From Wikitravel

The Ozarks [1] is in the USA and includes areas in southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 2.1 Major tourist cities 2.2 Major cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Talk 6 Get in 7 Get around 8 See 8.1 Major lakes 8.2 Mountain ranges 8.3 Itineraries 9 Do 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Stay safe 13 Get out

Regions

• Southwest Missouri
• Arkansas Ozarks region
• Green Country Oklahoma

Cities

Major tourist cities

• Branson, Missouri
• Eureka Springs, Arkansas
• Osage Beach, Missouri

Major cities

• Fort Smith, Arkansas
• Joplin, Missouri
• Springfield, Missouri

Other destinations

• Buffalo National River[2] In northern Arkansas is an unpolluted and free-flowing river in the heart of the Ozarks. It has both swift water and calm streaches.

Understand

The Ozarks is a plateau that covers 50,000 sq. miles. There is also an Ozark culture which embodies the people that live in this region. The area has rolling hills, mountains that have eroded over time along with many man-made lakes. All of this makes the area attractive for outdoor activities including fishing, hunting and hiking.

The area became a popular tourist attraction overnight with Harold Bell Wright's 1907 novel, "The Shepherd of the Hills". His novel told a story about the mountain country and hill people nearby Branson, Missouri.

Talk

The people of the Ozarks have their own way of talking and a set of terms that you might not hear outside the region. For example some of the common terms are; "Frog Strangler" or "Gully Warsher" both of which mean a heavy rain. You might hear some way say "You look mighty peakid, are you a-fixen to be sick?" Others are "Rosanears" is corn on the cob, "yourn" is yours "Is that yourn?", a "krick" is a creek, "pritnear" is almost like ""I'm pritnear done with this". The hill people of the Ozarks are affectionately called Hillbillies.

Get in

• Interstate 44 runs across the Missouri Ozarks from St. Louis to Tulsa.
• Interstate 40 runs East-West along the southern edge of the Ozarks
• Interstate 70 runs East-West along the northern edge on the Ozarks.
• Also historic Route 66 runs from St. Louis to Tulsa in the Ozarks.

Get around

The best way to get around is to drive. You will also get a good fill of the scenery driving the hills of the Ozarks.

See

• Roaring River State Park, [3] in southwest Missouri has a fresh water steam with trout fishing, camping and hiking.
• Branson, Missouri with world class entertainment and access to Table Rock Lake for Bass fishing and Lake Taneycomo for lake trout fishing.
• Silver Dollar City theme park near Branson, Missouri
• Eureka Springs, Arkansas sometimes called the little Switzerland of the Ozarks and on other occasions the San Francisco of the Ozarks. Local craft shops and art galleries, good food and shopping. Close to Beaver Lake with fishing, water skiing, swimming and other water sports.

Major lakes

• Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri
• Harry S. Truman Lake in central Missouri
• Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri
• Stockton Lake in southwest Missouri
• Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in northeast Oklahoma
• Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas
• Bull Shoals in northern Arkansas
• Lake Norfork in northern Arkansas

Mountain ranges

• Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri
• Boston Mountains in northern Arkansas
• Cookson Hills in eastern Oklahoma

Itineraries

Do

Visit the Lake of the Ozarks area

Canoe one of the clear, clean rivers of the Ozarks, to include: the National Scenic Jack's Fork or the Current rivers, or the Meramec, Big Piney, Gasconade, or the Huzzah. For the fishers, all contain good populations of smallmouth bass.

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Get out

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