Mountain View

Mountain View is known for traditional folk music, crafts, and easy access to caves, rivers and national forest recreation. It makes a good base camp for exploring Blanchard Springs Caverns, riding Syllamo’s mountain bike trails and fishing the White River.

Established in the 1870s in the rugged Ozark Mountains of north-central Arkansas, the town was isolated and difficult to access. Although it was the county seat, Mountain View struggled to attract industry and visitors. Its first paved roads didn’t arrive until the 1960s.

Town leaders decided to give people a reason to visit. The Rackensack Society was formed by Jimmy Driftwood, known for songs like "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud,” to carry on the tradition of mountain music and attract visitors. They began “pickin’” and playing music around town, a tradition that continues today. The first Arkansas Folk Festival was held in 1963. The Ozark Folk Center State Park followed in 1973, solidifying the town's musical identity and preserving traditional Ozark ballads, fiddle tunes and string-band music.

Music and Festivals

Today, Mountain View is known as the “Folk Music Capital of the World.” Locals and visitors bring camp chairs and gather for informal “pickin’” sessions around the courthouse square or in Pickin’ Park from spring to late fall. Sit and listen, or bring an instrument and join in. Before the music starts, wander around the downtown square and surrounding streets to shop for antiques, gifts, home decor, art and more.

Ozark Folk Center State Park on the edge of town anchors Mountain View's mission to preserve mountain heritage as living history. More than 20 artisans demonstrate traditional crafts throughout the Craft Village, while multiple stages showcase Ozark mountain music, including performances at the 1,000-seat Ozark Highlands Theater. The herb garden offers a window into the early Ozark way of life. Stay at the park’s Cabins at Dry Creek and savor authentic regional cuisine at the Skillet Restaurant. The Craft Village and restaurant are open mid-April through late October, with lodging open year-round.

The Arkansas Folk Festival is still held each April. Other events include a Bluegrass Festival twice a year, an Iris Festival in May and Mountains, Music & Motorcycles in September. For more than 20 years, the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour in September has attracted visitors to tour the countryside and see the private creative spaces of artists within a 30-mile radius of town. The Bean Fest and Championship Outhouse Races, held in October, have taken place for more than 40 years. Christmas on the Square and Caroling in the Caverns are longstanding holiday events.

Crafts and Culture

The Arkansas Craft School on the square offers year-round workshops in everything from blacksmithing to weaving. The Dulcimer Shoppe, handcrafting McSpadden mountain dulcimers since 1962, helps visitors choose or customize a dulcimer suited to their playing style. It also sells instrument accessories and music books.

Visit Mellon’s Country Store for 1940s-era nostalgia, from old-fashioned candy to vintage toys. Mountain View is also home to one of only two drive-in movie theaters left in the state. Stone Drive-in originally opened in 1965. First-run movies still light up the screen Thursday through Sunday at dusk, rain or shine.

Outdoor Adventure

Step beyond the square and the landscape of the Ozark National Forest takes over. Today, Mountain View’s rural location is a big part of its appeal.

Jack’s White River Fishing Resort and Anglers White River Resort anchor Mountain View’s reputation as a premier fishing destination. While the White River is known for great trout fishing, the stretch where it meets warm Sylamore Creek has plenty of smallmouth and largemouth bass too. Marinas, outfitters and guides are available year-round.

If you enjoy outdoor adventure on two wheels, ride the 50-mile Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail, an International Mountain Bicycling Association Epic ride, or take on motorcycle routes twisting through the hilly terrain.

OK Trading Post offers guided horseback riding on scenic mountain trails and overnight camping trips, along with a petting zoo. You can also play a round at Bluegrass Trails Disc Golf Course, featuring 18 baskets with multiple tee pads.

Fourteen miles north of Mountain View, Blanchard Springs Caverns offers guided tours through a living cave system filled with breathtaking formations. Blanchard Springs Recreation Area is popular for forested trails, Mirror Lake, crystal-clear streams and a massive spring pumping 12,000 gallons per minute. Locals love to cool off in the half-acre-wide swimming hole at Gunner Pool Recreation Area.

Historic landmarks like the 1914 Swinging Bridge and the Civilian Conservation Corps-built Old Mill at Blanchard Springs add layers of history to outdoor adventures.

Local Flavor

Fuel your exploration at local eateries. Southern comfort food is abundant at downtown cafes and riverside restaurants, such as Anglers Restaurant. Mountain View is in a dry county, so Anglers, with its private club, is the stop for those who want to enjoy an adult beverage with a meal. About 20 miles from downtown Mountain View, just over the county line, Gravity BrewWorks has a rotating selection of handcrafted ales and lagers.

Mountain View offers a range of places to stay that reflect its rugged beauty and front-porch hospitality, from riverside retreats to downtown bed-and-breakfast inns.