What is the ArkLaTex?
Where is this place?
You may have heard of the ArkLaTex. But you may also be wondering what is this word and what does it mean? Welcome to my corner of the country, let me tell you all about it. The ArkLaTex is a geographic region in the south central United States where four states come together: Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. It encompasses some major cities like Texarkana (AR and TX), Shreveport (La), Hot Springs (AR), Tyler (TX) and more. For my purposes, being centrally located in Texarkana, I also include Oklahoma in our adventures.
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Why is it called the “ArkLaTex?”
The nickname comes from three of the states that make up the area. Arkansas (ARK), Louisiana (LA) and Texas (TEX). It comprises of southwest Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, and east Texas. It’s an easy way to remember the states and it’s pretty fun to say. Oklahoma is left out of this area but since it is within an hour drive from Texarkana, it’s the silent partner in the ArkLaTex nickname.
At the heart of it.
The central pin in this area is Texarkana, USA. A unique city that splits the state line of Texas and Arkansas. Texarkana has a very unique history and it is also home to the only federal building in the United States that sits on a state line. The federal court house and post office downtown is also one of the most photographed post offices in the entire USA. It is a wonderful detour off of I-30 for a photo op. While you’re downtown, there is plenty to do and explore on both sides of the state line. The city of Texarkana is also home to two colleges, including a branch of Texas A&M. For industry, there are multiple manufacturing facilities and economic development opportunities. Texarkana has two of everything and it’s a great place to explore.
Extending from Texarkana.
In our family, we love roadtrips and exploring. Day trips are the spice of our life and we enjoy all that the ArkLaTex has to offer. Our definition of day trip is any place that we can drive to, spend at least a few hours exploring and still drive home in the same day. While the time frame will be different for everyone, we define a day trip as anywhere within a three hour drive or less. From Texarkana, a three hour radius will include all the way to Dallas, down to Alexandrea, Louisiana and almost to Vicksburg, Mississippi. It could extend through Little Rock and all the way to Russellville. However, the vast majority of the exploring for ArkLaTex adventures will be within a two hour drive. But, don’t be surprised if we stretch it to five hours for a getaway.
Southwest Arkansas.
The ARK part of ArkLaTex includes all of southwest Arkansas. It’s made up of the Piney Woods, forests, and low lying parts of the state. There are wonderful state parks like Logoly State Park, White Oak Lake State Park and Millwook Lake State Park. On the northern edge of this area is the Ouachita National Forest which is a haven for outdoor recreation and has one of our favorite places: Lake Ouachita. Other major cities include Hot Springs, El Dorado, Arkadelphia, Mena, and Texarkana. This area is also famous because of the public diamond mine at Crater of Diamonds State Park. A tip: diamond digging is fun but with kids, crystal digging is the most rewarding option.
Northwest Louisiana.
Texarkana is about a one hour drive to the largest city in northwest Louisiana, Shreveport-Bossier city. It is a vibrant city of over 200,000 people, with a rich history, incredible food, and lots of great things to do with kids. There are several state parks nearby as well as a wildlife refuge and a nature center. The Red River flows directly through the heart of the city and there are great things to do on both sides of it. Downtown Shreveport boasts both an aquarium and a science museum, plus several casinos, theaters, nightclubs and more. Bossier City has equally great dining options, shopping, and one of our favorite places: Risen Rock Climbing Gym.
East Texas.
While Dallas and Houston make up some of major cities in the ArkLaTex vicinity, there are lots of smaller cities and towns worth exploring. Sulphur Springs is just one of them that has one of the most unique public bathrooms we’ve ever seen. Ladonia, Texas is a great place for rockhounds and aspiring paleontologists at the North Sulphur River fossil park. Caddo Lake is an over 26,000 acre lake and bayou that actually spans the state line of Texas and Louisiana. The state park on Caddo Lake is a great place for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts to explore.
Southwest Oklahoma.
Southwest Oklahoma isn’t technically considered part of the ArkLaTex. But, with Texarkana at the center of the adventures it makes sense to include Oklahoma. Broken Bow and Hochatown are very popular vacation destinations. They’re charming towns right next to each other with cute eateries and fun things to do. There is a beautiful state park called Beavers Bend that also has a wonderful nature center and museum. Nearby Idabel, Oklahoma also has a museum called the Museum of the Red River and it’s free!
Not fly over states.
The ArkLaTex region of the south central United States is not just a fly over area. It also is not just a drive through area. Yes, we may have major interstates that pass through. But, I’d like to invite you to linger a little while and see all there is in this unique part of the country. If you’re local this area then I hope you find some inspiration for exploring closer to home. Finally, I’d like to welcome you to the very first blog post on my new website! Thank you for reading, let’s go explore!
About the author.
Nichole Holze is a content creator based in Texarkana, USA. She has over ten years of experience with exploring and adventuring across the ArkLaTex, and the same amount of experience in homeschooling her children. She is married to Ryan and they have two children, plus one giant dog. You can read about their homeschool experiences and travels beyond the ArkLaTex over at Luckey Wanderers. Keep up with their shenanigans on her Instagram page at Coleyraeh. Nichole is also on the Executive Team for Run Wild My Child and a published author with articles in books from Wild + Free. Loving where you live is a cornerstone of their family culture and they pursue seeing the wonder wherever they wander.
