History

In operation since 1992, Longbow Resort has received guests from around the world, from Scotland to Australia to Colombia. It has graced the pages of publications such as Southern Living, At Home in Arkansas, CitiScapes Metro Monthly, Arkansas Wild, among others. It has also been featured on “Traveling Arkansas” with Chuck Dovish, as well as “All About Arkansas” with Steve Powell and “5 Outdoors with John Huston in Ft. Smith Arkansas.” 

Longbow Resort’s archery theme and cabin names are in tribute to the man who originally purchased the property, the late Ben Pearson, Sr. – renowned archer and world’s largest manufacturer of archery equipment from 1939 to 1969. Mr. Pearson is recognized in several state and national halls of fame, revolutionizing the sport as the first individual to mass-produce archery on a large scale, all while using machinery he designed. His love of both the outdoors and north central Arkansas drew him to the area, and the Longbow cabin is one of his creations, built as a family getaway in 1967. Ben Pearson, Jr., has since remodeled the Longbow cabin, and has designed and built two more cabins to create what is now Longbow Resort.

Longbow’s waterfall was once home to a gristmill, which milled home grown grains to flour for the local pioneers, but the Native Americans called this area home well before the pioneers settled here. Today, the Pearson family invites you here to enjoy a unique outdoor experience in the splendor of the Ozark Mountains.