Discover Bella Vista

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1. Add ten birds to your list.

Costa Rica might be out this year but there are 1107 different species of birds native right here in the Lower 40. What is your count?

Have you ever been to the Ozarks? Bella Vista, Arkansas is a small recreation-focused town surrounded by 45 square miles of Ozark mountain forest made accessible with 100 miles of hiking and biking trails. It is located in between two major migratory flyways that merge depending on which way the wind is blowing. Three hundred and twenty-five bird species jump on the Mississippi flyway every year. And there is some research that the flyway is moving west. A number of those stop off in the resource (for birds anyway) rich forested hills of this northwest corner of Arkansas to raise a family.

Quite a few bird species settle in Bella Vista to raise their families. Watching a wood duck family swim by is something your kids won't see in the city. Are these birds on your list yet?

2. Show the kids five animals they've never seen before.

It is very likely that you will see an armadillo. You'll have to look a little sharper to see a great horned owl, a beaver, an otter, or a bobcat. The Ozark forest region is threaded with streams, springs, waterfalls, and lakes edges to explore. And nothing makes a kid's exploration more exciting than spotting a row of turtles sitting on a log, or catching site of a water snake poking it's head up from dark water just a few feet away.The abundance of water, undeveloped habitat with diverse native plants, trail access away from the edges where the forest home meets the human population makes an environment healthy with plant and animal life.

3. Make the eleventh birthday one to remember.

Summer birthday in the family?

Call ahead. There are a number of local(ish) bike shops that could sell the perfect sized bike and rent bikes for the rest of the family. A child would remember that birthday!

Mountain biking might be something you did as a kid. It might be something you've always wanted to try. The hilly terrain in Bella Vista sports 100 miles of mountain bike trail, engineered and maintained by an enthusiastic biking community. You will find beautiful trails designed for beginners, safe for youngsters and oldsters alike. And you–just until you get your wheels back under you. There are trails for intermediate skilled riders; faster steeper trails where you can try a few jumps; and black diamond trails that will test your mettle.