Smackover, Arkansas

Timber. Oil. Deer Hunting. Bass fishing.

These are words commonly used when people talk about the Timberlands of Arkansas. It's a region with rich natural resources that was discovered by pioneers from the eastern United States in the early 1800s.

Cities such as El Dorado, Camden and Pine Bluff Arkansas were built when these newcomers, who were impressed with the regions dense woods of pine and cypress, decided to settle. In the 1920s, belief in their homeland paid off handsomely when oil was discovered in the El Dorado area.

The abundant natural resources of the Timberlands are still attracting people today. Each year, thousands of sportsmen descend upon Southern Arkansas to hunt deer in what is considered the best deer hunting region in the state. They also come in search of the lunker bass that reside in the area's legendary lakes and rivers.

Other visitors enjoy the legacy of those pioneers by visiting sites ranging from 1800s log cabins and restored Victorian homes to local museums and colorful murals that tell the history of this land.