Dare to Hike: Uncover the Mystery of Arkansas’s Naked Joe Mountain

Arkansas is home to several mountain ranges, like the Ouachita Mountains, the Ozark Mountains, and the Boston Mountains. If you love hiking the backwoods, you need to visit Naked Joe Mountain.

About Naked Joe Mountain

Let me be clear, I'm not talking from experience, even though I do love hiking. Naked Joe Mountain sits between Norfork and Calico Rock down Highway 5 in the Ozark Mountain region. If you were to take the drive from Texarkana, it would take you approximately four and a half hours to get there.

Folklore or Myth?

Surrounded by nature and the heavily wooded National Forest, folklore has it that a man named Joe once lived in the area. His favorite place to hang out, joke aside, was the picturesque mountain bluffs where he was known to run around naked at the top of the mountain. The mountain became known as Naked Joe Mountain.

Origins of Old Naked Joe Mountain

History has it that there was once a town named Old Naked Joe near there that wanted to build a post office, but the townfolks objected to the town's name, so they renamed it Old Joe, which eventually they named the post office the same. However, that post office is no longer there, and the town is now known as Old Joe.

Some people believe that Naked Joe Mountain got its name from a devastating tornado many years ago that cut a huge swath, clearing brush and trees at the top of the mountain, which gave the appearance of a balding mountain, thus the name Naked Joe Mountain.

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Believe it or not, the town is still there today, but I guess it depends on who you talk to, which story you're likely to hear about, maybe even a few new versions, who knows? Hikers especially love the hiking trails leading up Naked Joe Mountain, its rugged terrain, but the views are absolutely scenic at the summit of the mountain, which is named Naked Joe Knob, I kid you not.

So if you're looking for adventure in the great outdoors this summer, Naked Joe Mountain may very well be an experience you will never forget, especially if you see Old Joe naked! Check out this Google map on how to get there.