Local Guides
Stories, history, and practical know-how for residents and visitors — the heart of what we do.
The Best Outdoor Activities in Madison County, Arkansas
Madison County sits in the heart of the Arkansas Ozarks, making it one of the best-kept secrets for outdoor enthusiasts in the mid-South. From floating the Kings River to hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy the natural beauty here.
Read more →A Guide to Shopping Local in Huntsville, AR
Huntsville's small downtown district has more to offer than you might expect. Local hardware stores, family-owned diners, farm supply shops, and specialty retailers have served Madison County for generations. Here's where to start.
Read more →Moving to Madison County? Here's What to Know
Madison County has seen steady growth from families and retirees looking for a quieter life within reach of Northwest Arkansas. Whether you're coming from Fayetteville or from out of state, here's what locals wish they'd known before moving to the county.
Read more →War Eagle Mill and the Fall Craft Fair: A Madison County Tradition
Every October, War Eagle Mill hosts one of Arkansas's most beloved craft fairs, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the rolling hills near Hindsville. The mill itself — still grinding grain the old-fashioned way — is worth a visit any time of year.
Read more →The History of Madison County, Arkansas: From 1836 to Today
Madison County was carved out of the Ozark wilderness in 1836, the same year settlers from Alabama gave both the county and its seat their names. Here is the long story of how this corner of northwest Arkansas came to be.
Read more →A Local's Guide to Huntsville, Arkansas
Huntsville is the county seat and the place where Madison County does its business. Here is what to know about the town at the center of it all, from the courthouse square to where to grab lunch.
Read more →Floating and Fishing the Kings River: A Madison County Guide
The Kings River rises in the hills of southern Madison County and runs clear and wild toward Table Rock Lake. For paddlers and anglers, it is one of the great underrated rivers of the Arkansas Ozarks. Here is how to enjoy it.
Read more →The Small Communities of Madison County
Madison County is more than Huntsville. Scattered through its hills and river valleys are small communities with their own histories and characters: Kingston, Combs, Wesley, Hindsville, St. Paul, and more. Here is a tour.
Read more →Withrow Springs State Park: A Complete Guide
Just five miles north of Huntsville, Withrow Springs State Park packs camping, hiking, swimming, and a put-in for floating War Eagle Creek into 786 acres of Ozark beauty. Here is everything to know before you go.
Read more →Hunting in Madison County: Seasons, Game, and Getting Started
Madison County and the surrounding Ozark National Forest are some of the best hunting country in Arkansas, with deer, turkey, small game, and a growing bear population. Here is an orientation for hunters.
Read more →The Old Schoolhouses of Madison County
Before consolidation, nearly every Madison County community had its own school. Many of those buildings are gone now, but their stories are not. This is a living history of the county's one-room and small schools.
Read more →A Year in Madison County: Festivals and Annual Events
From spring craft fairs to the county fair to fall color and the holidays, Madison County keeps a full calendar of seasonal traditions. Here is what happens through the year, season by season.
Read more →Madison County's Most Famous Son: The Orval Faubus Story
He was born in a cabin near Combs and rose to become one of the most prominent and most debated governors in Arkansas history. The story of Orval Faubus begins right here in Madison County.
Read more →Local Legends and Ghost Stories of Madison County
Every Ozark community has its haunted houses, its strange lights, and its tales told around the fire. Madison County is no exception. This is a gathering place for the county's legends, lore, and ghost stories.
Read more →The Huntsville Massacre of 1863
On a cold January morning in 1863, nine men were marched from a Huntsville guardhouse to a field northeast of town and shot. The Huntsville Massacre is one of the most tragic episodes in Madison County's Civil War history, and it should not be forgotten.
Read more →Isaac Murphy: Madison County, Arkansas Governor
When Arkansas voted to leave the Union in 1861, one delegate cast the lone dissenting vote: Isaac Murphy of Huntsville. He later became the first governor of Arkansas's reunified state government. It remains one of the most notable chapters in Madison County's history.
Read more →Driving the Pig Trail Scenic Byway
Just south of Madison County, Arkansas Highway 23 corkscrews through the Boston Mountains as the Pig Trail Scenic Byway — one of the great motorcycle and leaf-peeping drives in the Ozarks. Here is what to know before you go.
Read more →Researching Your Madison County Roots: A Beginner's Guide
Madison County is full of families who have been here for generations. If yours is one of them — or if you are tracing an ancestor who passed through — here is where to begin digging into your county roots.
Read more →Hiking the Ozark Highlands Trail Near Madison County
One of the premier long-distance footpaths in the mid-South runs through the rugged country just south of Madison County. Whether you want a short day hike or a serious backpacking trip, the Ozark Highlands Trail is within easy reach.
Read more →Fall Color in Madison County: A Leaf-Peeper's Guide
Every autumn the Ozark hardwoods of Madison County put on a show. Here is when the color usually peaks, where to see it at its best, and how to plan a leaf-peeping outing in the heart of the Arkansas Ozarks.
Read more →Five Great Day Trips from Madison County
Madison County's location in the heart of the Ozarks puts some of the region's best destinations within an easy drive. From the Buffalo River to Eureka Springs to the museums of Bentonville, here are five day trips worth taking.
Read more →Communities of Madison County
Each Madison County community has its own character — explore what each has to offer.
Huntsville
Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County and its commercial and civic hub, home to the historic courthouse square and roughly 2,300 residents.
Elkins
Elkins sits on the western edge of Madison County, just a short drive from Fayetteville, making it one of the fastest-growing communities in the area.
Kingston
Kingston is a small rural community nestled in the rolling hills of northern Madison County, close to the War Eagle River watershed and popular with outdoor enthusiasts.
Combs
Combs is a tiny unincorporated community tucked into the Boston Mountains in the southern part of Madison County, with deeply rural character and dramatic terrain.
Wesley
Wesley is a small unincorporated community in western Madison County with a quiet, agricultural character and easy reach to both Huntsville and Fayetteville.
Hindsville
Hindsville is a historic small community best known as the home of War Eagle Mill and the nationally renowned War Eagle Craft Fair.
St. Paul
St. Paul is a scenic community along the Kings River in the southern part of Madison County, beloved by kayakers, canoeists, and anyone who wants to spend a day on Arkansas's clearest floating rivers.
Local Business Directory
A community directory of the shops, services, churches, and organizations across the county. Browse by category, or see a few local businesses below.