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Blue Spring Heritage Center - Arkansas
ExploreSouthernHistory.com
Blue Spring - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
| Blue Spring Heritage Center A significant landmark, Blue Spring is the centerpiece of a beautiful preserve on the outskirts of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. |
More than 500 feet deep and the centerpiece of a beautifully land-
scaped setting, Blue Spring is one of the most scenic historic sites
in Arkansas. Open to the public during the spring, summer and fall
months, the Blue Spring Heritage Center is located off U.S. Highway
62 West about six miles northwest of Eureka Springs.
Archaeological research indicates that a rock shelter overlooking the
spring was inhabited by early Native American hunters thousands of
years before Christ. They were probably attracted by the wildlife and
clear, cool water of the natural spring. Blue Spring remained an
important landmark for Native Americans for thousands of years and
quickly attracted the attention of the pioneers who settled in the
region during the early 1800s.
The spring was an important stopping point on the Cherokee Trail of
Tears and many of the unfortunate people of that nation camped
here on their way to the new "Indian Territory" of present-day
Oklahoma.
Blue Spring became the centerpiece of a small but prosperous
community during the decades before the Civil War. The run from
the stream was used to power a mill that served residents from
throughout the region. It was destroyed during the war, but rebuilt in
later years.
Today, Blue Spring is the center of a beautiful heritage center that
preserves the setting and provides interpretive information on its rich
history. A visitor center provides exhibits and displays artifacts
relating to the spring and landscaped pathways lead through the
grounds and around the clear, deep water. Interpretive signs provide
information about different events in the history of the spring as well
as the unique natural setting itself.
Blue Spring is particularly beautiful during the spring blooming
season and fall leaf turn.
To reach the park, just go west from Eureka Springs on U.S. 62 and
watch for the signs. The entrance is about six miles from downtown.
scaped setting, Blue Spring is one of the most scenic historic sites
in Arkansas. Open to the public during the spring, summer and fall
months, the Blue Spring Heritage Center is located off U.S. Highway
62 West about six miles northwest of Eureka Springs.
Archaeological research indicates that a rock shelter overlooking the
spring was inhabited by early Native American hunters thousands of
years before Christ. They were probably attracted by the wildlife and
clear, cool water of the natural spring. Blue Spring remained an
important landmark for Native Americans for thousands of years and
quickly attracted the attention of the pioneers who settled in the
region during the early 1800s.
The spring was an important stopping point on the Cherokee Trail of
Tears and many of the unfortunate people of that nation camped
here on their way to the new "Indian Territory" of present-day
Oklahoma.
Blue Spring became the centerpiece of a small but prosperous
community during the decades before the Civil War. The run from
the stream was used to power a mill that served residents from
throughout the region. It was destroyed during the war, but rebuilt in
later years.
Today, Blue Spring is the center of a beautiful heritage center that
preserves the setting and provides interpretive information on its rich
history. A visitor center provides exhibits and displays artifacts
relating to the spring and landscaped pathways lead through the
grounds and around the clear, deep water. Interpretive signs provide
information about different events in the history of the spring as well
as the unique natural setting itself.
Blue Spring is particularly beautiful during the spring blooming
season and fall leaf turn.
To reach the park, just go west from Eureka Springs on U.S. 62 and
watch for the signs. The entrance is about six miles from downtown.
| The Cherokee Trail of Tears Blue Spring was an important stop and campsite on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Exhibits on the ground detail the historic significance of the spring. |
| The Oldest Home in Arkansas? Archaeological evidence indicates this rock shelter overlooking Blue Spring is the oldest known habitation site in Arkansas. |
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