Hikers come from across the country to walk the Ozark Highlands Trail, one of the premier long-distance footpaths in the central United States, and Madison County sits right at its doorstep. The trail threads through the rugged Boston Mountains and the Ozark National Forest in the country just south of the county, which means residents have world-class hiking within an easy drive. Here is an orientation for getting out on it.
The Ozark Highlands Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that runs for well over two hundred miles across the highlands of northern Arkansas, much of it through the Ozark National Forest. It is renowned for its scenery: clear creeks, waterfalls, limestone bluffs, deep hardwood forest, and quiet that is increasingly hard to find. Thru-hikers tackle it over a matter of weeks, but the trail is built so that ordinary hikers can sample it in pieces, from a couple of hours to a long weekend.
You do not need to be a backpacker to enjoy the trail. The southern reaches of Madison County touch the Boston Mountains and the national forest, and the trail's segments through that country offer excellent day-hiking. A good approach is to pick a trailhead, walk out as far as you like, and turn back — the scenery on an out-and-back is just as good. The country around the Mulberry River and the Pig Trail corridor, an easy drive south of Huntsville, puts you right in the heart of trail country.
Some of the most famous hiking destinations in Arkansas are within an hour or so of Madison County. Whitaker Point, better known as Hawksbill Crag, in neighboring Newton County, is one of the most photographed spots in the state, a dramatic rock outcrop over a forested valley. The upper Buffalo National River country, also nearby, offers waterfalls and bluff-top views that draw hikers and photographers from all over. From a base in Madison County, all of it is within reach for a day trip.
The Ozarks are beautiful but they are real backcountry, so prepare accordingly. Carry plenty of water or a way to treat creek water, wear sturdy footwear for rocky and sometimes steep terrain, and check the weather, because Ozark creeks can rise fast and some crossings become impassable after heavy rain. Tell someone your plans, since cell service is spotty in the forest. Spring and fall are the prime seasons, with comfortable temperatures and either wildflowers or fall color; summer is hot and humid, and winter offers solitude and long views through the bare trees.
The trail stays beautiful because hikers take care of it. Pack out everything you bring in, stay on the trail to protect fragile areas, and follow Leave No Trace principles. Volunteers maintain much of this trail, and treating it with respect honors their work and keeps it open for the next hiker. With the Ozark Highlands Trail this close, Madison County residents have one of the great walking destinations of the region essentially in the backyard — all that is left is to lace up and go.
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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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 →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.
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