Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas

ByChristine Updated on

Mount Magazine is a really nice state park that we just happened to stumble upon while we were looking up places to rock climb. The state park sits up on the ridge overlooking a large valley. The views are amazing.

There is a lodge and there are several cabins that sit right on the edge. It also seems like a wonderful place to spend a weekend, but we were only there for some climbing during the day.

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Views and Overlooks

The scenic views and outlooks from Mount Magazine State Park are one of its major draws. Its elevation provides a wide panorama. The views from Mount Magazine extend over a lush rolling landscape.

You can see numerous rock outcroppings jutting out from the greenery. Informational signs let you know what all you can see from the overlooks.

Rock Climbing at Mount Magazine State Park

Mount Magazine State Park is well-known for its technical rock climbing.

After hiking down to the bottom of the cliff face, and along it to scope out the extensive routes, we selected a 5.6 that would be a good beginner trad climbing route.

Kevin attached the gear to his climbing loops and led the route, placing protection as he went, while I, Christine, belayed. Once Kevin reached the top, where there was a nice solid tree to use as an anchor where he could belay from above, I followed.

Kevin had taken a multi-pitch / trad course at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia, so here at Mount Magazine State Park he was able to practice a lot of what he had learned.

I had not had any experience previously, other than a training course in our RV, so my main goal was to practice removing the trad gear on my way up as I climbed (“cleaning the route”). We call this a success!

We held a training session the night before in our RV which looked pretty funny but was effective.

I tied the climbing rope into a rope backpack to make it easier to carry to the rock wall!

We had originally wanted to rappel down and climb some more, but bad weather rolled in. This was another fun way to enjoy Mount Magazine State Park.

Things To Know

Entrance is free to Mount Magazine State Park.

There is a lodge, cabins, restaurant, indoor swimming pool, hot tubs, campground, picnic area, and even a hang glider launch area!

There are numerous hiking and cycling trails with bikes available for rent at the lodge.

Where To Go Next

In Arkansas there are several other state parks we really enjoyed. Devil’s Den State Park in the Ozarks of Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas’s first state park, Petit Jean State Park, are both worth visiting. If you like Mount Magazine State Park, check these out too!

Christine is the co-founder of Never Stop Adventuring, and an avid traveler who started traveling the world as a child growing up in a military family. She even lived in Germany for numerous years. Since then she has been to 48 U.S. states, 17 countries, and traveled the U.S. in an RV for over 7 years.

With her 3 kids, the adventures continued family travel style. She has planned and coordinated travel with kids for the last 10 years and shares family travel tips and tricks, destinations, costs and even the mistakes so you can be empowered to take your own family trips with confidence!