This fall, we booked a trip to see the fall foliage and enjoy the crisp weather in Northwest Arkansas. We were looking for a place that was family-friendly, and a 4-5 hour drive from home, so we decided to give Bentonville a try.
Wow, we were so impressed. This place was stunningly beautiful, so family-friendly, and there was so much to do.
If you are looking for the perfect, family-friendly fall destination, you cannot go wrong with Arkansas. Below are 6 reasons you will love Arkansas in the fall:
We visited the second weekend in November, and the weather was fantastic. The mornings were cool in the 40’s and 50’s, but we were comfortable in heavy jackets, and shed them by lunch time. The afternoons were perfect; mid 60’s with sunshine and very little wind all 3 days we were there. Living in the Midwest, I know that summertime is brutal. Which means that Midwesterners live for cool, autumn days. There were tons of outdoor activities going on, and it was the perfect weather for hiking. We didn’t need to pack heavy coats or snow boots, so it helped keep our packing light.
I had always heard that Arkansas was beautiful, but I didn’t realize just HOW pretty it really was until I experienced it firsthand. And while I am sure it would have been stunning in any other season, there is something about fall colors that just takes your breath away.
While we were probably a week past peak color change, the fall leaves were still a marvelous sight. There was red, orange and yellow everywhere you looked. The hiking trails were covered with crisp, golden leaves, and the creeks all had water trickling in them. The Ozark Mountains were a rolling hill of red and orange. It felt like we were visiting a fairytale forest.
Between Beaver lake, the mountain biking trails, and all the great hiking spots, there is no shortage of outdoor activities in Northwest Arkansas. We found tons of easy, family-friendly hikes in the area near where we stayed, and I know there are so many more that we missed.
If you get lucky with warmer weather on your visit, you could spend time at the lake kayaking or paddleboarding, or even take a float trip down one of the rivers to see the fall colors on the riverbank.
There are tons of family-friendly hotels in the Rogers and Bentonville area that are very reasonably priced. We stayed at the Hyatt House for $0 using credit card points that we transferred from this card, but even if we would have paid cash, the rates were very reasonable for a 2-room suite to fit our family of 5.
We ate breakfast in our hotel and packed lots of groceries and lunch items from home to help keep our food cost low, and we were pleasantly surprised at the reasonable cost of all the restaurants we visited.
Most importantly, you don’t have to spend a fortune on things to do here! There are SO many free activities in this area, we were able to pack our weekend full of activities and hardly spent anything.
I truly felt like this area was made for families. Everywhere we went, we saw kids running and playing. There are tons of parks and playgrounds, and there were kids at all the museums and hiking trails we went to. They have an amazing children’s museum, and so many outdoor places for little ones to explore.
With so many wonderful lakes and outdoor activities, peak travel season to Arkansas is summertime. So when you travel in the fall, the crowds are at a minimum and it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
We visited on a weekend with absolutely perfect weather, and never felt crowded anywhere we went. We never waited at a restaurant, or in line to get in anywhere. So if you are looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway with no crowds, definitely give Arkansas a try.
Northwest Arkansas is the perfect fall getaway for your family! If you are interested in learning more about our trip to NW Arkansas, check out my other blog posts on this destination: