Town of Mountain View Arkansas (pop. 2,800)

Point 21 Details
1.1 mi. between 20 and 21

Ozark Crafts, Art, Antiques, Music, Dining

The Mountain View Square has unique shopping, dining, art galleries, and live music.

What's Here - Shop for truly unique Ozark arts and crafts, dine at Mom & Pop cafes and restaurants, and enjoy free bluegrass and gospel music on the Square whenever the weather is good. You can spend an entire day in the little town of Mountain View. With a population of just 2,900 small town charm and friendly people are the norm here. However, Mountain View's claim to fame is their bluegrass and gospel music. Any serious bluegrass fan, or bluegrass musician, has been to Mountain View at least once. While the Mountain View Square around the courthouse is lined with true art, Ozark crafts, antiques, Mom & Pop restaurants, ice cream shops, and a whole lot more, what put the Square on America's Map is the spontaneous bluegrass jam sessions.

And while the Square is the activity hub of Mountain View, there are plenty more shops and restaurants all up and down Main Street. be sure to explore around the back streets too as there are some pleasant surprises there too.

Hwys 5, 9, and 14 junction at the intersection of Sylamore Ave and Main Street

Directions - The highway to Mountain View remains identified as Highway 5, Highway 9, and Highway 14, but the signs identify it as Sylamore Avenue. Assuming you are coming in from the North via Hwy 5, aka Sylamore Ave., continue until you come to a "T" intersection. Whether you turn left or right, you'll be on Main Street, which is also Highways 5, 9, 14, and 66. Turn left and you are on East Main. Turn left to get to the Ranger Station, and to continue on Hwys 14 and 5 south. Turn right and you are on West Main. Most of the Necessity type establishments are on East Main. Most of the shopping, dining, turns for Hwys 66, 9, and 87, and the Square are on West Main. Traffic is not heavy, and Main Street East and West is about 3 miles long. Sylamore Avenue begins at the junction of Hwy 5 and Hwy 382 at the turn to the Ozark Folk Center. Thus Sylamore Ave is also Hwys 5, 9, and 14. Mountain View Zip code: 72650

Beanfest - Some will argue that the annual Beanfest is what put Mountain View on the map. During the last weekend of every October for over 30 years, some 40,000 people come to Mountain View for the Beanfest And Championship Outhouse Races Fall Festival. This is a rip-roaring good time where the goal is winning the bean cooking contest, and then all cooking contestants pass out a sample of their recipe. Vendors come from all over the United States. Food, contests, and the annual out-house races keep the streets full of people on foot. If you want to attend Beanfest make lodging reservations a year in advance or more!

Necessities - A hospital, pharmacies, Harps grocery store, auto parts and hardware stores, banks, gas stations, a Wal Mart, and all the other basic needs you may have while out on the road can be found in Mountain View. The military surplus store is a good place for hiking and hunting supplies.

Restaurants - All you need to do is drive up and down Main Street and you'll see your choices. There's fast food chain stores, cafes, restaurants, and ice cream shops.

Bluegrass Jams - If the weather is good individual musicians as well as small groups of two, three, or four musicians take up a spot around the courthouse. There may be only one, two, or there may be several. They just show up and start playing. It's all free. The best times are Friday and Saturday nights in cool weather. However, musicians tend to show up when the mood strikes so almost any week night they'll be there.

Arts & Crafts - When we say arts and crafts, we mean the real thing. These are not imports from China or India. Some of the most beautiful pottery in the world is made in the Mountain View area. There's an artisan's guild wherein membership requires authentic and original works. Everything from homemade soaps and bee's wax candles, to natural aroma therapy essential oils, hand-woven baskets, paintings, sculptures, fine art photography, and a long list of other arts and crafts can be purchased.

Shopping Around The Square - You can walk the entire Main Street and Square shopping district. Allow at least a couple of hours. Just past the Square is Wood's Pharmacy and Old Fashion Ice Cream Shop. Wood's is an excellent example of how Mountain View blends the past with the present. While the Square is the main shopping area, don't rule out what is on the side streets. Stop off at the Chamber office that's on the Square. Many of the artists with cool works don't have a shop on the Square.

Getting Back To The Main Tour Loop Via Hwy 87 - If you have come this far your best way back to our main tour loop is to go up Highway 87 to Hwy 14 at Point 24. To find Hwy 87 go down West Main, past the Square. Look for Woods Pharmacy (a good place for lunch) and Dogwood Lodge, which are right next to each other on the north side of Main. A few hundred feet past Woods you'll come to Mountain View City Hall, a small building on the north side of Main, and on the corner of Main and Lancaster Ave. Across Main from City Hall is the Old Mill. Lancaster is Hwy 87 for a short way, then, in a sharp turn, it becomes Gaylor Road. Stay on Hwy 87/Gaylor Road for 10 miles and you'll come to Hwy 14 near Point 23. Hwy 87 is paved all the way. It's a scenic run for sure. During fall foliage the color looks best running from Hwy 14 downhill into Mountain View. When you get to Hwy. 14 you can continue the main loop tour in either direction.

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