Fort Smith, AR Outdoor Activities

After a 20-year career in the air national guard, Britton Shaw still couldn’t get enough of the sky. So, he founded River Valley Paragliding to share his passion with new students. Whether soaring over local river bottoms or catching gusts of wind from atop Heavener Mountain, he performs and oversees solo and tandem flights, giving his charges hands-on experience in the air.

Dust clouds form from the hooves of two warhorses thundering across the jousting field. Across the way, a falcon wheels in the sky, spotting prey for his master. Meanwhile, King Henry watches from a tall stone tower, pleased with the bustling marketplace below. It isn’t the year 1539, and it isn’t planet Camelot IV in the Avalonian system. It’s the modern-day Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, held at the Castle of Muskogee every summer for nearly 20 years.

Every merchant and performer has a story to tell, from Sir Robert Vinterhawk of Birds of Prey to the painter Lady Anne, who creates lush portraits of the castle’s guests. The Tribal Circus performs gravity-defying feats without the aid of strings or wizardry, and the mysterious masked man of Cast in Bronze enraptures his audience with the sanctified tones of carillon bells. For adrenaline-pumping thrills, the human chess game —where life-size pieces engage in full battle—is second only to the raucous jousting tourney. Guests can further immerse themselves in a lost era with a spin around the maypole or by dressing up for the daily costume contest.

There was a time when Robbers Cave State Park wasn’t named as such. If it had been, that would have been a pretty obvious tip for police to go searching there, and they might have stumbled upon outlaws such as Jesse James, Belle Starr, and the Youngers hiding out from the law. The wooded hills, rugged caves, and remote location made it an ideal place for the infamous to disappear after robbing a train or showing the townsfolk their bare ankles.

Today, this same natural landscape attracts a different sort of adventurer—rappellers, cave explorers, and all manner of outdoor enthusiasts. The park's 8,200 acres play host to three fishable lakes that teem with trout and perch, and the trails offer scenic trips for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Climbers scale and rappel sandstone cliffs, and the wilderness area's wildlife attracts hunters and nature watchers alike.

After days spent trying to track down the old outlaw cave among sandstone hills and cliffs—some of which tower to 1,500 feet—visitors can cozy up to the fireplace in one of the 26 park-view cabins. To make visits comfortable, the cabins feature fully equipped kitchens, linens, and satellite TV, as well as central heat and air. The Belle Starr lodge also welcomes guests, and there are plenty of sites for tents, RVs, and stockpiles of loot as well.