Mount Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas at 2, feet above sea level and is the centerpiece of Mount Magazine State Park. The mountain is located between the communities of Waveland and Corley in Logan County. Native American tools such as projectile points and pottery shards have been found there.
However, there is no evidence to suggest there were permanent Native American settlements on the mountain. Mount Magazine does not have a sharp peak or summit—it is a massive plateau. In , the U. Congress passed an act that opened land overlapping the mountain for the construction of a railroad. In exchange, homesteaders paid taxes to the government, allowing the economy to grow and the West to be settled.
While some moved into the area during the Civil War, most settlements appeared near Mount Magazine after the war ended in In , Thomas Rush Cameron, a former Confederate, moved his family to the mountain. Reportedly, his wife had a respiratory condition, so he believed the high elevation would be beneficial to her health. Cameron participated in the first government-run survey of Mount Magazine. In , the Arkansas General Assembly gave the commissioner of state lands the power to make deeds and sell lands in delinquency to new occupants to keep them on the market.
Birmingham, a former engineer in a New York regiment during the Civil War, was among the first to take advantage of the newly opened territory. The company started selling plots of land in what was to be a planned resort community on top of the mountain. By , the town plat had been drawn up showing roads , alleys, parks, a hotel, and more than lots. It was owned by the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad. By , however, more than two-thirds of the lots in the new resort town were in forfeiture.
In , President Franklin D. Roosevelt made Mount Magazine a part of the Ouachita National Forest and by all land on top of the mountain was under control of the federal government. Please exercise caution visiting the falls as they are slippery and can be dangerous.
The state park is also home to a beautiful interpretive center that provides information on the history, wildlife and geology of the mountain. The center is located at the main entrance to the park on Scenic Highway south of Paris. Mount Magazine is an excellent gateway for exploring other state parks in the area including Petit Jean State Park , the Arkansas River lakes and the wine country of Arkansas.
The address is Highway South, Paris, Arkansas. The park is open to the public daily and its day use areas offer some of the finest scenery in Arkansas. Please click here to visit the park's website for additional information and reservation details for the lodge , cabins and camping. Bluffs of Mount Magazine The magnificent bluffs of the mountain make for breath- taking scenery. Mount Magazine The mountain was a hiding place for refugees during the Civil War.
Magazine Falls This foot waterfall tumbles off the mountain just off the overlook drive. Photo by Rebecca Friddle. Mount Magazine is a flat-topped plateau with a sandstone cap rimmed by precipitous rock cliffs. Two peaks are situated atop the plateau, Signal Hill, which is the tallest point in Arkansas, and Mossback Ridge which reaches 2, feet. The mountain range itself is considered part of the Northern Ouachitas, but it is considered part of the Ozarks because it is in the Ozark National Forest.
Mount Magazine State Park is a well-developed state park, complete with a full array of services, campground, and recreational activities.
The park offers 18 campsites, hiking trails, pavilion and picnic area with restrooms, and assorted scenic overlooks. The visitor's center maintains an exhibit gallery and gift shop. Interpretive programs are presented by the park staff on a regular basis. Rock climbing, horseback riding, biking, ATV trail riding, and hang gliding are available activities.
The mountain is also home to black bear, whitetail deer, bobcat, and coyote as well as other species. There are some technical climbing areas, where there is rappelling and rock climbing on foot high bluffs. In terms of rock climbing, the tallest route at Mt. Magazine is 90 ft.
Right to Flight - 5. It starts in a crack about 40 feet west of a route called "Cruise Control" 5. There is a 3rd class from the trail that leads to the ledge above "Cruise Control" and you can rap down from the anchors there. Another way to find this route is to go past the 3rd class walkdown, continuing east along the trail, look for a prominent roof that helps to form a large chimney-like area. I will post another picture looking down from this point The route is typically done in two pitches to avoid rope drag on the upper pitch.
There is a cave about 60 ft. The crux of the route is pulling the large roof in the upper section. Until that point, it climbs like a 5.
Some people only do this easier pitch, but that is a true waste! The most beautiful part is the top. There is endless pro on this route, making it a great classic that can be well protected. This route can be easily done in about 45 minutes both climbers at the top Thanks to cagedalpinist for information on "Right to Flight" It should be noted that climbing is not allowed on the north face, due to poor rock quality and indigenous species.
Access issues are still a concern for rock climbers at the park, but increased interest in rock climbing in the area will keep access alive. For more information on rock climbing routes, the "Climber's Guide to Mt. Magazine" by Kerry Allen is available at most of the local outfitters.
Mount Magazine is 17 miles south of Paris, Arkansas. Mount Magazine State Park is clearly marked on route going in either direction. At the visitor center, you follow the signs and take the park roads to the various trailheads. I recommend getting a park map from the Visitors Center.
Views of the Bluffs are about 2 miles down the road. The total trail system in the park is almost 9. Back country camping is allowed off the National Forest trails. This trail system is listed in both the day and overnight hiking sections due to the versatility offered by the varity of access points, distances, and terrain.
This is truly a unique setting, offering some of the most expansive views in Arkansas. It's hard to imagine orchards, vineyards, and row crops once occupied this area. Some of their work was abandoned during World War II only to be recently rediscovered. Today this trail makes a one-mile loop through a mixed pine and hardwood forest. It crosses Highway and leads to a wildlife pond. The eastern end of the Mossback Ridge Trail starts near the pond.
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