On this trip you’ll begin at one of Arkansas’s top resort towns and end at another. You’ll visit a historic site, an art park, a lake, and so much more. The trip is 320 miles one way, which is just twenty miles over the distance the average car can go on one tank of gas. If your car is highly fuel efficient, you won’t need to fill up until you turn around to go home. One of the most expensive parts of any trip is the fuel cost, so you’ll save tons on this trip. In the spirit of thrift, the amazing places you’ll find here are all free or super cheap. The drive time is about five and a half hours and you’ll want to budget plenty of time to look around at every stop, so you may want to turn this into a weekend adventure.

For directions from Google Maps, click here.

Google Maps
1. Downtown Eureka Springs
Flickr/Doug Wertman
Flickr/Jack Gray
You’ll definitely want to spend some time exploring the beautiful downtown area of Arkansas’s quirkiest town.
2. Thorncrown Chapel
Flickr/informedmindstravel
You really do have to see Thorncrown Chapel while you’re in Eureka Springs. It’s basically required.
3. Terra Studios (Fayetteville)
Flickr/Tanya Impeartrice
Swing by Terra Studios and spend some time in the sculpture garden. The flowers there are grown from clay.
4. Fort Smith National Historic Site
Flickr/dcp
There you’ll find gallows, a courthouse, and a jail. You’ll also find a beautiful trail area that runs beside the river. It's mere blocks from Garrison Avenue, so you can shop the downtown area or grab a bite to eat.
5. Arkansas Wine Country (Altus)
Flickr/Lucian Venutian
Flickr/lucianvenutian
You can tour the many wineries in Altus.
6. Lake Dardanelle (Russellville)
Flickr/debbyconway
Stop off for a minute and sit on the dock at Lake Dardanelle. You won’t regret it.
7. The Clinton Presidential Center (Little Rock)
Flickr/soumit
Visit the Clinton Presidential Center while you're in Little Rock. No matter how you feel about the man, the Presidential Center is pretty cool.

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Flickr/soumit
The view is pretty cool, too.
8. The River Market District (Little Rock)
Wikimedia/Eukesh
Wikimedia/Kyle Monahan
Take a leisurely stroll through the River Market District.
9. The Big Dam Bridge (Little Rock)
Flickr/Nicolas Henderson
Flickr/David Hudson
This bridge was named one of the top ten bridge travel sites by the Society of American Travel Writers.
10. Hot Springs National Park
Flickr/Ken Lund
Flickr/Ken Lund
There are 47 hot springs , and you’ll definitely want to explore them.
Flickr/Ken Lund
The Grand Promenade is beautiful.
11. Bathhouse Row (Hot Springs)
Flickr/ilovebutter
Since you’re right near the bathhouses, you absolutely have to see them.
12. Lake Hamilton (Hot Springs)
Flickr/Amy the Nurse
Stop and enjoy the sunset over Lake Hamilton on your way out of town.

What do you think? Does this trip look awesome to you?

For places where you can eat on a dime on your travels, try this list.

For ways to to have the most Arkansas day ever, look at this.

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