100 Places To See With Your Dog: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

They call Arkansas THE NATURAL STATE for a reason.  The natural beauty throughout the state is simply gorgeous!  Arkansas happens to also be a very dog friendly destination.  When we first discovered Arkansas, it was just a place to stop over on our cross country route with our dogs.  What a surprise when we discovered all the natural beauty and all the places you can bring your dog!  That's when we fell in love with The Natural State.

One of the many cool springs in Eureka Springs,  in Northern Arkansas

 

When I started researching dog friendly places in Arkansas, I learned about all the wonderful areas to visit with your dog throughout Arkansas.  Eureka Springs, located in the Northwestern part of the state, lies deep in the magnificent Ozark Mountains.  It's a beautifully quaint, historic town and perfect for a holiday with your dog!

One of the quaint little landscaped nooks around the town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas

There's lots to do in Eureka Springs, most of it centering around historic places and outdoor activities.  There are over 25 miles of deep woods trails or paved paths, easily accessible
from the town of  Eureka Springs.  Visit their web site for more information and maps.



The central "Square" in the town of Eureka where people gather to relax or listen to some street music.

We really enjoyed the Historic Loop Walk that traverses around the town of Eureka Springs.  There are dozens of beautiful historic homes to see along the walk, as well as many natural cool springs. 

Steps leading down to Eureka's central gathering place.

As you walk through the town and around the Historic Loop, stop to enjoy some of the beautifully landscaped cold spring areas.  As you can see, the town has landscaped these spring areas beautifully!


If you still have some energy left after the Historic Loop, visit Lake Leatherwood.  It's a 1610 acre recreation area with over 25 miles of hiking and biking trails around a spring fed lake. 


Black Bass Lake is another area to visit.  It's got 2 miles of trails and bluffs surrounding it, and includes a half mile trail that is handicapped accessible.  This is great because not all areas of this mountain town are accessible.

After taking in all the beauty and nature Eureka Springs has to offer, give your dog an extra treat by taking him to Bark Park, located in Harmon park.  

Note that There are no Wolf Hybrids permitted in the dog park and there’s a limit of 2 dogs per person.  They also don’t permit prong or choke collars (YAY!), nor do they permit collars with spikes on them. 

One of the sunken spring areas, so lovely!

There are plenty of dog friendly hotels and B&B’s in Eureka Springs, as well as dog friendly places to eat (on outdoor patios). 


I found a fantastic dog friendly Inn in the center of Eureka Springs called the Peabody House.  I couldn't believe this beautiful B&B was dog friendly!  We had a separate little cottage behind the main Inn that I just loved.  For some weird reason, it reminded me of a Sea Captain's house.  I honestly don't know what made me feel like that, LOL!


Our cottage at the Peabody House was a quaint two story house with a deck off the bedroom upstairs.  The deck was literally RIGHT next to the mountain - I swear you could practically reach out & touch the mountain!  We loved that, and we enjoyed sitting out there each morning and evening with our dogs.  I was so comfortable in the Peabody House, I didn't want to leave at the end of our stay! 

The main Inn at the Peabody House.  We stayed in one of the cottages just behind the main house.

When I booked our stay at the Peabody House over the phone, the Innkeeper kept warning me that the house we were staying in, directly behind the main Inn you see pictured here, was "really tiny".  "Oh don't worry!" I said, I'm from New York and I lived in Manhattan for a few years - I'm used to tiny apartments!"  Well, it didn't seem tiny to me at all - not by NY standards anyway.  It was perfectly cozy.  In fact, I loved staying there so much, it was hard to get me to leave in the morning to go out and explore!


If you're looking for a wonderful dog friendly trip, I highly recommend a trip to The Natural State, especially to Eureka Springs!


If you enjoyed reading about Eureka Springs, you'll enjoy my post on Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is in the Southern part of the state. There's a bit of baseball history here too, but it's not exactly PG rated LOL!!


Check out some of my other dog friendly travel posts.

Have you ever been to Arkansas?  Leave us a comment and tell us about it!  We love hearing from you!