Bentonville to the Buffalo River: How Northwest Arkansas Became a Destination

Native limestone and sandstone bluffs, carved over millions of years, tower overhead, while swaying sycamores, river birch, and rocky beaches line the winding channel. I trail my fingers through the cool, silky water as Collins paddles. At the jagged point of a large rock, a large turtle sunbathes. Collins points out another one, the size of a tuna can. Wildlife thrives here. Elk herds roam nearby, and 50 other mammal species are known to live inside the Buffalo’s borders.

Photo: Virginia Brown

Birds are also abundant. A flash of yellow and an unfamiliar call sends me reaching for my phone to consult Merlin, the bird-identification app, which tells me I’ve spotted a Yellow-throated Vireo. More than 250 bird species have been recorded along the Buffalo, safe to fly on protected winds.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the Act of Congress, which designated the Buffalo the country’s first National River. It remains one of the few undammed rivers in the Lower 48 states.

Preservationist Dr. Neil Compton helped make that possible. In 1962, he founded the Ozark Society to oppose the US Army Corps of Engineers’ plans to dam the river. His efforts ultimately helped secure federal protection for the Buffalo, and it shows. There are no trashed water bottles. No fast-food Styrofoam. Today, the instinct to protect what matters flows beyond the river and all throughout Northwest Arkansas.

Bentonville: a base for exploring Northwest Arkansas

The Compton Hotel. Photos: Virginia Brown

Bentonville sits at the center of Northwest Arkansas, close enough to the Buffalo for a day trip and built out enough, over the past couple of decades, to justify staying for a while.

One hotel stands out: The Compton Hotel, named in honor of Dr. Compton, opened in 2025. Native plants, regional stone, and Ozark-inspired design blur the line between indoors and out. Hanging from the ceiling of the main staircase, a Fragile Future light sculpture by artist duo DRIFT is made of hundreds of dandelion heads fixed into a copper lattice. Each dandelion is handpicked and glued seed by seed to LED lights. The art reinforces life’s dependency on light, and the artists used the flower as a symbol of the world’s delicate ecosystem.

The hotel’s bar, The Eddy, takes its name from the river’s circular currents, while a second-floor reading room features curated books, maps, and artifacts celebrating the region’s history and landscape.

The hotel is also known for its Cycling Concierge, a rare amenity with full-time dedicated staff that offers bike valet, secure storage, and trail expertise. The hand-carved table in the lobby offers a bird’s-eye perspective of the nearby trail network.

With 80 miles of city trails that connect directly to more than 500 miles that meander through the bluffs and hollers of Northwest Arkansas and beyond, cycling is woven into daily life. The network helped attract the USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Team, which made Bentonville its official home in 2022, and bike culture is visible everywhere, from dedicated lanes to cyclist-friendly gathering spots like The HUB Bike Lounge.

The latest addition is the OZ Trails Bike Park, a 200-acre facility featuring more than 30 trails and a ski-style chairlift for riders. Advanced cyclists can tackle technical runs through cedar groves, while beginners have access to wide, approachable trails designed for first-timers.

Beyond the trails: Bentonville’s cultural scene

Photo: BLK ELK / Visit Bentonville

You don’t have to be a serious cyclist to enjoy Bentonville. A well-manicured path from The Compton, where outdoor sculptures — including a stand-out 30-foot-tall spider by Louise Bourgeois — dot the landscape, leads directly to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The museum, whose general admission is always free due to a sponsorship by locally headquartered Walmart, is packed with a five-century collection of American art from Asher B. Durand’s “Kindred Spirits” and Gilbert Stuart’s “George Washington” to Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed.” Through the end of July 2026, the museum will celebrate with “America 250: Common Threads,” anchored by an early engraving of the Declaration of Independence, and will examine history and civic participation through art, documents, quilts, photographs, and other cultural artifacts.

Nature remains central to the museum’s identity. Architect Moshe Safdie designed the system of glass-and-wood pavilions around spring-fed ponds and the surrounding forest rather than reshaping the landscape to fit the building.

A major expansion unveiled this year added 114,000 square feet including gallery space and a dedicated education center. Contemporary American Art Gallery highlights include a hybrid woman-coyote constructed from cardboard that seems to climb out of the wall by Mexican artist Hector Dionicio Mendoza, and Refik Anadol, whose AI-driven installation continuously transforms nature imagery into mesmerizing digital art.

Ryn. Photo: Scotti Moody Media / Visit Bentonville

Guests can grab a cup of coffee or a cocktail at Quartz + Honey, the new 40-seat cafe that features sweeping views of the parklike natural landscape, including streams and ponds, gardens and walking trails. Adjacent to the cafe sits a mammoth 1,500-pound quartz cluster, called “Holy Grail,” sourced from Zigras Mine in Blue Springs, Arkansas.

But Crystal Bridges’ cafe is just one small example of a food scene that’s been quietly building for years — and drawing national attention. Last year, in 2025, chef Matthew Cooper earned a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best Chef in the South region, as did chef Rafael Rios of Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico. (Chef Cooper also received semifinalist nominations in the same category in 2024 and 2026.)

At Cooper’s first Bentonville concept, Conifer, seasonal ingredients take center stage. Even polarizing beets become memorable here when paired with smoked cashew butter, pistachio dukkah, and fresh mint. Roasted vegetables, salads, and house-made accompaniments encourage sharing and exploration.

The chef’s latest venture, Ryn, takes a different approach: a leisurely tasting-menu experience set on a farm outside Bentonville. Cooper expertly blends textures and seasonal flavors, like Hawaiian walu curd with strawberry aguachile. Fish is flown in multiple times each week. The Compton’s restaurant, Sestina, also delivers tasty pastas, namely a radiatori with Angus beef Bolognese, plus steaks and shareables.

Getting to and around Northwest Arkansas

Photo: Arkansas, The Natural State

Bentonville is about 20 minutes from Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), which has nonstop service to more than 20 US cities. While downtown Bentonville is walkable, you’ll want to rent a car if you plan on exploring the Buffalo and the rest of the region’s outdoors. However, transportation is included if you book a guided float through 37 North Expeditions. The season on the Upper Buffalo typically runs March through June, water levels permitting.