Becky Gillette – The McIlroy Madison County Wildlife Management Area south of Eureka Springs is popular for scenic overlooks, great hiking and biking trails, and free camping at primitive campsites. Unlike some of the National Parks that are overwhelmed with visitors, the Madison County WMA is a place with plenty of room to roam without running into hordes of people.
“We get a lot of camping use in the summertime,” Mark Hutchings, Northwest Region Wildlife supervisor for the Arkansas Game & Fish said. “There are trails there used by people who are hiking, or horseback riding. There are primitive campgrounds and some scenic overlooks on Kings River. Hunters from all over the state apply for permits to hunt deer and turkey at the WMA. As far as non-hunting activities, riding and horseback riding, access to river are the bigger uses.”
The WMA has 24 campground areas identified on the map. There are no services available such as electricity and water. The campgrounds are particularly with out-of-state, as well as local residents.
“We get people from far away who find us on a website of areas in the U.S. where you can camp for free,” Hutchings said. “We had some folks from Texas recently who found out about it that way. It’s primitive camping, but we have sites we keep mowed. You can stay a maximum of 14 days. Some camping areas are located next to caves. Some of the caves are closed to protect bats, but the cave entrances are esthetically pleasing. Some have springs coming out of them.”
While it is difficult to measure how many visitors go to the Madison County WMA because of the many different access point, Hutchings said the area is increasingly popular for walking, photography, horseback riding, looking for morels and being out in nature.
“It is a really good example of the Ozarks, a mixture of pine and oak woodland and glade habitat that used to make up a good part of the Ozarks,” Hutchings said. “There is some good quality habitat there for a lot of wildlife resources from game species and to non-game species.
“You see a little something different at different times of the year. The fall color is something people are always interested in looking at. In the spring, the dogwoods and red buds blooming are really beautiful. And summertime brings on some of the plants endemic to glades. There is a shift is what you see in the natural landscape throughout the year.”
In the spring the area is popular with turkey hunters, and summer use is more tailored to the river and use of the campgrounds. In the fall, it shifts back a lot of camping associated with deer hunting activity.
One of the more popular areas is a scenic overlook on the King’s River Overlook and Trail. Another scenic highlight is Kettle Falls. Maps and other information can be obtained by calling (866) 253-2506, the Beaver Lake Regional Office.