The Narrows is a bluff shelter located in the green, forested Ozark mountains in northern Arkansas. With perfect conditions for sports like hiking or rafting, near camping grounds fit for thrill-seekers, and unique natural conditions that have turned them into natural history (or really, prehistory) museums, rocky overhanging like The Narrows have everything any nature-loving adventurer could ever want.

The less geography inclined might be a bit unfamiliar with the term, but bluff shelters (sometimes called rock shelters) are overhanging rocky formations, sometimes existing besides actual caves. The bluff shelters in Arkansas have served as, well, shelters for humans for tens of thousands of years, and because of their unique geographical conditions, have become prime archeological sites due to the volume of findings still present within its rocky walls.

The Narrows shelter trail in the ozarks

The Narrows is one in between a handful of other shelters at the Ozarks, well known between locals and archeologists of the region.

Located next to Mountainburg, a small burg nestled in between the mountains, The Narrows offers many attractions for curious viewers; it has long been known for its unique art remains on the rock walls, a well-preserved relic of prehistory, and its location near Lake Fort Smith State Park and the convenient Mountainburg make it a destination perfect for weekend exploration.

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Hiking

The Narrows being situated near the Boston Mountain Valley of the Ozarks, is a prime place to hike - in fact, to reach the main shelter in The Narrows, adventure-loving travelers must hike down a trail amidst the mountains, lakes, and forests to reach the bluff shelters.

Lake Fort Smith State Park also offers many hiking trails in between its protected area, ranging from steep difficult trails, monumental trails, and easier treks fit for families to enjoy a weekend in nature.

Camping

Though camping at the bluff shelters is generally discouraged, due to the vandalism and looting of important archeological data that places like The Narrows have suffered for decades, Lake Fort Smith State Park offers a fully equipped and varied camping experience just a few miles away from The Narrows, a great option to a weekend stay!

At the park, there are many different campsite options, from fully immersed tents on the ground sites to more equipped accommodations. Scenic sites near mountains, or on the Lake’s shores await visitors, and the lodgings feature over 30 different campsites, wood cabins, designated group camping areas, a common dining hall, group lodgings with equipped kitchens, pavilions, designated picnic sites, a marina, and boat rentals and even a swimming pool.

Whatever preferred stay experience, there’s sure to be an option out there!

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Sports in the outdoors

A weekend spent in the great outdoors, especially in a place as singularly and geologically interesting as Arkansas, often brings to mind nature sports. On the mountain range or in the slightly more controlled environment of the Lake Fort Smith State Park, visitors will have ample opportunity and facilities not just for hiking but mountaineering, boating, rafting, kayaking, fishing, and trekking.

Guided nature trails or lake tours are available year-round.

Archeological sites & rock art at the narrows

Finally, we reach the most unique of The Narrows' interesting qualities: its archaeological importance and its historical, impressive rock art.

Archeologists believe that native populations in the Arkansas River Valley inhabited the bluff shelters at The Narrows thousands of years ago, and an excavation in 1995 found many pieces of tools that might have been used by these people.

Beyond this, a characteristic that made The Narrows popular even among locals, is the rock art in the shelter: depicting human or humanoid figures, generally referred to as anthropomorphic, and as of yet unknown sets of symbols that might be a lost language, in both pictographs - symbols made used some type of colorful paint on the surface of the rock - as well as petroglyphs - symbols carved into the rock with tools -.

The anthropomorphic images are often represented in the shelter with what seem to be headdresses and are displayed in a dynamic way that could indicate a dance, a ritual, or a gathering, in a visual representation of some type of social scene before antiquity. The details given to the figures, such as accessories or tools, are indicative of a complex social organization, archeologists state. Due to its abundant tools despite years of looting and detailed depictions of unique rock art, The Narrows is a very special site for archeology, history - and of course, the curious nature adventurer!

More than visiting a natural history museum, visiting The Narrows is being immersed in the natural history of this fascinating park of the country.

Next: Outdoors In The Ozarks: A Guide To Hiking & Climbing