How To Elope at Mt. Nebo State Park

Mount Nebo Elopement Planning Guide

An elopement at Mt. Nebo State Park is an underrated mountaintop option in Arkansas. It’s a small park that takes just 5 minutes to drive from one side of the mountain to the other, and has easily accessible – and stunning – views. If you’re imagining your vows in golden glowing light on a mountaintop with the wind blowing your hair, you’ll want to read through this detailed guide to get you started on planning an elopement at Mount Nebo!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Special Use Permits
• Best Spots at Mount Nebo
• Where to Stay + Eat
• What to do Here
• When to Elope Here
• Getting Your Marriage License
• Mount Nebo Vendors

Mount Nebo Special Use Permits & Leave No Trace

State parks sometimes have special use permits you apply for at a small fee, and have rules you’re required to follow when you elope within their park boundaries. These rules generally follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace, which are guidelines you’re expected to follow as a visitor to ensure our lands stay enjoyable to all park visitors.

Permits

Elopements at Mt. Nebo are free and don’t require a permit as long as you don’t need seating and don’t exceed the headcount rules – but I do always recommend calling the park ahead of elopement day to double-check in case things change at any point of time. If you exceed a certain headcount or need seating for guests, such as with micro weddings, you’ll likely fall under their requirements to rent one of the pavilion spaces for your ceremony. The rentable pavilions are very affordable (~$75-$250 pending which pavilion you rent and your headcount details). To find out the most up to date info call the park.

Mount Nebo Contact: (479) 229-3655

Leave No Trace

It’s important to note that there are several rules to follow when you elope on lands that belong to park services. Failure to follow rules can sometimes result in fines. These rules essentially follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles. You can learn more about LNT here. The most commonly seen rules are:

1. You cannot set up chairs, an altar, or floral arrangements (unless you rented the space and got permission to do so).
2. You can only have -X- amount of people occupying the area. (# varies by location)
3. Clean up any messes you make.
4. Do not cause damage to the land.
5. Don’t feed local wildlife

Best Scenery for Your Elopement at Mount Nebo

As mentioned prior, Mount Nebo is quite a small state park. The three main overlooks are Sunrise Point and Sunset Point, which are just 5 minutes apart. Right in between them is the pavilion overlook. All three of these options make for stunning views for Mt. Nebo elopements.

• Sunrise Point Overlook
• Sunset Point Overlook
• Pavilion Overlook

Where to Stay + Eat

Lodging: There’s cabins on the mountain that can be rented through the park, as well as a few BnBs. Otherwise, there’s short-term rentals near the base of the mountain that can be found on Airbnb and VRBO where you can stay during your elopement on Mt. Nebo.

Eats: You won’t find anything to eat directly on the mountain, but Dardanelle is 15 minutes away with common eateries and local joints, and Russellville is just across the river 25 minutes from the mountain for a bigger city with other choices, like Pasta Grill (one of my favorites).

What to do Here

What you can do for an elopement at Mt. Nebo might come across as deceiving. While it is a small park and you’d generally imagine this being a laid-back option only, there’s actually many foot, bike, and even horseback trails along the mountain! You can even go hang gliding, weather permitting, from the peak – if you’re a thrill seeker.

• Soak in the views at Sunrise Point (my favorite!)
• Go mountain biking on the available, designated trails
• Go hang gliding
• Camp out on the mountain
• Explore the foot trails for waterfalls and natural springs

Best Time to Elope at Mount Nebo

The spring and fall are the most popular choices for elopements at Mt. Nebo for the favorable weather, however the park is open year-round so any time is optional. When it comes to picking your elopement month, I recommend first deciding if you want those vibrant spring/summer greens, or fall colors, or even a more wintry look (winter in Arkansas generally is a warm neutral/brown color palette but once in a blue moon we get snow). Alternatively, if you want a specific date with sentimental value, you can refer to the seasonal breakdown below to have an idea of what you can expect.

Spring (March-May)

March: Early March it’s likely to still be mildly chilly outside with temps in the 50s °F, and the trees will probably still be bare most if not all the month. We see warmer temps around the 70s °F and foliage slowly growing back usually by mid to late March, but it can come early in warmer years.

April: It’s averaging in the upper 70s °F almost daily, and the greenery has fully grown back usually by mid-April if not sooner. Hotter temps in the 80s and 90s °F may occasionally happen, especially the last half of the month.

May: It could be hitting 100°F with intense humidity a few times in the month, but the average is generally in the 80s °F. Either way this can be a rough month if you have any health conditions that make the heat difficult for you, or if you’re prone to sweating. Sunrise elopements are a great alternative to the usual sunset timelines so you can still have fun and beat the heat! Sunrise Point is amazing in the mornings for this.

Summer (June-August)

Summers in Arkansas get very hot and humid. Extreme weather conditions are unsafe to be outdoors in for long periods of time. If you choose to elope in the summer, I recommend doing it at sunrise in efforts to beat the worst of that mid-day/afternoon heat. Fortunately with Mount Nebo, the pretty sights are right by your car, so you can easily escape to A/C as needed!

June: It’s going to be mildly less hot than the rest of the summer, with better potential of frequent days happening that will be under 90°F. Some years, most if not all of June feels fantastic. June usually brings lots of storms, so inclement weather risk can be increased.

July & August: Temps are going to start averaging 90-115°. It’s a very dry time of year with little rain. If you elope in this timeframe, it’s recommended to have frequent water breaks and to take it easy! Sunrise elopements are strongly recommended to beat the worst of the heat.

Fall (September-October):

September: It’s still going to be pretty hot in September usually, with days averaging around 80-100 °F with humidity. This is still a popular time for couples to opt for sunrise elopements to avoid those hotter days.

October: Early October can still be around 80°F. By mid to late October we start to see temps drop to around the 70s °F. Late October is when we most often see color change in the trees.

November: In early November fall colors are still usually lasting in the trees, but by mid-month they are normally gone or just about to be. Temps generally average in the 60s °F in November, until the late month where it will drop into the 50s/60s °F.

Winter (December-February):

December: It’ usually only mildly chilly in Arkansas, with temps averaging in the 50s/60s °F and gradually dropping to maybe the upper 40s °F by the end of the month. Inclement road conditions almost never happen in December – even by the end of the month.

January: Temps average around the 50s and 40s °F, but sometimes we get cold snaps that bring ice storms or snow. Temps can drop close to 0°F during these snaps. We normally get one of these winter storms once every year or two. This can be a slightly risky month to plan because of the potential of winter storms, and the road up to Mount Nebo is VERY narrow with tight turns. Be advised that you may want a backup location this time of year because of rough roads in these winter storms!

February: This can be a very back and forth month with temps dropping in the 30s then rising into the 70s a few days later. This is a finnicky month to track, but we usually don’t get those ice storms like in January, especially the later into February we get.

Getting Your Marriage License

Obtaining a marriage license in Arkansas is super simple:

• Licenses are issued at any county courthouse in Arkansas Monday-Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm (closed on major holidays)
• You can leave the courthouse with your license the same day you apply.
• You can obtain your license at any conveniently located courthouse in Arkansas and use it anywhere within the state, just return it to the same courthouse you got it from within 60 days.
• The fee for your license is $60 (cash or card only)
• Both you and your partner must be present to apply for the license, and must be 18 years or older.
• You both must provide identification, such as drivers license or passport.

The nearest county courthouse to Mount Nebo State Park is Yell County Courthouse, located in Dardanelle about 15 minutes from the park.

*Requirements for obtaining your marriage license might vary by courthouse. Call the courthouse you plan to use to ensure you are prepared. Some may want you to also provide your birth certificate, and/or social security card, and some might be cash only.

Mount Nebo Elopement Photographer + Officiant + Planning Assistant

Mount Nebo is a great, lowkey place for an elopement in Arkansas that’s often so much less busy than our other mountaintop parks. If you’re ready to start planning your dream day here, I’d love to chat! I’ve been photographing elopements in Arkansas for a decade and always love when I get to return to Mount Nebo for a cozy elopement day. I offer a multi-service experience that includes photos + planning assistance + officiant services, so I’ve got you covered on all the big things to let you sit back and enjoy your day.