Mount Magazine State Park occupies Arkansas's highest ground on Mount Magazine, centered on Mossback Ridge and Signal Hill, and blends mountain scenery with extensive recreation. Native Americans used the mountain seasonally before settlers arrived after the Homestead Act of 1862. During the 1930s and 1940s, federal agencies bought private land and built roads, trails, lakes, and a lodge, reshaping the mountaintop. After the original lodge burned in 1971 and tourism declined, a renewed effort led to the park's opening in 1998 through a partnership between Arkansas State Parks and the USDA Forest Service. A new lodge and cliffside cabins opened in 2006, strengthening its role as a leading Arkansas destination.