studioDRIFT and partners are on a shared mission to revitalize the Arkansas Delta and improve quality of life for the residents through a community-first, and outdoor recreation focused, approach. Our collective goal is to strengthen both the economy and the ecology of the Natural State by connecting rural communities to nearby natural resources so that these places together can serve as hubs for extraordinary adventure tourism.
Outdoor tourism has the greatest potential to reverse the economic destiny of the Delta. Outdoor recreation in the Delta can be as big an attraction as the Ozark Mountains and the Buffalo River. The greatest tourist assets in the Delta are the Big Woods and Crowley’s Ridge.
The expansive Mississippi Alluvial Plain spreads from the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in southern Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. Enclosed within this “Delta” is a hidden gem called Crowley’s Ridge.
Combined, these areas once contained the largest forested wetland ecosystem in North America. However, fertile soils proved so attractive to farmers that its forests have undergone a dramatic transformation over the last three hundred years as the area became a robust region with a rich agricultural heritage that feeds millions.
The Delta had active river ports, lively, iconic downtown buildings and businesses, night clubs, local music and restaurants that provided its residents a rich, one-of-a-kind culture. “The Delta” meant southern accents, gracious living, good food, the blues, and the music that birthed rock and roll. But since World War II, the steady mechanization of agricultural has led the Delta to lose many of the people and values that defined it.
Approximately 20 percent of the original forests remain. What remains is incredibly unique: hardwood forests still dominate the landscape on Crowley’s Ridge while majestic bottomland forests grow in pockets along river basins.
Crowley’s Ridge Gravel Trail
Crowley’s Ridge is a geographic region spanning from southern Missouri to the Mississippi River at Helena Arkansas.
Born by windblown glacier dust hitting river fog in the days of the woolly mammoth, this unique ecoregion is elevated 250 feet above the surrounding Mississippi Alluvial Plain.
The Crowley's Ridge Gravel Trail spans 249 miles - and 7,825' of elevation.
The trail traverses Crowley’s Ridge connecting Missouri to Marianna. Continuing past Marianna the Crowley’s Ridge Trail travels through the St. Francis National Forrest south to Helena before connecting to the existing Delta Heritage Trail.
This project is symbolic of our commitment to the prosperity of rural Arkansas through adventure recreation.
The Big Woods
One of Arkansas’ greatest and least known natural resources-- 500,000 acres of forest but with only a handful of water, biking, and walking trails accessible to tourists, the Big Woods is the second largest hardwood bottomland forest in North American. The goal is to attract visitors to the Delta to experience historic port towns through biking, hiking, trail running, bird watching, and water trailing.
The Rock Island Trail
The historic Rock Island Railroad line in our area was a major transportation artery that dissected the country from Memphis to the West Coast, carrying freight and passengers all across the country. By utilizing the existing RIR rail bed and transforming it into an active trail, the activation would create a new artery that would increase circulation and interest in the local communities that have steadily declined since the interstate bypassed their communities.
The first step in identifying exact connective routes is the mapping of existing communities and infrastructure in these areas which we have already begun. As well as partnerships with locals which we have begun as well. In our search for a base of operations, we found a couple of buildings in downtown DeValls Bluff that became available and were in danger of being torn down. Working with the owner of the buildings, we have now taken possession of two of the anchor buildings on DeValls Bluff’s historic Main Street district that sits cater-cornered from the White River access area. The Robinson Mercantile Building and the Castleberry Hotel.
The Catalyst: DeValls Bluff
The renovation of these buildings in DeValls Bluff will serve as the catalyst that will make our vision a reality. The first building to undergo revitalization will be the Robinson Mercantile Building. In its second life, it will be known as The Reactor. The Reactor will serve as studioDRIFT’s headquarters as well as a community space for tech and workforce training. It will employ 3-5 full and part-time employees that will provide programming and facility management. The Castleberry Hotel will be restored to a functioning hotel that will serve as lodging for those traveling through DeValls Bluff. It will allow the culture to be more accessible to those that would utilize the trail system.
Of course, all of this cannot be accomplished without sponsors, donors, and the support of Arkansans like yourself! We can only get so far on our own. If you’d like to support our mission and vision for the Arkansas Delta consider attending one of our upcoming events this year!
Upcoming events
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Birdeye Gravel
Spend a weekend exploring the Delta’s greatest trails this November in Birdeye, Arkansas.
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Delta Grind
One-of-a-kind experience in the Arkansas Delta. See you there in May?
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Birdeye Sessions
Enjoy a night under the stars listening to amazing music and eating delicious food. Check in often, this is a pop-up event series that always sells out.
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Delta Drift
Barred owls, prothonotary warblers, and wintering bald eagles. Tupelos and cypress too. October on the Bayou!
