Lonely Planet announces best places in the U.S. to visit in 2016: NWA #7

Lonely Planet – the world’s leading travel media company – released today its annual list of the top 10 best places to go in the United States in 2016, and we’re excited that Northwest Arkansas comes in at seventh place!

According to the press release, Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2016 (lonelyplanet.com/best-in-the-us) list is a diverse mix of cities, regions and states across the country that are poised to shine in the year ahead – places often-overlooked, hidden gems and household names with new reasons to visit in 2016. This year, national treasure Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was named number one, followed by the picturesque town of Natchez, Mississippi and the iconic Yellowstone National Park in third place.

Now in its 6th year, Lonely Planet’s Best in the US is a handpicked list selected and ranked by the US-based editors and travel writers at Lonely Planet to point to the top 10 most exciting, intriguing and up-and-coming US destinations worth visiting in the year ahead.

“These are the places to pay attention to in 2016,” said US Destination Editor Rebecca Warren at Lonely Planet. “Whether they’ve been on the public radar for years or are only recently emerging as travel hotspots, each destination offers compelling reasons to visit this year.”

The list is available online at lonelyplanet.com/best-in-the-us, with accompanying articles to each destination. Best in the US 2016 will also be featured in the second edition of the new US Lonely Planet magazine, on newsstands March 24, 2016.

Here’s what Lonely Planet had to say about Northwest Arkansas:

“Northwest Arkansas – ‘Give the Rockies a run for their money.’

With wide open spaces, mountains and crystal blue lakes and rivers, this region also has cultural flare, with towns that are distinctly unique from one another, like Fayetteville – an artsy university city with a vibrant literary scene – and Eureka Springs, which has access to some of the best hiking in the Ozarks.”