Mcneil: Nature, Railway History and Festival

Mcneil brings together nature and environmental education with a local history shaped by the railroad and timber industry. Logoly State Park lies immediately east of town; the railroad depot, McNeil Overpass and Festival on the Rails add to this picture. For travelers looking for a hotel, these distinctions can help with trip planning: Would you like nature study to shape your stay, trace the town’s development, or plan your trip around the festival in April?

Nature and Environmental Education at Logoly State Park

Logoly State Park lies immediately east of Mcneil. Of the park’s 370 acres, most are part of a State Natural Area with unique plant species and mineral springs. The park was the first state park in Arkansas to focus on environmental education. Along with its natural areas, the park therefore has a distinctive educational history.

Environmental education is reflected in the park’s offerings: the visitor center features interactive exhibits, and park interpreters lead programs and excursions year-round. For planning your trip, these provide different points of interest—visitor center exhibits on the one hand, and guided programs and excursions on the other. If nature study matters to you, the park brings together conservation and environmental education.

Railroad and Local History

Mcneil originated as a railroad depot in the 1880s. The settlement in the Mcneil area was called College Hill because of its school; the depot built there was named McNeil in memory of William McNeill. For several years, Mcneil was an important shipping point for the timber industry in Columbia County, until the railroad line to Magnolia was completed a few years later. This history links the town’s development to rail traffic and timber transport in the region.

Another chapter in the area’s transportation history is the McNeil Overpass east of Mcneil. The bridge was built in 1936–1937 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 13, 2021. It is 302.21 feet long and 30 feet wide, and is a seven-span reinforced concrete slab-and-girder bridge. The overpass eliminated two railroad crossings in downtown Mcneil and made traffic on Highway 79 safer. The construction and listing dates refer to two different points in time: the building of the structure and its later historic recognition.

Festival on the Rails

Since 2008, Mcneil has held Festival on the Rails every April. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, you can keep April in mind as its recurring time of year and check the dates for the relevant year.

Funds from Festival on the Rails were used to acquire a Veterans’ Memorial in Mcneil. The 2016 festival also featured a Pork Chop Cook-off. The festival thus combines an annual event with local memorial and community-event connections.

Discover more destinations: Magnolia

For the broader travel overview: Columbia County.