Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Rocks, Roads and Rocky Road Ice Cream in Arkansas.

June 2nd is National Rocky Road Day – and a great day to tackle some of Arkansas’s great rocky roads all over the state.


This is a sponsored post for Yarnell's Ice Cream, an Arkansas product that reflects the Tie Dye Travels brand. To learn more about Yarnell's, click here.

The ice cream – which contains chocolate, almonds and marshmallows – is accredited to one William Dryer, who in 1929 purportedly used his wife’s sewing scissors to cut pieces of walnut and chocolate to put into his ice cream concoction (which probably lead to a completely separate rocky road with the missus!).  When the Great Depression struck, the confection was named Rocky Road, a lighthearted look at the struggles many Americans faced.

Today, Rocky Road is a long-established flavor in the pantheon of ice cream, and Yarnell’s version is a great choice for off-the-pavement adventures all over The Natural State.  Here are some great rocky activities you can experience all over Arkansas.

Rocky mountain highs.  White Rock Mountain is one of Arkansas’s tallest peaks, and at 2300 square feet it offers a lot of rocky opportunities, including rappelling and hiking.  Three cabins and a lodge grace the top of the mountain, along with eight family camping pads and a picnic area. White Rock Mountain is only accessible via gravel roads, and it’s quite far from the nearest town, but boy what a view from the top.  Before you go, pick up your Yarnell’s Rocky Road ice cream at


Rocky hollows. Arkansas’s last unpaved highway, State Highway 220, runs through the backside of Devil’s Den State Park, where you can hike rocky hillsides and fish in a slate-bottom creek held back by a gorgeous rock dam.  Rock away your evening in one of the park’s 17 cabins,
many of which were built from hewn stone by the CCC.  Whether by horseback, on foot or on a relaxed drive, you’ll enjoy this Ozark hideaway.

The rock at the center of it all.  Situated on the south bank of the Arkansas River along the Arkansas River Trail, you’ll find La Petite Roche, the little rock for which Little Rock got its name.  The 15.6 mile loop that connects Little Rock and North Little Rock via the Clinton, Junction and Big Dam Bridges offers unparalleled views of the area and lots of places to jump on and jump off.

A road that leads to rocks.  Mount Ida is surrounded by great places where you can dig for quartz crystals.  Many of these places offer a flat fee, allowing you to take your tools out and dig up crystals – as many as you can haul home.  Check out a list of places to dig crystals, here.


Rock climbing – in a car!  Get off the road and onto big rocks with a custom built ATV, truck, motorbike or even your own vehicle at one of the state’s Off-Road Vehicle Parks, such as Superlift ORV in Hot Springs.  This 1200+ acre sports park has been set aside for people who want the adventure of off-roading – along with the safety of a professional staff who can help you out of any crazy situations.

Have other rocky road activity ideas to pair with your Yarnell's Rocky Road ice cream? Leave your suggestions in the comments.


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