[SwansonOfTheSouth]

I wanna get out of Knoxville because there's too many tourists here. Does Arkansas get the same wave of tourists as Tennessee? How do the outdoor activities compare to Tennessee? What are some nice lakes and mountains to go to that don't get touristy?

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by SwansonOfTheSouth

I wanna get out of Knoxville because there's too many tourists here. Does Arkansas get the same wave of tourists as Tennessee? How do the outdoor activities compare to Tennessee? What are some nice lakes and mountains to go to that don't get touristy?

I can tell you firsthand that Arkansas is a tourist mecca for Texans. I know because I was one of them.

Arkansas is a beautiful place surrounded by less beautiful places. Tourism is a major industry in The Natural State. If you're looking to avoid tourists I would look elsewhere, simple as that.

[CraigCreek]

Arkansas is filled with lakes and mountains, notably the Ouachitas and Ozarks. There are trails in the Ouachita National Forest which are still lightly traveled, and there are enough lakes to more than meet the demand for water sports of all kinds.

Weekends will see the heaviest use by tourists, as is true anywhere. That said, Arkansas tourism doesn't compare in numbers to the extremely heavy tourism found in and near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and that's a good thing in my personal view. Beautiful scenery, smaller crowds.

I'd suggest a visit to Arkansas with a planned stop at an Arkansas Welcome Center, just over the state line on major Interstates, to collect brochures, local interest magazines, and other info about potential places of interest. Arkansas does a great job making these materials and making them readily and freely available. You can also order materials online - sorry, no link, but check "Arkansas tourism" and you should find it.

Also, do be aware that much of Arkansas can be oppressively hot in the summer, but pleasantly mild well into late fall and early winter. Fall colors in the mountains are splendid. Spring usually arrives by March and is also delightful. Winter is short but can include lethal ice storms. Tornados come by regularly each spring and sometimes make return visits in the fall - if you plan to build or buy a house in Arkansas, a basement or separate storm cellar is a plus - but air conditioning is essential.

[TRex2]

Originally Posted by SwansonOfTheSouth

I wanna get out of Knoxville because there's too many tourists here. Does Arkansas get the same wave of tourists as Tennessee? How do the outdoor activities compare to Tennessee? What are some nice lakes and mountains to go to that don't get touristy?

Sort of a catch-22.
If the lakes and mountains are nice, the tourists will find them.

If you are IN Knoxville, you may find small towns are more tolerable, even with the tourists.

[SwansonOfTheSouth]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

Also, do be aware that much of Arkansas can be oppressively hot in the summer, but pleasantly mild well into late fall and early winter. Fall colors in the mountains are splendid. Spring usually arrives by March and is also delightful. Winter is short but can include lethal ice storms. Tornados come by regularly each spring and sometimes make return visits in the fall - if you plan to build or buy a house in Arkansas, a basement or separate storm cellar is a plus - but air conditioning is essential.

It gets extremely hot here in Knoxville too, I already know I'll die without AC.

[Hollynla]

There is tourism here but not near as much as TN has. The weather varies a lot from the southern part of the state compared to the northern part. As for lakes near mountains, look towards Bull Shoals lake.

[SwansonOfTheSouth]

Originally Posted by Hollynla

There is tourism here but not near as much as TN has. The weather varies a lot from the southern part of the state compared to the northern part. As for lakes near mountains, look towards Bull Shoals lake.

What about Lake Conway?

[Hollynla]

Originally Posted by SwansonOfTheSouth

What about Lake Conway?

I can't answer for lake Conway, but know that in that area of AR, there aren't any mountains. I've never heard anything bad about Conway, but I've only stopped in for lunch while passing through.

[CraigCreek]

Originally Posted by SwansonOfTheSouth

What about Lake Conway?

My mother grew up in Conway, way back when Lake Conway was Gold Lake (prior to enlarging it via the dam). Once a year during her childhood, my grandfather would take her and her brother and a couple of their friends on an overnight fishing trip-camp out at Gold Lake. The lake is lined with bald cypress trees, and there are cypress knees in many parts of the lake, one of which featured in a funny family story. Fishing and (small) boating is still popular - not sure I'd want to swim in Lake Conway, though.

Now, the lake is larger and the historic name "Gold Lake" only lingers in a few weekend cabin developments, although the old road between Conway and Little Rock crosses the mouth of Gold Creek into what's now Lake Conway.

White pelicans winter on Lake Conway, near the mouth of Gold Creek, where waterlilies bloom in the summer months.

But Conway isn't mountainous, though there are ridges nearby just north and east of town. The elevation gradually rises as you go north on I-40, but the first mountain of any size you'll encounter is the stunningly scenic and storied Petit Jean Mountain (pronounced "Petty Gene"), which is near Morrilton and has a wonderful and historic state park atop its western end, as well as scenic trails and overlooks, remarkable rock formations, and a large waterfall plus historic park structures built by the CCC.

However - you can find another mountain right down the road next to Little Rock! Pinnacle Mountain, now a day-use state park, isn't large but it has the classic inverted funnel shape as well as very challenging trails to the top, which overlooks a wide vista of the Arkansas River below.

It's not that far from Conway to Mount Nebo, either, and the Ouachita Mountains are little more than an hour west and northwest of Little Rock.

[I Luv Chins]

I'd look elsewhere in TN before moving to Arkansas. I lived there while young, spent a big chunk of my life in North Carolina, and moved to eastern Tennessee so I could "keep" NC but live a more affordable life.

There are people who love Arkansas, but it doesn't have the mountains like TN/NC. The lakes in Arkansas draw people from surrounding states, it is hot - whoa-bad hot, there. I'd look at more northeastern Tennessee (Jonesborough), some of the towns between Nashville and Knoxville, or even southwest Virginia.