One of the great attractions of Eureka Springs as a tourist resort is
its scenery. In both the city and the adjacent countryside we have folds
of hills that please the eye of the observer and captivate his fancy. “I
will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help.” The hills and
hollows of the Western District of Carroll County have been a lure for
tourists for three-quarters of a century. Combined with the springs of
pure water, this scenery is perhaps our greatest asset. No where in the
Ozarks do the hills lift their flinty shoulders to the sky in more
picturesque form than in the vicinity of Eureka Springs.
This region is traversed by two crystal rivers, the White and the Kings,
and numerous smaller spring-fed streams. It is interesting to know these
streams and visualize their scenic attributes on the calendar of the
year.
The Eureka Springs country has many scenic oddities. Pivot Rock, two
miles north of town, is a natural curiosity, featured in Ripley’s
“Believe It or Not.” It stands 15 feet high, is 30 feet in diameter at
the top, and has a stem or base that measures about 16 inches. Nearby is
a Natural Bridge, small but perfectly formed.
In the Hog Scald country, ten miles south of Eureka Springs, and
Penitentiary Hollow, a few miles beyond, there are 16 beautiful
waterfalls, several of which are not seen by tourists because of their
isolated location. Jim Oliver’s Revilo Ranch south of town is a beauty
spot in the sheltered hills which tourists enjoy. “The Narrows” and the
village of Beaver on White River provide views that are worth going to
see.
Inspiration Point, six miles west on U. S. 62, is one of the most scenic
views in the Ozarks. Other views along the Skyline Drive have similar
attraction. Blue Spring, a mile from the Point, is a beauty spot that
almost defies the pen of man to describe it. Onyx Cave is a must for the
tourist who enjoys subterranean scenery. It is located 7 miles northeast
of Eureka Springs and is open all year.
The town of Eureka Springs itself is a scenic attraction that never
grows old. The views from East Mountain, Trail’s End and the top of the
Crescent Hotel on West Mountain all help add to the town’s reputation as
the “Switzerland of America.”
XXVIII
THE BASIN PARK HOTEL
The Daily Times-Echo of Eureka Springs on April 24, 1905, carried the
following announcement:
“The first grand opening of the Basin Park Hotel, now nearing
completion, will take place July 1, and the event promises to be one of
the grandest in the history of Eureka Springs. T. J. Brumfield, under
whose management the Hotel Wadsworth has been so successful, and who has
earned the reputation of being one of the best caterers in the South,
has been selected as manager for this splendid hostelry, which is an
assurance of a large patronage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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