Why Chester?

Where can you stay in a railroad town of 150 people in a historic 1887 hand kilned brick bed and breakfast surrounded by the Ozark National Forest and the highest peaks in the Ozark Mountains? Chester, Arkansas.  Chester has plenty of local attractions to provide you with a peaceful fun-filled stay:

 

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

• Wading and Kayaking in Clear Creek at Chester City Park - 0.5 miles
• Buckhorn OHV Trailhead – 6 miles (can ride UTV to the trail from inn, waterfall, swimming hole, creek crossing)
• Quail Mountain - Shoot clay, hunt for quail, pheasant, or chukar at Quail Mountain – 1 mile
• Lake Fort Smith State Park -  7.9 miles – (pool, hiking, boating, fishing, mountain biking)
• Shepherd Springs Rock Climbing - 8 miles - 40+ rock climbing and bouldering routes just past Lake Fort Smith
• Winn Mountain Golf Course - 8 miles
• Alma Aquatic Water Park - Alma - 16 miles
• Devil’s Den State Park – 17.5 miles – (CLOSEST WATERFALLS, world class hiking, pool, mountain biking, horse trails, boating, fishing)
• Eagle Crest (~$45 for 18 holes) and River Valley Golf Courses  (~$10 to $24 for 18 holes) - Alma – 20.8 miles
• Van Zandt Park - Van Buren - Outdoor Pickleball courts - 22.1 miles
• White Rock Mountain National Park – 24.8 miles - Takes 1 hour on country roads (hiking, amazing view)
• Razorback Regional Greenway Bike Trail - 15th St Starts just south of Walker Park (can also start as far south as Kessler Mountain Regional Park) - Fayetteville to Bentonville - 30 miles
• Two Skate Parks in Fort Smith - Riverfront Skate and Bike Park (great for bikes as it has multiple pump tracks, bike path through national historic park and along river, bike rental, near splash pad and walk-able to downtown) and Martin Luther King Park - 31 to 35 miles (the skate park in Fayetteville is at Walker Park)
• Vertical Horizons Indoor Climbing Gym - 32 miles
• The Park at West End - 1935 World's Fair Ferris wheel, vintage carousel, Pullman railroad diner car, double decker bus - Fort Smith 33 miles 
• Janet Huckabee River Valley Nature Center – Fort. Smith - 33.9 miles - hiking, fishing, canoeing
• Ben Geren Regional Park - Fort Smith - 33.3 miles - mountain bike trails, go-karts, Parrot Island Water Park, disc golf, fitness course, mini-golf, sand volleyball
• The Jones Center - Cheap ice skating, swimming, gymnastics, fitness, and largest asphalt bike pump track in North America - 42.4 miles
• City of Siloam Springs Kayak Park - West of Fayetteville - 56.6 miles - Two artificial waves on the Illinois River to kayak, canoe, float, and raft down
• Byrd's Adventure Center - Kayaking, Canoeing, ATV, UTV, 4X4 30 miles of riding trails plus nice restaurant - 57 miles - Paddling map
• War Eagle Mill - last working water powered grist mill in Arkansas with organic milled flour, restaurant, arts and crafts - Little Flock - 60 miles
• War Eagle Cavern on Beaver Lake - gem mining, spelunking, and cavern/cave tours - NE of Rogers - 64 mile

 

GROCERIES AND GAS

• Dollar General - 4.9 miles - (Some groceries)
• CLOSEST GAS: Simmons Quik Stop - 9.1 miles 
• CLOSEST GAS: Love's Travel Stop Gas and Workman's Hilltop Travel Center - Rudy - 11.2 miles
• Walmart Supercenter, Harps, CVs - Alma - 16 miles
• Harps Food Stores and Gas - West Fork/Devil's Den - 20.4 miles 

 

RESTAURANTS, MASSAGE AND DRINKS:

• Chester Country Cafe - 100 yards - Home cooked diner
• White Willow Massage Therapy - Mountainburg - 4.1 miles - ~$35 for 30 minutes
• Pizza Den - Mountainburg - 3.1 miles - Pizza, Salad bar, wings, hoagies, calzones
• Dairy Dream - Mountainburg - 3.2 miles - Ice cream and hamburgers
• Neon Moon - Mountainburg - 4.6 miles - Hamburgers and fried pies
• Hilltop Restaurant (24-7 breakfast!) at a Phillips 66 Gas Station - Rudy - 11.2 miles
• Subway and Chester's Fried Chicken at Loves Travel Stop Gas - Rudy - 11.2 miles
• Grandma's House Cafe - West Fork - 11.3 miles - Popular home cooking and pies (temporarily closed)
• Awaken Coffee - Alma - 12.6 miles - High quality coffee, decor - located in Beyond Church
• Alma Restaurants - 16 miles - Lots of fast food and restaurants - Steak, Cracker Barrel etc. 
• West Fork Restaurants - Devil's Den - 20 miles - About 3 or 4 places
• Starbucks Coffee - Van Buren - 22.3 miles 
• Bubble Tea - Smiling Cup Boba Tea - 27 miles - Fort Smith
• Fort Smith Coffee Co. and Roastery - 28.7 miles - Best local coffee
• Van Buren (22 miles), Fort Smith (28 miles), Fayetteville (33 miles) - (Tons of fast food, restaurants, ethnic food and fine dining restaurants) 
• Sakuu Asian Bakery and Deli - bubble tea, mochi, bahn mi, backed goods - 29.1 miles - Fort Smith 
• Best BBQ in Fort Smith - Blue Ember Smokehouse - 29.9 miles
• Bubble Tea - BoBo Ribbon Ice, Leaf Tea House, Anime Cafe NWA - 31 to 35 miles - Fayetteville
• Onyx Coffee Lab - Fayetteville - 34.6 miles - World Class Coffee
• JJ's Beer Garden and Brewing Co. - Fayetteville - 35.6 miles - Great food, brew own beer, brewery tours
• Chipotle and Whole Foods - Fayetteville - 35.6 miles
• Best BBQ - Wright's BBQ - Fayetteville - 37 miles
• Arkansas is the oldest and largest wine producing state in the South
• Sassafras Springs Winery - Springdale - 40 miles - 42 mins
• Tonitown Winery - Springdale - 41.8 miles - 42 minutes
• Wiederkehr Winery - Altus  – 48.2 miles - 5 Wineries nearby
• Fox Trail Distillery - 49.8 miles - 46 minutes - Local whisky distillery tasting and tours

 

SHOPPING, THEATERS, and MUSEUMS

• Artist Point Gift Shop and Cultural Center –  6.8 miles
• Ozark Folkways - Winslow, Mt Gaylor – 10.4 miles - Crafts, Art, Music
• A to Z Shopping - 12.7 miles (Sporting Goods like Cabelas so some fishing and kayaking, Tools, Furniture, Groceries)
• Historic Downtown Van Buren – 22 miles - Ride the trolley
• Malco Van Buren Cinema - 23.1 miles 
• Van Buren Fine Arts Center - 23.6 miles
• Fort Smith Central Mall and Cinema - 27.9 miles
• The Woodsman Company - kayaking, fly fishing, camping, hiking - Fort Smith - 28.4 miles 
• Miss Laura's Visitor Center - restored Victorian house of ill-repute  - Fort Smith - 29 miles
• United States Marshals Museum - Fort Smith - 30 miles 
• 112 Drive In Movie Theater - Open Thurs. to Sunday evenings - Fayetteville - 30 miles (There is another Drive In at Poteau, OK)
• Target - Fort Smith - 30.3 miles
• TheatreSquared - local and national theatre productions - Fayetteville - 31.2 miles 
• Pack Rat Outdoor Center - kayaking, camping, hiking - Fayetteville - 34.8 miles
• Crystal Bridges Museum of Art - top art museum in Arkansas - Bentonville - 56 miles
• Scott Family Amazeum - 50,000 square foot children's museum 

 

HISTORICAL SITES

• Ozark Scenic Railroad Tourist Train - Van Buren – 22.5 miles (call in advance for passenger tickets to ride the train passing in front of the Inn)
• Historic Downtown Van Buren  – 22 miles
• Drennan-Scott House - Van Buren – 22.9 miles - Pre-Civil War Home
• Arkansas Air and Military Museum - Fort Smith – 29.8 miles
• Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park - Prairie Grove – 32 miles - one of the most intact Civil War sites with museum, walking/driving tours
• Fort Smith Museum of History - Fort Smith - 33 miles - museum with local history and working soda fountain
• Fort Smith National Historic Site - Fort Smith – 33 miles - location of the famous 86 hangings of Judge Issac Parker, the “Hanging Judge” gallows and Museum seen in John Wayne’s “True Grit“
• Subiaco Abbey - 64.1 Miles - (Benedictine monks making beer and hot sauce)

 

AREA EVENTS AND FESTIVALS:

Year Round:

•  University of Arkansas Razorback Ballgames - Fayetteville – 30 miles

 May:

• Old Timer’s Day Steampunk Festival - Van Buren – 22 miles - 1st weekend of May
• Steel Horse Rally - Fort Smith – 36 miles - Charity Motorcycle Rally
• Old Fort Days Rodeo - Fort Smith - 36 miles 

June:

• Riverfront Blues Festival - Fort Smith - 36 miles

July:

• 4th Of July Fireworks in Chester - See from the Inn
• Annual Devil's Den Games 4th of July Celebration - 17.5 miles
• Johnson County Peach Festival - Clarksville – 67 miles - normally 3rd weekend of July - oldest food festival in Arkansas

August: 

• Bargains Galore on 64 - 160 mile long yard sale - August 13-15, 2020 - Cuts through Fort Smith, Van Buren, and Alma
• Rodeo of the Ozarks - Springdale - 42 miles - Annual rodeo and demolition derby events

September:

• Devil's Den Annual Mountain Bike Race - 17.5 miles
• Downtown Junk Festival - Van Buren - 22 miles - Labor Day Weekend
• Clothesline Fair - Prairie Grove - 31.2 miles - Labor Day Weekend - 100 booths of handmade crafts
• Bikes Blues and BBQ Motorcycle Rally - Fayetteville – 33 miles - Usually in September - Ride in front of the Inn - 3rd largest rally in the country

October:

• Royal Wade Kimes Music on the Mountain Benefit Concert - Chester – 6 miles
• Apple Festival and Arts & Crafts Fair - Lincoln – 36.8 miles - 1st weekend of October 
• Fall Festival Tradin' Days - Van Buren – 22 miles - 2nd weekend of October 
• Wiederkehr Wine Festival - Altus  – 48.2 miles - normally 3rd weekend of October - Multiple Wineries on the same road
• War Eagle Arts and Crafts Fair  – Rogers - 59.8 miles - 3rd weekend of October