MARCH 2019

Visiting the Mammoth Mammoth ’s town, state park and renowned waters draw tourists Page 8

Great gardens, less work Page 24 Visiting the Mammoth

Mammoth Spring’s town, state park and renowned waters draw tourists

BY JULIANA GOODWIN

irst thing to know, there are no woolly mammoths in Mammoth Spring. The Fmammoth in the name of the town, population 977, and the nearby Arkansas state park refers to the enormous size of its natural spring, one of the world’s largest. For generations, the sparkling water has been pulling tourists

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM OF PARKS ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT toward Mammoth Spring, located at the Arkansas- border. The small but lively town’s charms enhance Mammoth Spring State Park’s attractions, enticing On pretty days you are sure to see families frolicking and picnicking in the park. visitors to stick around and explore the historic town and enjoy the that ows from Mammoth Spring’s headwaters.

8 MARCH 2019 Visiting the Mammoth LEFT The largest spring in Arkansas is at the heart of beautiful Mammoth Spring State Park.

Among Mammoth Spring’s claims to fame is being home to Arkansas’ oldest railroad depot. In the days when rail was the primary mode of travel, throngs of tourists would pour out of trains onto the platform, eager to experience the fresh Ozark air and storied spring waters. Mammoth Spring State Park has preserved much of that history for the thousands of visitors who still make their way to the town. Meg Matthews, public information coordinator with Arkansas State DEAN CURTIS Parks, said that last year the park attracted about 380,000 visitors. Like the state park, Walking along the top of the spillway gives a vivid perspective of the spring’s power. several of the local tourist attractions are free, making this an especially affordable getaway. “Mammoth Spring State Park is unique in that it is the only National Natural Landmark in Arkansas,” Matthews said. “It has been given this special designation due to the amazing natural spring located 80 feet below water level. Mammoth Spring ows an average rate of nearly 10 million gallons per hour, with a constant water temperature of 58 degrees. This water forms the Spring River, one of the state’s most popular places to sh for trout and oat downstream.” Mammoth Spring State Park Of course, Native Americans inhabited the area and had a connection to the site long before European settlers arrived. Local legend says the spring emerged when a Native American chief was digging a grave

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM for his son, who had died searching for water during a drought. According to folklore, the spring will gush forever in honor of the young man. That powerful natural resource made it the obvious site for Arkansas settlers to build a grist mill in the 1800s, which was the beginning of the town. Then, in 1886 The Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad started service through Mammoth Spring, and the town boomed. The depot, later leased to Mammoth Spring State Park, was remodeled for the opening of the park in the early 1970s and fully restored in the 1990s. It is now a must-see attraction full of exhibits, and many visitors’ rst stop. Inside the red Victorian-era depot, lifelike, custom-sculpted gures depict the train crew, depot crew and train passengers of the early 1900s. Short audio presentations enhance the exhibits; don’t skip them. Museum staff offer free tours, which are helpful. With so much to take in, the guides can highlight fascinating details visitors might otherwise miss.

FAR LEFT Lifelike models of the train and depot crews add to the exhibits. LEFT Outside the depot, visitors can explore the red caboose, inside and out.

DEAN CURTIS DEAN CURTIS 9 On one of these tours, Museum Program Assistant David Parker shows visitors the ornate capitals on the breezeway’s columns, shaped like sh, muskrat and frogs, animals plentiful in the area. The state park’s depot museum includes fascinating memorabilia: a black safe from Mammoth Spring Milling Company, a color blindness test all railroad employees had to pass, a telegraph machine and a pot-bellied stove. There are antique luggage carts, milk jugs, suitcases and other cargo from the period. Black-and-white photos and yellowed newspaper clippings pepper the exhibits. When the local economy thrived, this town was home to the Nettleton, the largest hotel between Memphis and Springeld, Missouri which boasted having hot and cold water, says Parker, noting the hotel burned down in 1933. Another rival hotel was the Culp, which had sample rooms for traveling Historic photos illustrating Mammoth Spring’s boomtown days are part of the state park’s depot museum. salesmen who could come into town and set up their wares. Train history Part of the museum tells of the work that used to be done on the trains and in the depot. The train had 20 cars and ve crew members. The reman had one of the hardest jobs, shoveling hot coals into the boiler and tending to the furnace to keep the train chugging along. The engineer ran the locomotive. There were rear and front brakemen, whose jobs were dangerous because they had to go from car to car to set the brakes. The most coveted job was the conductor, the boss of the train, given to a senior employee who’d been with the railroad for years, Parker explained. Outside, Parker noted long yellow sticks near the railroad tracks, used to hand off messages to the train

DEAN CURTIS engineer if the train did ABOVE The spring forms the 10-acre Mammoth Spring Lake not stop. There’s also a before continuing southward as the Spring River. caboose parked outside LEFT A turbine/generator produced electricity. that children especially love to explore. Discoveries on the grounds After a tour, be sure to stroll around the park grounds. Outside, you’ll nd remnants of a dam, a mill, a hydroelectric plant, picnic facilities, a playground and an Arkansas Welcome Center. In warmer months (April – September), pedal boats and kayaks are available for rent. People gravitate toward the dam, which was built in 1887-1888, every stone hand- quarried by Mammoth Spring Milling Company. It’s amazing to realize each stone was put into place without mechanical help. Stand on the bridge above the dam and listen to the roar of water gushing just below your feet, and maybe feel a slight mist on your face.

DEAN CURTIS

10 MARCH 2019 A walk around Lake Mammoth Spring can be Mammoth rejuvenating. You can’t actually see the spring, since it Spring National is 80 feet below water, but you’ll know you’re nearing it Fish Hatchery when you see a small cascade of water in the lake. Take has been designed to be time to read the historical markers around the lake for accessible to more of the area’s story. If it’s a warm spring day, you’ll the public for nd couples or families picnicking on the shores. Watch free educational out, though: the lake’s geese will try to invite themselves tours. to your picnic. DEAN CURTIS Hatching sh for more than a century Adjacent to the park is another of the town’s bragging points, Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery and Aquatic Conservation Center. Established in 1903, the federal hatchery is the oldest in the nation. Admission is free, and it’s a popular educational attraction worth visiting. The hatchery produces walleye and smallmouth bass for restoration stocking in the White River Basin, providing 400,000 walleye and 100,000 smallmouth DEAN CURTIS bass a year. It has the only captive spawning population of Gulf Coast striped bass in the Millions of fish are raised world. annually in Mammoth Inside, there are a variety of well-stocked aquariums. Spring National Fish When you enter, you’ll rst encounter a pond stocked with Hatchery to restock and colorful sh, a lovely waterfall and a bridge leading toward supply natural habitats. your tour. Tap one of the interactive screens to learn about

Arkansas’ aquatic creatures and wildlife. Plan to spend 45 DEAN CURTIS

minutes to an hour inside appreciating the facility’s mission and Arkansas’ natural wonders. Spring River shing and oating Outdoor enthusiasts across the state are aware of the Spring River’s reputation as one of the best spots for shing and other recreational sports. The water is clear, and the constant ow from the spring results in one of the best year- round oating destinations, even in summer when water levels can drop. It’s a pristine spot to encounter some of the prettiest areas of The Natural State, so there are ample outtters in the area to assist with a oat or shing trip. Grab an oar and oat past hardwood forests and rocky ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM OF PARKS ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT bluffs to tackle the occasional whitewater rapids. Or grab Because of the spring’s characteristics, fishing is one of a reel because the cool water temperature is ideal for trout; Mammoth Spring’s top draws.

12 MARCH 2019 this is known as some of the best trout and walleye shing in the state. Walleye is best in the lower reaches of the river. The water is cold enough to support a healthy trout population for 10 miles downstream. Fly shing is also popular on this river. The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism advises the 3-mile stretch from Mammoth Spring to Dam 3 is ideal for wading or shing from the bank, except for the deep section near the dam, which is better for boat shing. The rst 3 miles below Dam 3 provide the best action and the biggest sh, as 1- to 3-pound rainbows are fairly common. Around town Founded with tourism and commerce at its heart, the town of Mammoth Spring has charms of its own. Historic Main Street’s quaint shops, antique stores and delicious restaurants are the center of it all. If you are staying overnight or longer, you have options. In and around Mammoth Spring are several motels and campgrounds. You’ll even nd the Roseland Inn Bed &

DEAN CURTIS Breakfast listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For help planning a trip, visit mammothspring.org or arkansasstateparks.com. ABOVE Floating the Spring River is an Arkansas pastime all Juliana Goodwin is a freelance writer year. covering north Arkansas and southwest RIGHT One of several great Missouri. She also contributes to our Recipes restaurants in town, Wood’s section on page 32. Riverbend Restaurant, has a fabulous view. DEAN CURTIS

VOTED VENUEOFTHEYEAR OZARK Arkansas CMA Awards FOLK FEATURE/CELEBRITY CONCERTS CENTER Auditorium

SEASON 20 ARTISANSHOPS HERBGARDENS& OPENS LIVEMUSIC APRIL 16 craft village

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues.-Sat., starting April 16, 2019, in time

With more than 90 evening shows featuring downhome roots music for the Arkansas Folk Festival and 85 days of cra workshops taught by the region’s fi nest artisans, the Ozark Folk Center off ers up a soulful slice of Ozark living.

OzarkFolkCenter.com TICKETS PARK INFO 870-269-3851 OzarkFolkCenter.TicketLeap.com CABIN RESERVATIONS 877-879-2741

14 MARCH 2019