AMAZING.BEAUTIFUL.SPEECHLESS.
Seriously, all of those single words are what can describe our trip to Mulberry Mountain Lodge. We were blown away at the shear beauty this wonderful place has to offer. Not to mention the ability to ride our side by sides around pretty much anywhere. Sure wish we had the ability in Texas.
Mulberry Mountain Lodge is off Highway 23, this tranquil, rustic resort is set in the Ozark National Forest. It's 3 miles from Cherry Bend recreation Area and 12 miles from Hare Mountain. The drive into Mulberry Mountain Lodge is absolutely stunning.
This trip, we all experienced a swing of emotions both good and bad. You know, you might look at our pictures and think gosh, how awesome. Let me remind you we have to travel with 2 young toddlers. That is not always easy. Especially this trip. We broke this trip up into 2 days. Though we could have made the trek in 1 day, there is just no way a 2 and 4 year old can make 8+ hours in a motorhome without some fuss. For the most part the kids were good. There were challenges though. Not just with kids either.
We got high centered in Lufkin, Texas. Really of all places Lufkin where we have been through many times. Yup, it happened. Thanks Google Maps. Then when we got to Texarkana. This broke the trip roughly in half. We found out 2 things. Our trusty Wilma Winnebago had suffered from a spark plug misfire and our best good travel pals lost all of their food as their refrigerator opened somewhere along the journey. Ice cream melted onto an RV floor is no fun at all.
After we ate a late dinner we called it a night. We stayed at the Texarkana KOA Journey. It was a nice place to call home base for the night. Upon wake up, we did some quick repairs to Wilma and salvaged what we could from the spilt food. We then started our trek into Arkansas. As we journeyed onto Pig Trail Scenic Highway (yup, that's the name) which is the start of the 2 way, narrow winding road up to Mulberry Mountain Lodge, an amazing thing happened that can only be described as, well, #*%!&(#&%&@#(@!!!
We got to experience what a 6.8L Triton V10 sounds like when 2 spark plugs decide to free themselves from the engine's cylinder head. No one, and I mean no one wants to experience that. It is so awful sounding there are no words. As you guessed it, this happened right when we started our accession up the mountain. The reduction of 10 to 8 cylinders also made it that more pleasant to accelerate up the inclines, very, very, very slowly and loudly.
Like a National Lampoon's Family Vacation, we pulled into Mulberry Mountain Lodge with a huge relief. Thank goodness we could limp Wilma into her spot without attracting too much attention, lol!
The lodge has so much to offer. The pure beauty of the landscape is absolutely gorgeous. If you decide to visit, you must ensure you visit their wedding site which overlooks the mountain cliff, absolutely stunning.
Trails, I can't even express how awesome the trails are here. There are literally miles of UTV trails for you to play and explore on. We did a scenic loop which took us on the edge of the Ozark Mountains to a wonderful historic area near Campbell Cemetery. The kids had a blast. We even got to walk into the Mulberry River. A memory I will remember forever. If you're thinking about visiting Mulberry Mountain Lodge, you should! Their hospitality was amazing, their landscape beyond words, and their trail access was awesome. Also, don't forget to make the trek toward Oark, Arkansas to visit the famous Oark Cafe. Absolutely amazing food and wonderful scenery.
As a side note, we have some of the best travel pals anyone could ask for. They were so helpful during our troubles and even surprised us with an amazing cake to celebrate our 7 year anniversary. We love you so so much and are so grateful to travel with you.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. Here is some additional information for future campers wanting to know where we camped:
Location: Mulberry Mountain Lodge, Ozark, Arkansas
Spot: 15 & 16
Rating: Excellent
Hookups: 50/30/20 connections
Sewer: No Sewer Available / Dump Station On Site
Water: Clean / Easy to connect
Cable: N/A
Notes:
Spot 15 and 16 are massive. So massive we had to slightly angle and pull our motorhome in toward our travel pals so we could be closer. If you are just traveling alone without pals, book 16 at the edge. Tons of room and privacy for a single space.
Direct access to trails that lead to the famous Mill Creek Trail System. We encountered everything from rock stair cases, huge erosion gaps, creek crossings to the occasional mud pit.
Happy Travels
-Tom