Buying Recreational Property near Public Land – ARKANSAS
If you’re looking to buy recreational land in Arkansas, the advantages of being near public lands are pretty clear. In addition to being able to use your property for hunting, four-wheeling, hiking, camping or other outdoor activities, you can have easy access to thousands of acres nearby for all your activities.
There are a number of factors to consider if thinking about focusing your land search on tracts near public lands. With that in mind, here are six things to think about:
Sugar Loaf; Van Buren County, Arkansas
The property is adjacent to the Sugar Loaf Recreational area, Arkansas’ first National Trail.
- Being near public lands can be a positive for land value. As a general rule, having property that’s contiguous to public land is almost always a benefit and can have a positive impact on value. That said, the level of enhanced value will vary, depending on the quality and attractiveness of the public land use area, along with other factors like the level of access between properties.So as you consider different properties for sale, also consider the quality of the public land nearby. If that land has quality wildlife, attractive scenery and a good water supply, those are significant bonuses. Another tip: If you don’t want to be near crowds, consider buying near the National Forest in an area that doesn’t appear to have easy access for the average hunter or outdoor recreationalist.
- It’s important to know all applicable hunting regulations as you think about how you would use a property. The best place for hunters to find the applicable regulations, along with a wealth of other information, is on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission website. Certainly, it’s important to know when the various hunting seasons run, for your planning, and it’s also good to know about such things as rules for hunting on public land.
- Do your homework as you start looking for recreational properties near public land, so you can focus on certain geographic areas. The Arkansas recreational land sales experts at Davis DuBose Knight Forestry & Real Estate have a number of public lands they would suggest for starting a search of nearby properties, such as the Blue Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Hope Upland WMA, Ouachita National Forest, Sulphur River WMA, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie WMA, Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge, and Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.
- Of course, you don’t have to have a recreational property next door to public lands to enjoy them. Many recreational properties are not right next to public lands, but within easy reach of them. In many cases, these properties can provide the best of everything, combining the peace of quiet of a tract that isn’t well-traveled, along with being a short drive away from popular, more highly frequented public lands.
- Working with a real estate professional that focuses on recreational land is a key to success in finding the right property for you. Real estate agents who specialize in selling homes usually don’t have the experience and knowledge needed to find a quality recreational property.In addition to knowing where to look, a recreational real estate pro can help a buyer navigate everything from ensuring that a tract has sufficient access, to determining the quality of timber on a property, to gauging the quality of wildlife on the land.And it’s important to have a real estate pro at your side if you’re looking for the most in-demand tracts. Owners tend to hold on to recreational properties next to public lands for years, so when a quality property goes on sale and is priced right, it will sell fast.
- Advantages of owning recreational property near public land can be maximized with a little extra work on your part. There is a bonus for hunters of private land near public lands. In most areas, public lands will not have food plots, so growing quality food plots on your property can make your land very attractive to deer and other wildlife in the area.Keep in mind that while you can access and use nearby public lands, there is also a possibility that hunters, hikers and others may cross over into your property if your boundaries are not clearly marked. A professional land broker can recommend someone to help you paint your boundary lines or establish other markers clearly identifying where your property begins.
PotlatchDeltic sells recreational land around Arkansas that appeals to anyone who loves the outdoors and wants a home base for their activities. Visit our website to see Arkansas recreational properties for sale and the contact a member of our Preferred Broker Network to get your land search started.