The White River
In an area as beautiful as Independence County, it would be a shame to see it only through a windshield. This section will guide you to some great outdoor spots throughout the area. Wherever your interests lie, water, hills, forests, caves, festivals, museums, wildlife, and much more, they are all found in Batesville. The towns location amid the eastern foothills of the Ozark Mountains is actually an ancient plateau that has been eroded by thousands of years of wind and water. Abundant opportunities for outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, camping, and picnicking are found in Batesville or within only a short scenic drive.
In addition to our city parks, several state parks are found within a two-hour drive of Batesville. Campgrounds, picnic areas, swimming and short hiking trails can be found at state parks such as Lake Charles near Powhatan in Lawrence County, Jacksonport in Jackson county the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View in Stone County, Jacksonport State Park in Jackson county, The Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View in Stone County, Old Davidsonville between Black Rock and Pocahontas in Randolph County and Mammoth Spring near the Missouri line in Fulton County. The areas flowing streams entice fishermen and canoeists by the thousands each year. One of the areas most popular float streams is the Spring River, which runs from Mammoth Spring to its confluence with the Black River and Black Rock. The Spring River also attracts scores of trout fisherman, as do many smaller tributaries of the White and Black Rivers themselves are fill of a wide variety of fish for anglers, including catfish, bass and crappie.
Canoeists and kayakers can challenge the running waters of the Spring River in Fulton, Sharp and Lawrence Counties or float under the awe-inspiring bluffs standing at attention alongside the Buffalo National River, a couple hours drive to the west.
The area is a hunters paradise. Woods and meadows of the area feature abundant whitetail deer and wild (eastern) turkey, calling hunters out of their warm homes on cool earl mornings in late fall and early spring. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have also brought elk into northern Arkansas. Fields and sloughs in the lowlands to the east add ducks and geese to a hunters options.
While many hunters prefer to stake off private lands amid the areas widespread forests and rigged hills, pubic hunting areas are also available in the Ozark National Forest Sylamore District north of Mountain View and in state Wildlife Management Areas such as Harold E. Alexander in Sharp County, Shirley Bay-Rainey Brake in Lawrence County and Henry Gray Hurricane Lake in White County. Deer season in the late fall and turkey season in the spring are among the most popular.
The Corps of Engineers operates several campgrounds and access points along reservoirs in north central Arkansas, such as Greers Ferry Lake near Heber Spring and Lake Norfork and Bill Shoals Lake flanking Mountain Home. The larger lakes pride opportunities not found on smaller waterways, including speed boating and water-skiing.
Additional hunting, camping and hiking are also to be found a few hours west in other areas of the Ozark National Forest, which generally extends from northeast of Fort Smith east to Marshall and then north to Jasper.