Things to Do in West Plains

While crossing most ranches on the great American plain, one might be saddled on a horse or particularly lively cow, but at Eagle Falls Ranch, guests strap into ziplines and enormous hamster balls before hurdling into the sunset. High bridges and platforms connect the six ziplines, which send riders on adrenalin-spiking soars past waterfalls, over fountains, and along the Jacks Fork River. This same sense of adventure permeates the ZORB ride, where two guests strap themselves to the inside wall of a giant inflatable ball before rolling and bouncing along a 500-foot downhill course. In addition to their daytime adventure courses, Eagle Falls Ranch also hosts night zipline rides, as well as campgrounds and cabins for guests who would like to start their mornings with an invigorating downhill rush instead of a murky cup of coffee.

Amid Hardy's hardwood forests and rocky bluffs resides terrain that the Griffin family has called home for more than 60 years. Throughout the decades, the family has built Griffin Park into a destination to relax, play, and test the latest camouflage fashions amid the area's scenery and wildlife. In 2011, Gregg Griffin and his brothers overhauled the park, removing old fences and flood debris. Their cleanup efforts made way for new campsites, beaches, and a performance venue. Today, the melodies sung by artists such as Neal McCoy frequently fill the park, setting an upbeat mood for adventurous attractions including zipline and horseback rides. The Spring River passes through Griffin Park and carries canoes, kayaks, and tubes down its watery freeways. Fish such as smallmouth bass swim beneath the water's surface while more than 400 bird species sing and beat box overhead.