Just returned from staying at the Bar Fifty Ranch in Bismark, Arkansas. Had such a wonderful time. The staff were extremely helpful and courteous. The food was excellent. The cabin was clean, comfortable and cozy. This was the perfect weekend getaway spot. I would definitely recommend this to any one just wanting a quiet place to rest and relax. Will be going back as soon as possible.
I went with a friend for an overnight campout with my horses. I have never been camping with my horses, and wasn't sure what to expect. We took a camper and came in a little later than expected, but Betty (the owner) met us at the lodge and showed us our campsite. They had pens set up for atleast 4 horses at each site (which was great, I didn't have to use my panels). We built a fire in a large fire ring down near the dance hall.
Breakfast in the morning was delicious. We were the only guests that morning, which was kind of nice, so we were able to visit with the owners a bit and found them to be very nice. We headed out for a trail ride. We started out and didn't know that the trail lead near a firing range (which concerned me), but proved to be helpful later in the day. The trails were a little confusing and we managed to get lost, but Julian, the owner managed to find us and made sure we made it back to camp. The scenery was exquisite. We really enjoyed it, even after being lost a few hours. The people at the ranch couldn't have been nicer and the ranch was beautiful. They had lots of animals. If you have smaller children, they would enjoy seeing all of the different types of animals. I am looking forward to going back again and taking friends! Maybe with a trail guide this time!
This is a great place! The management and staff are really friendly and helpful. The pool area is beautiful and has nice shady spots to watch the kids swim and a grilling area if you want to party around the pool.
It is secluded enough that you feel like you have the run of the place, but large enough to give you a real feeling of freedom. You can walk the trails or visit the animals at your leisure, ride horses at an hourly rate that is truly reasonable.
Oh yeah - I can't forget to mention the homemade breakfasts. Homemade biscuits, pancakes, french toast a variety of eggs and potatoes that changes every day!! Truly wonderful!!!!
Don't worry if you plan your trip during one of their camps - the kids are well supervised and the staff makes sure that they are very respectful of the guests.
We were there for my parent's 50th anniversary (just the kind of thing they enjoy!) and it was wonderful. Everyone had a good time from my parents to my grandchildren.
My grandsons have begged to go back!
Two of my girlfriends and I hauled our horses and scrapbook stuff from East Texas for a long weekend in one of the large cabins. We had a blast!!! We took food but didn't need to. There is a great little grocery store in Bismarck. They have great steaks!! We try to go a couple times a year. We once(2007) took 6 horses, 2 RVs, rented 3 horses, one cabin and 3 cowboy rooms. (Cowboy rooms are simple and very sufficient, although in December there should be heat in the community bathrooms.) This past summer (2008) my husband and I rented a lodge suite for a couple of nights to just get away to rest. Of all the different times and accomidations we have always loved our visit to -50.
The trails are great, yet not marked very well. If you get lost just call the owner and he will come to the rescue.
So much fun to ride in that area.
So peacefull and relaxing to stay there.
So ready to go back!!
My husband's request for this year's vacation was a cabin in Arkansas. Our son is 5 months old, so we also wanted somewhere close enough to drive. After much research, I booked an entire week at the Bar Fifty Ranch. When we arrived, we unloaded the SUV and then checked out our quaint little cabin. At first glance, it's pretty cute. But after a closer look, not so cute. The bed had a quilt on it that was covered with stains. The mattress itself was ancient (full of squeaky springs.) The extra blanket stored in the coffee table was very smelly. The loveseat on the porch was also filthy. Needless to say, we decided 3 days was enough. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go horseback riding, but the other guests said it was great. My last complaint is that it is a B&B and we had to pay extra for the breakfast. It was good breakfast, but I've stayed at quite a few B&Bs and have never had to pay extra for breakfast. The few good things I have to say are that the owner is very nice, the breakfast is good, the other guests were a delight to chat with, and it's in the middle of nowhere away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
We loved staying at the Bar 50!! We stayed at Bar 50 with the desire to just stay at a B&B for a couple of days. We stayed in the lodge rather than one of the cabins, so breakfast was included. The room was spacious, clean and a perfect get away. The staff was wonderful. We drove about an hour to the Crater of Diamonds state park and mined for diamonds for a morning. We are glad we made the drive to Bismarck instead of staying in Murfreesboro.
