Discover Drew: Water, Nature, and Culture

In Drew, the range of experiences spans boat ramps and fishing opportunities to historic buildings, art, and natural history. What you’d like to discover during your stay can therefore be a good starting point when choosing a vacation rental: Will water activities take center stage, are you interested in trails and landscapes, or would you like to set aside time for culture and history?

Experience the Water: Lake, Creek, and River Access

The 1,520-acre Lake Monticello offers opportunities for fishing and boating. There are two concrete boat ramps for access. One is at 299 Harris Road, next to Harold West Park on the east side of the lake. The second is on the western shore at Hunger Run Access and can be reached via AR Highway 35. Fishing conditions may vary depending on the season.

Cut-Off Creek also offers a way to plan time on the water: It has no rapids and can be paddled upstream when water levels are normal. Water levels can change, so the reference to normal water levels matters when coordinating your paddling plans. The public access point on the Saline River in Drew County is at Ozment Bluff near Possum Valley. Along Bayou Bartholomew, which runs along the eastern edge of Drew County, you can fish for crappie, bream, and catfish. Regulations and conditions may vary.

These water activities offer different focuses: the lake combines fishing with boating, while the information about Cut-Off Creek concerns paddling upstream at normal water levels. When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to first consider which of these activities you want to shape your days, rather than assuming a particular location or amenity.

Art, Natural History, and Monticello’s Buildings

The Turner Neal Museum of Natural History features a wide-ranging collection: invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, as well as fossils, minerals, and plants. It offers a different perspective on nature from a day at the lake or on the waterway.

In the Historic Downtown Business District, the Monticello Mural is next to City Hall. Monticello-born artist Erin Ashcraft painted the work, which uses postcard-like images to convey various aspects of Drew County to visitors. The Monticello WPA Bas-Relief Mural also tells a story about a regional subject through images: three unglazed terra-cotta bas-reliefs depict tomato farming. Despite later alterations, the structure retains sufficient integrity to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Monticello Commercial Historic District includes numerous structures that illustrate Monticello’s development from 1890 through the 1950s. The Taylor Log House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The grounds of the Drew County Museum and Archives also feature two cabins built by pioneers from Drew County and relocated there; they are open to the public.

Visitor highlights at the University of Arkansas at Monticello include buildings from the Civilian Conservation Corps era and other historically significant buildings, as well as Weevil Pond and Weevil Walk. For dance, theater, and music, the Southeast Arkansas Concert Association presents professional performances at the UAM Fine Arts Center in Monticello. This lets you include performing arts in your selection alongside architectural history and exhibitions.

Trails and Landscapes as Another Focus

Phase 1 of the Lakewoods Trail includes approximately 6 miles of a shared, non-motorized trail. Its approximate length and classification as non-motorized help distinguish this trail from time spent on the water, without implying a walking time or difficulty rating. Seven Devils WMA is part of a 6,000-acre wetland in Drew County. Together with the water activities, it offers another perspective on the region’s landscape.

Choose a vacation rental to suit the experiences that matter to you, and check conditions that vary over time wherever they affect your plans.

Explore more destinations: Monticello, Dallas County, Baxter County, Washington, Poinsett County, Van Buren County, Jefferson County, St. Francis County.

For the main travel overview: Arkansas.