Dive into the Ozarks and their science-fiction decors

As fantastic, wild as enigmatic, will you resist the mysterious attraction of the Ozarks?

Our American friends are largely spoiled in terms of grandiose spaces and exceptional national parks! If the West holds idyllic places for landscape lovers, there is also a small corner of paradise stuck between Missouri and Arkansas. A squirrel of wild land, with natural beauties, where all the wonders of Mother Nature are confused. His name? ♪ Ozarks .

A green mass where vegetation mixes with clear rivers holed in the cliffs. It’s also a secret land, aurole of success... Hollywood! The decors, as mysterious as stunning, are the stars of successful series and films. It must be said that the Ozarks give the tone: if the houses retain a certain patriotic style, that the American flags float at the facades of the cottages, it is indeed a world apart.

The Ozarks, impenetrable, magical and stars of the red carpet

Mountain regions in the southern centre of the United States are still little known to the general public. A few decades ago, life, at the edge of these rigorous landscapes, was still hostile. The harshness of living conditions and the precariousness of the possible professions gave the region a rather blurred image. Nevertheless, despite isolation, the slender and rocky soils, lake villages gradually managed to get out of the ground. Men and women, backwards of all civilizations, managed to rob the spotlights on their mountains. The very special atmosphere, bathed in mysteries and magic, was finally able to charm the reputed adventurers and directors.

Police True Detective moves from cities to cities in the Arkansas and leads the investigation to the flowery plains of the Mounts Ozarks. Previously, it was the dramatic story of the teenager incarnated by Jennifer Lawrence who was able to highlight the Ozarks. Recently, they are the screenwriters of the eponymous series Ozarks who ejected their storyboards these grandiose and esoteric landscapes.

Mysterious decors call the stories of mystery and suspense. Confidential streets, simple houses with antique woodwork, winding roads with no purpose and lost in the forests, the hazy mountains in backdrop, what better frame for shivering, arousing excitement and fascination?

The history of a natural and wild stay in the Ozarks

We are at the heart of the Ozarks. We slowly open our tent. Humidity pearls on the shelters of fortune. A strong smell of petrichor tickles our nostrils. No intruder seems to have approached the camp this night. At least there are no traces of bears or trails of small rodents. The embers of the watch still smoke despite the dew deposited everywhere.

In the early morning, the breeze whistles and gently caresses the world that opens its eyes. The air currents push the mist and, gradually, the summits nestled with mysteries point the tip of their nose. The lake water, crystalline and frozen in a piercing blue, ondule and sparkle. The premises of nature that awakens alert our senses. The birds and squirrels run first. The tops of the fir trees, aggluted in thick forests, move and then burn timidly. Soon, it's the trouts of the lake that come to flood on the surface. The first rays fall in golden cape on the pans of limestone cliffs. The first eagles start from these heights and break into the morning air. Major! The spectacle of nature that awakens is invigorating.

Just a few steps are enough to stir the soil and bring the smells of wet pinewood again. When we leave our cabin in the middle of the forest, it is enough of an intense inspiration to feel all its purified body. On the road to the village, the deep and dark caves are silent. It’s hard to imagine that at nightfall, a thousand native bats come out of these gouffs without funds. At the moment when civilization approaches, noisy point. Here, the roads are still far away and the cities have lost allure of hamlets.

Cigarettes smoke rises slowly in the street. The fishermen with tile shirts remain patient, in their boat, the tenants shine the neon of their signs. As for families, they gather around a barbecue and children swim in the blue-green lake. Their shellfish resemble huge fish caught in the Bull Shoals Lake. It is an artificial lake in which the most adventurous start from the rocky promontories.

A red brick restaurant, an entity in the region, serves comforting burgers and Fayetteville beer. The men, at the edges of rustral hunters, discuss American football. The manager slips a cheesecake under the counter bell. Miam...

Here we take a good American culture bath, authentic! The life that flows is much different from that of the rest of the United States. Ozark residents live in a kind of fascinating, fusional autarcie with wild lands. The atmosphere is melancholic, soothing and strange. At the dawn, the fog creeps in the village, but it is in this mystical and disturbing atmosphere that the inhabitants of the Ozarks find peace. They prefer the roughness of the mountains to the tumults of the big cities. This is their way of being happy. This is reflected in the long evenings at the rhythm of folk music and artists’ landmarks.

So we can take the road to the edges of the forest.

There is a certain charm to put one of these traditional orange lifejackets on the water. The White River is still peaceful. So that the ramparts of coniferous trees and trees dripping their foliage in the water are reflected to perfection. We paddle in rhythm, splashed from time to time. Our canoes and kayaks follow each other and their slowness beats us. The walk on the river detour makes us want to sink further into the Ozarks. Why not on the Buffalo National Rover, where the imposing cliffs are split with gigantic and glittering waterfalls?

The bank's on. A few mountain bikes devalent the rocky trails while serene hikers greet us in the passage. They come back from the paths in height, lined with oaks and opening up huge ridges. The earth is furnished, dried with water from the limestone walls. Through trees, long and touffus, the sun percedes. It’s a good sign, we’ll have the light to get our new camp for the night.

Adventure in the Ozarks

When?

The Ozarks have a subtropical, humid and warm climate. Average temperatures are rather fresh and high rainfall. To combine all the pleasures and fully enjoy outdoor activities, we advise you to browse the region May to September . July and August will therefore be the warmest and pleasant months for long bathing. In the spring, hikers love the show of fauna and flora that hatch.

With regard to autumn, on foot, by bike, on horseback and on water, you can nevertheless enjoy Indian . The colours of the landscape explode with gold and red. The temperature is refreshing, it's good to blott in heated and lake chalets. Water activities are accessible, but in combination!

Finally, the winter experience is harder, but charming if you like the mountain atmosphere, the serenity of snow-capped woods and fish fishing more rare.

How?

So you will have understood, here, point of urban spreads and small villages engulfed by the buildings. Access to Ozarks will not be direct and rather long distances.

There are mainly four regions in the Ozarks:

• Buffalo Rover,
• Norfork Lake,
• Bull Shoals,
• White River.

The best way to get to these mountains is first of all to take a aircraft direction Springflied, Kansas City or Saint-Louis . In any case, you will still need between one hour and three hours to go to the heart of the mountains.

What about the Ozarks?

However, the region has many other secrets to reveal or other attractions that stretch your arms.

The whole Arkansas, the points of view are reversing and the pure streams of water. You can also take a cultural and commercial bath if you are in need of city pleasures. Cities are rich and cosmopolitan. The old streets, antiques and theatre scenes are close to microbreweries, museums and water sports sites. In addition, the region, considered to be the cradle of jazz, honours folk sounds, played by banjo and violin. The wooded trails offer exciting hikes while the cities are lined with Victorian buildings and art galleries. In order to relax, let yourself be seduced by the thermal baths and natural hot water sources offered by the region.

On the Missouri side, go to Branson. If you travel in the summer, know that the city welcomes a thousand Santas July! In Branson, theatre plays and shows jump. In the vicinity, it is rather the peaceful places to hike, climb and golf. In Springfield, make a stop to attend a baseball game and enjoy nightlife. Finally, stroll through the flea markets and relax in a spa. Discover the history of the region, inherited from many civil wars.