Blanchard Springs Recreation Area is located near Mountain View in Arkansas. Visitors travelling from Mountain View should travel seven miles north on Highway 9, then six miles west on Highway 14, then on Forest Service Road 1110 for three miles. There is parking available at the site and daily fees apply.
The Visitor Center is open from 9.30am each day and has exhibits about Blanchard Spring Caverns and life in the underground world. An audiovisual program is presented in the auditorium and shows visitors a little more about the geological history of the caverns. Dripstone and the Discovery Trails begin here with the latter open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and the former open for an extended period in the off-season that varies each year.
In the summer, Forest Service naturalist-guided activities are with evening programs on the natural history of the Ozark National Forest as well as Ozark folk culture presented at the Shelter Cave Amphitheater. Visitors can also walk along the paved trail and see where Blanchard Springs gushes from the hillside and other wonderful views that attract tourists. Visitors can reserve the pavilion which is a suitable area to have a party or reception for a maximum of 150 people and is furnished with lights, electricity, water, grills, and tables.
There are 32 campsites here with grills, tables, lantern poles and tent pads, but they do not have electrical hook-ups. Two group camps also feature here and are available by reservation only for a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 50 campers. The sites also have drinking water, RV sewage dump stations and restrooms with hot showers. However, the length of stay is restricted during the summer to five consecutive nights due to high demand.
Sylamore Creek is a clear spring-fed stream with two swimming holes, which meanders through the camp paralleled by the 15 mile long Sylamore Creek Trail. The creek also offers fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass, while rainbow trout can be fished for at Mirror Lake. Just a few minutes away from the recreation area is Blanchard Spring Caverns where the aforementioned Dripstone and Discovery Trails are located as well as other tours, with the final tours of the day at 4.15pm.
Pets are not allowed at the Visitor Center or indeed the caverns but they are permitted in the recreation areas as long as they are leashed, and service animals and seeing-eye dogs are permitted in all areas. The campground does not have sites specifically designed for people with disabilities. However, some are relatively level and could be used depending upon individual abilities but it should be noted the restrooms in picnic and campground areas are minimally accessible.
Another nearby attraction is the Ozark Folk Center State Park, which is approximately two kilometers away in Park Avenue. Here visitors can see various arts and crafts with demonstrations showing how items were made by hand back in the 18th and 19th century. Folk music concerts are played here too and visitors can get lessons on how to play traditional instruments used by the Ozarks.
Review, comment, or add new information about this topic: