Mountain Home
Around Mountain Home
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Town and around · Arkansas · 43k people
Mountain Home
Locals say Twin Lakes Area
Where the hills sing and the lakes shimmer.
Deep Ozark forest greenClear lake blue
Welcome to the Twin Lakes Area! Whether you're here for the fishing, the music, or just the peaceful hills, you'll find a friendly community and plenty of wide-open spaces. Grab a bite of catfish and enjoy the slow pace.
Clubs for Mountain Home
No clubs for Mountain Home yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Mountain Home. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
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Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Mountain Home. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Bull Shoals Dam Massive dam creating Bull Shoals Lake, a fishing and recreation hub.
- Norfork Dam Creates Norfork Lake, known for trout fishing below the dam.
- Ozark Folk Center State Park Showcases Ozark crafts and music with live jamborees.
- Blanchard Springs Caverns A stunning national forest cave with guided tours.
- Bull Shoals Lake One of the largest lakes in Arkansas, popular for boating and fishing.
- Norfork Lake Known for clear water and excellent fishing.
- Outdoors Fishing on Bull Shoals or Norfork Lake
- Outdoors Trout fishing on the White River
- With kids Visit the Ozark Folk Center
- With kids Tour Blanchard Springs Caverns
- Evenings Live music at the Ozark Folk Center
- Evenings Dancing at local jamboree halls
- Locals love Lakeside parks
- Locals love Trout hatcheries
Through the year
- Arkansas Folk Festival April Held in April at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, this festival celebrates Ozark music and crafts.
- Yellville Turkey Trot October October festival in Yellville with a turkey calling contest, parade, and community fun.
- Baxter County Fair August August fair in Mountain Home with livestock, carnival rides, and local exhibits.
- Marion County Fair July July fair in Yellville featuring agriculture, crafts, and family activities.
- White River Trout Festival June June celebration in Cotter with trout fishing, food vendors, and live music.
Humid subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Best: Spring and fall are the best times to be out, with pleasant temperatures and lower humidity.
Talk like a local
- “Twin Lakes”
- Nickname for the area, referring to Bull Shoals and Norfork Lakes.
- “Crick”
- A small stream or creek.
- “Holler”
- A valley between hills, often pronounced as 'holler'.
- “Y'all”
- You all, a common Southern contraction.
Getaways
- Branson, MO Live shows, theme parks, and family attractions.
- Harrison, AR Historic downtown and nearby Buffalo River access.
- West Plains, MO Small-town charm and local music scene.
- Batesville, AR Historic river town with antique shops and eateries.
Local flavour
Rooting for Arkansas Razorbacks, St. Louis Cardinals
Eat and drink
- catfish Fried catfish is a staple, often served with hushpuppies.
- barbecue Ozark-style barbecue, often pork or chicken, with a vinegar-based sauce.
- cornbread A Southern side, often served with beans or greens.
- fried pies Hand pies filled with fruit or meat, a local favorite.
- sorghum Sweet sorghum syrup, a traditional Ozark sweetener.
- morel mushrooms Foraged in the spring, a delicacy in the Ozarks.
Where people go
- lakes Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake are central to recreation.
- marinas Boating and fishing hubs around the lakes.
- fishing resorts Cabin and lodge resorts catering to anglers.
- music halls Venues like the Ozark Folk Center showcase traditional music.
- jamborees Weekly music gatherings in Mountain View and other towns.
- craft shops Handmade crafts and folk art are common.
- small-town diners Family-owned eateries serving home-style meals.
- county fairs Annual fairs with livestock, food, and music.
Heritage and traditions
The Twin Lakes Area is proud of its Ozark heritage, where traditional music, crafts, and a deep connection to the lakes and rivers define daily life. Locals cherish the unspoiled natural beauty and the warm, down-home friendliness of small-town Arkansas.
This time of year in Mountain Home
- Sorghum making Fall Fall tradition of boiling sorghum cane into molasses.
- Fall foliage drives Fall Scenic drives through the Ozarks to see autumn colors.
- Buffalo River Elk Festival Fall Celebrates the elk herd with music, food, and wildlife exhibits in Yellville.
Say it like a local: “fixin' to” — Getting ready to do something.
Festivals
- Buffalo River Elk Festival Fall Celebrates the elk herd with music, food, and wildlife exhibits in Yellville.
- Ozark Folk Center Dulcimer Festival Spring A gathering of dulcimer players and makers with workshops and concerts.
Landmarks with a story
- Jacob Wolf House One of the oldest surviving log structures in Arkansas, built in 1829 in Norfork.
- Mountain Home Commercial Historic District A downtown district with early 20th-century commercial buildings around the courthouse square.
- Calico Rock Historic District A bluff-top town with preserved early 1900s buildings and a museum.
Food traditions
- Sorghum making In the fall, locals boil sorghum cane into molasses, a pioneer tradition still practiced at farms and the Folk Center.
- Morel mushroom hunting In spring, families scour the woods for morels, then fry them up in butter.
- Catfish fries Community and church fish fries serve crispy catfish with hushpuppies and coleslaw.
- Fried pies Hand-held pies filled with dried apple or peach, a staple at festivals and diners.
- Cornbread A daily side, often cooked in a cast-iron skillet and served with beans or greens.
Music and arts
- Old-time music Fiddle and banjo tunes passed down through generations, played at jamborees.
- Bluegrass Fast-picking bluegrass bands are a staple at local festivals and music halls.
- Dulcimer music The mountain dulcimer is a signature instrument, celebrated at the Folk Center.
- Ozark crafts Quilting, basket weaving, and woodcarving are preserved at the Ozark Folk Center.
A little history
- 1829 Jacob Wolf House built
- 1944 Norfork Dam completed
- 1951 Bull Shoals Dam completed
- 1972 Buffalo National River established
- 1973 Ozark Folk Center opens
Rivalries
- Mountain Home Bombers vs. Harrison Goblins Local high school football rivalry that draws big crowds.
- Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Missouri Tigers SEC rivalry that gets fans fired up.
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs Baseball rivalry that splits households.
- Game day Bass fishing tournaments
- Game day Trout fishing contests
- Outdoors Floating the Buffalo River
- Outdoors Hiking to a bluff overlook
- With kids Visiting the Norfork National Fish Hatchery
- With kids Exploring the Ozark Folk Center
The local dialect is a Southern Midland variety with Ozark and Appalachian influences. People speak with a friendly drawl, use 'y'all' for plural you, and often say 'fixin' to' for 'about to'. Words like 'holler' (valley), 'branch' (creek), and 'tump' (tip over) are common.
Only here
- The Yellville Turkey Trot, which historically included dropping live turkeys from a plane (now a turkey chase).
- The Ozark Folk Center is the only state park in the U.S. dedicated solely to preserving folk life.
- The White River is one of the top trout streams in the country, with year-round fishing.
- A free-roaming elk herd in the Buffalo National River area, viewable near Yellville.
New here? A few tips
- Get a fishing license and try your luck on the White River – it's world-class trout water.
- Learn to love the lakes; boating and swimming are summer essentials.
- Be ready for hot, humid summers and mild winters, but always carry a jacket for sudden changes.
- Don't be surprised by the friendly 'y'all' – it's part of the local charm.
- Try the catfish and barbecue at local diners; it's the real deal.
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Nearby
Every areaMountain ViewArkansasWhere the hills sing and the rivers runWest PlainsMissouriWhere the hills hold stories and the sunsets linger.HarrisonArkansasWhere the hills meet the river, and everyone knows your name.AvaMissouriThe quiet heart of the OzarksAsh FlatArkansasWhere the hills meet the strawberry fieldsDoniphanMissouriWhere the rivers carve the hills and the forests breathe.BransonMissouriWhere the Ozarks meet the stage.BatesvilleArkansasWhere the hills meet the river and the welcome is warm.
Mountain Home, AR. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.