RSS
|
|
|
The Geographic Names Index System (GNIS) of the USGS indicates that the official name of this feature is "Magazine Mountain", not "Mount Magazine". Although not a hard and fast rule, generally "Mount Xxxxx" is used for a peak, and "Xxxx Mountain" is more frequently used for ridges, which better describes this feature. Magazine Mountain appears in the GNIS as a ridge, with Signal Hill identified as its summit. "Mount Magazine" is the name used by the Arkansas State Parks and Recreation Administration, which follows what the locals have used since the area was first settled. All four of the guidebooks published to date on the subject of state highpoints have used Magazine Mountain. Magazine Mountain sits in the midst of the Ozark National Forest in the Arkansas River Valley approximately 17 mi (27.4 km) south of Paris, Logan County, Arkansas, on Scenic Highway 309 (also known as the Mount Magazine Scenic Byway). The most scenic route to the top is a beautiful 10 mi (16.1 km) drive north from Havana, Arkansas. Spectacular views of Blue Mountain Lake will be enjoyed throughout the journey. The mountain gets its name from when French explorers were travelling through the area and a landslide occurred on the mountain. The noise from the landslide was so great that one explorer described it as the sound of an ammunition magazine exploding. The explorers then named the mountain "Magazine". 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. A multi-million dollar lodge and 13 cliffside cabins were opened on May 18, 2006. The 66617 sqft (6188.9 m2) rustic-style lodge offers 60 guest rooms, a grand lobby, a conference center, a business center, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a gift shop, and panoramic views. Magazine Mountain is the site of the annual "Mount Magazine International Butterfly Festival". The mountain provides habitat for 94 of the 126 butterfly species found throughout Arkansas, including the official state butterfly, the Diana Fritillary, a rare butterfly found almost exclusively in the river valley area. The mountain is also home to black bear, whitetail deer, bobcat, and coyote as well as other species. The mountain is often called "the highest point between the Alleghenies and the Rockies" but there are areas in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota with higher elevations. |