-up
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