Exploring Cherokee Village & Mammoth Springs

Cherokee Village in Arkansas offers a plethora of recreational activities, stunning natural landscapes, breathtaking scenic views, and a serene atmosphere perfect for relaxation. We spent days exploring Cherokee Village and surrounding areas while taking note of important highlights along the way.

In this post, I will share with you those highlights, interactive maps, planning suggestions, packing tips, and much more. You’ll be able to use this information to create your own personalized itinerary so you can make the most of your Cherokee Village and Mammoth Spring adventures.

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Preparations for exploring Cherokee Village & Mammoth Springs

There was very little time in our schedule for any kind of traveling, but we found ourselves on the verge of complete burnout. Some kind of trip was necessary for sanity’s sake and fast! With that being said, there wasn’t a whole lot of effort put into planning. But it all worked out, and we had an amazing trip.

After a brief internet search, we settled on exploring Cherokee Village and surrounding areas. Then we began the most difficult part of our hasty planning process, tweaking our work schedule so we could go.

Packing

There are some things you’ll want to consider adding to your packing list for this specific area. See the list below!

• Insect repellent
• Waterproof phone case
• Tecnu
• Sunscreen
• Sun hat (for those hot, sunny days)
• Polarized sunglasses
• Hiking shoes or boots (for rough terrain)
• Trekking poles
• Water shoes (if your itinerary includes water activities)

Getting there

Driving is by far the best way to get to and around the Cherokee Village area. We chose to take our own personal vehicle, but you can rent a vehicle through Discovercars.com if you prefer. They’ll help you find the best deal possible for your trip.

Directions to Cherokee Village

Lodging

There are plenty of options available in the area. I suggest checking out the vacation rentals on VRBO (which is exactly what we did)! They have an easy-to-use platform with a great filter system to help narrow options.

We actually booked the Many Moons Townhouse and were very pleased with our stay. The resort amenities were top notch, the townhouse was in pristine condition, and we couldn’t have asked for a better host. We would certainly book it again!

THRIFTY TIP! Split the cost of lodging with your travel companion(s)!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! Make sure your lodging option includes guest passes to use all the Cherokee Village amenities. You won’t be able to access the many lakes, pools, golf courses, etcetera if you do not have guest passes!

Day 1 ~ exploring Cherokee Village

It was fairly late in the day by the time we made it to Cherokee Village. Upon arrival, we entered our door code and unpacked our luggage. Once we got settled, we drove around the area for a bit to get an idea where everything was. Our location was perfect! The pools were within walking distance and there was a Dollar General nearby should we need anything.

Back at the townhouse, we enjoyed dinner on the peaceful patio before retiring to the living room for a movie. We had to rest up for our first full day exploring Cherokee Village.

Day 2 ~ exploring Cherokee Village

We woke up early filled with excitement for the adventures to come! A quick breakfast of butter flavor grits, toast, berries, and coffee was easily prepared in our furnished kitchen. We ate, got ready, packed a cooler with sustenance for the day, and loaded up.

Our first stop was the outside gated pool. We spent a couple hours swimming and lounging poolside. We were the only ones there early in the morning, and it was nice to have the area to ourselves. The pool was clean and well maintained.

Our next stop was the South Fork of the Spring River on Flathead Drive. We spent some time exploring the riverbanks, wading in the water, and playing on the gravel bar. It was a quiet area with only a few people, so we decided it would be a perfect spot to enjoy our picnic lunch.

After lunch, we went to Papoose Park to enjoy the waterfall that flows down from the spillway of Lake Cherokee. It’s such a beautiful, peaceful place!

Our final stop of the day led us to Buford Beach on the Spring River in Hardy. This place packs a recreational punch! You can wade, swim, tube, fish, canoe, kayak, sunbathe, picnic, etcetera. We had fun tubing over the rapids and took a nice walk along the riverbank.

Back at the townhouse, we enjoyed a lovely dinner on the patio and spent the rest of the night sitting around a campfire.

Day 3 ~ exploring Cherokee Village surrounding areas

We began our day with breakfast at Carol’s Lakeview Restaurant. I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy. So good! Then, we got ready, packed a cooler with sustenance for the day, and loaded up.

About 50 minutes into our drive, we stopped at our first lookout on highway 9 in Melbourne, Arkansas. Check out the images below and you’ll see why we had to stop! What a VIEW!

Devil’s Knob – Devil’s Backbone Natural Area

We then drove 20 more minutes to Devil’s Knob – Devil’s Backbone Natural Area and did some hiking on the Devil’s Knob Loop. This trail didn’t appear to be highly traveled, and we didn’t cross paths with another human while we were there. If you’re looking for a quiet place to spend time in nature and explore, this is perfect!

NOTE! If you choose to hike here, make sure you have proper footwear, trekking poles, and insect repellent.

HIGHLIGHT! I saw my very first cactus growing in the wild! Check it out!

Blanchard Spring Recreation Area

After leaving Devil’s Knob-Devil’s Backbone Natural Area, we drove 32 minutes to Blanchard Springs Recreation Area. We were in awe of this place from the time we pulled into the parking lot. Large rock bluffs greeted us, birds sang to us, and waterfalls called to us.

There’s a lot of hiking potential here, miles and miles in fact. I recommend the Blanchard Spring Trail if you’re limited on time and want a hike that won’t disappoint! It’s a highly accessible hike that packs a scenic punch! You simply must consider adding it to your itinerary.

Additionally, you won’t want to miss hiking the Mirror Lake Trail! Sights along the way include but are not limited to the ever so beautiful Mirror Lake, Mirror Lake Falls, and remnants of the old grist mill!

NOTE! If you don’t have time to hike the Mirror Lake Trail, you can drive to Mirror Lake. You can still see the falls and the old grist mill. However, parking can be a pain in the keister, and you will have to navigate down some stairs to get there.

When we were finished exploring, we headed back to the townhouse to chill out and enjoy the resort amenities.

Day 4 ~ exploring Mammoth Springs

We chose to save the last full day of our itinerary to take a scenic drive over to Mammoth Springs State Park and explore the area. The area gets its scenic beauty from a spring that pumps out millions of gallons of water each hour. That’s insane! The water flowing from the spring appears to be blueish green and is extremely cold.

The park does an amazing job explaining the area’s past through informational history boards. Make sure you read those as you explore the area.

If you have kids, check out the train depot and hatchery! They’ll love it!

On our way back to the townhouse, we stopped at the Star Falls Lookout. The scenic beauty is worth a quick stop.

Worthy of notable mention

My husband and I took a trip to the Grand Gulf State Park aka the Little Grand Canyon. While we were hiking the trails and learning about the area, we realized the water that flows through the Little Grand Canyon actually comes out at Mammoth Springs. Cool, right?! Anyways, you can easily visit both in the same trip as they are only 13 minutes apart by car.

I hope you find this information helpful when planning your travels! If you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments section of this post or by email. Wishing you many blessings and as always, Safe Travels!