Photographs courtesy Joshua Savage / Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism / Dreamstime
Tucked away deep within the Ozark Mountains sits a little-known place called Calico Rock. Only a few hours away from the hustle of Memphis, visitors who flock to more familiar areas like Mountain View, Branson, and Hot Springs often overlook this small town in north-central Arkansas. Herein lies part of the allure. From its historical brick buildings along Main Street to its numerous outdoor activities and proximity to other attractions, Calico Rock is a place worth visiting, whatever your interests.
Calico Rock can be easily missed; in fact, my family accidentally happened upon the area. Like many travelers, we were staying in nearby Mountain View. While navigating the curvy stretches of Highway 5 through Ozark National Forest, we spotted a commanding limestone bluff hanging above the White River. An Instagram moment, it caught our eye, and we had to stop for pictures. Little did we know this would be our first of many trips to the area.
Wide, alternating streaks of grays, blues, and blacks line this impressive bluff, giving Calico Rock a name that no other town in the entire United States can claim. The town also serves as a backdrop in John Grisham’s baseball-themed novel, Calico Joe, published in 2012, whose fictitious hero is a Chicago Cubs slugger who grew up, yes, in Calico Rock. Perhaps Grisham has a fascination with the area; it’s clear from reading the novel that he knows the place.
For such a small town, Calico Rock is rich with history. The local visitors center is housed in one of the many historically designated buildings along Main Street, and also serves as a museum, the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, and a market for local artisans to sell handmade jewelry, art, and other crafts.
Visitors can learn about Peppersauce Alley, and more, at the museum on Main Street.
The museum alone can keep you busy for several hours. In fact, I suggest starting there so you can get a good overview of the town and Izard County. You can quickly become lost in history while reading about the original inhabitants of the area; the Osage, Cherokee, and Shawnee tribes who later moved or were driven out.
The Trail of Tears, along which traveled some 50,000 Native Americans forced to leave their homes in the Deep South on their way to Oklahoma, passed only a few miles east of Calico Rock.
With the coming of the Steamboat Age after 1820, Calico Rock’s location on the White River helped it become a boom town. Sharing a history intertwined with Memphis, many of the same steamboats that carried passengers and goods along the Mississippi River often made their way up the White River. When residents discovered freshwater mollusks capable of producing rare, valuable pearls in the White and Black Rivers, even more people flocked to the area.
All the historical information consumed in the visitors center — about steamboats, railroads, timber, mining, and more — will work up an appetite. Luckily, the Printing Press Cafe sits nearby; the perfect spot to re-energize.
The cafe space housed the offices of The Calico Rock Progress newspaper from 1906 to 1965, and its history is embraced — with old photographs, news clippings, and antique typewriters on display. Here, you can relax and enjoy a hearty sandwich, like the Calico Club or All-American Panini, or a milkshake or malt made with the eatery’s old-fashioned soft-serve ice cream.
Back outside, time feels frozen. We spot an old pay phone, but of course it no longer works. Still, pretending to use it and explaining to the kids how it functions is a treat. My daughter asks, “What? You have to put money into it every time you use it?”
Each brick building along the street has a story. My personal favorite is the Tom Tomlinson Art & Science Center because the lower level contains a surprise. The main floor features paintings and sculptures by local artists, but downstairs, there’s an interactive museum where visitors can become crime lab detectives and solve a burglary case. Suspect interviews are shown on old television screens, and, on our first trip, my daughters, Sofiah and Kaia, learned how to decipher fingerprints, interpret signatures, and read DNA samples to reveal the culprit. Full disclosure: My wife and I may have enjoyed it more than my daughters.
East of Main Street and still walkable from the the Art & Science Center lies the next adventure, an old ghost town. Once known as Peppersauce Alley, the area was supposedly named after a type of local moonshine (can you imagine the taste?) and served as a haven for gamblers, vagabonds, prostitutes, bootleggers, and other transients. Since the town was a hub for steamboat and railroad workers, this was the place to cut loose.
The shells of a barber shop, a tavern, a cotton gin, and other dilapidated buildings make up the 20 or so remaining structures in the forsaken alley. Among the rubble, an old jail sign warns of a $5 fine for talking to prisoners. Though most of the buildings are overgrown with tall grass and weeds, place markers dot the street and allow you to imagine the debauchery that took place once upon a time.
After a fun-filled day, finish the evening at Between the Buns, a restaurant with the type of delicious, greasy burgers and fries we all love. If the burger joint isn’t quite your speed, most of the rooms at Cedar Rock Inn at the south end of Main Street have small kitchens, complete with an oven, stove, fridge, and other basic necessities, so you can cook your own supper.
Private cabins can be rented near or on the river, but we found Cedar Rock Inn to be the best place to rest our weary heads. The owner, Donnie Lemley, is the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet. If time permits, stick around and strike up a conversation. He has a wealth of knowledge about the area and might even share his plans and dreams for the future of Calico Rock.
The author's daughters, Sofiah and Kaia, take a break in an oversized rocking chair after a long day exploring.
If one meandering day around town was enough, go enjoy the outdoors. But first, walk next door to Babycakes for breakfast. The owners, a family from California, decided to escape the fast-pace life and opened the bakery in 2017. Their fresh pastries and coffee are a perfect morning treat.
Afterward, it may be time to work off those pastries (and last night’s burger) with a trek to the best view of the White River that Calico Rock offers. Lover’s Leap is a short walk uphill from Cedar Rock Inn. Below the cliff-face, the White River reflects the sky, calico bluffs, and surrounding foliage. Vast and beautiful, it is a romantic setting indeed.
Deciding on outdoor adventures around Calico Rock can be overwhelming. Is trout fishing your passion? Local outfitters like Jenkins Fishing Service or Bill Terry’s can supply equipment and offer guided tours. The town claims to have the best (and least expensive) trout fishing in the state of Arkansas; a bold claim, but worth an investigation.
Calico Rock is a popular destination for fishermen. The town claims to have the best (and least expensive) trout fishing in the state of Arkansas.
If you prefer to paddle the river on canoe or kayak, a public boat ramp is easily accessible in town. The White River’s current often flows slow enough to relax while enjoying the scenery and sounds of nature. A few smaller creeks offshoot from the river and provide a perfect place for lazy floating.
If the town itself cannot keep you busy, there are many destinations nearby. The vast Ozark National Forest has multiple trails, swimming holes, and fishing streams to explore. Perhaps the most well-known trail near Calico Rock, Sylamore Trail runs 23 miles along the crystal-clear Sylamore Creek. Primitive and developed camping sites are available for hikers and campers.
A popular campground is Blanchard Springs Recreation Area. With a waterfall and caves that stretch more than 200 feet below ground to explore, this area is a highlight of any Arkansas trip. A tour guide led us through the chilly Discovery Trail, a 1.2-mile trek inside the Blanchard Springs Caverns. Two other tours are available, one of which requires crawling on hands and knees through dark, tight tunnels. Sound fun?
It’s worth noting that Izard is a dry county. It still rains frequently, and the humidity in summer is equal to Memphis, but alcohol is not available in Calico Rock. With a little Yelping, I found a brewery within a short drive. Norfork Brewery is about 15 miles away in the town of Norfork. The nearby reservoir is also a popular destination for fishermen looking to catch crappie and bass.
Another brewery we accidentally happened upon (the rural parts of Arkansas are full of pleasant surprises) was Gravity BrewWorks. The brewery has no food and it’s barely big enough to be noticed from the road, but the beer is outstanding. And, if like me, you aspire to visit breweries around the country, take the 45-minute drive from Calico Rock to Big Flat. But don’t attempt the curvy roads back to Calico Rock under the influence. Fill up a growler and wait until you get settled for the evening.
Other idyllic towns dot the highways in the Ozarks of Arkansas, but none have the flavor and authenticity of Calico Rock. Perhaps it’s the friendliness of the locals or the spirit of so much history inside one small town, but it could be the rawness of natural beauty that still exists, almost untouched and wild.
Joshua Savage sold most of his possessions and began traveling the world with his wife, Niki, and their two daughters, Sofiah and Kaia. Currently, they have a home base in Bend, Oregon, where he explores, writes, teaches online, and runs the travel company, The Ultimate Scavenger.
