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OfficialKidsMag.com • SepteMBer 2020 • 25
Dover
Lights
By Karen Rice
Official Kids Mag
arkansas has myths and
folklore like many other states,
and one of the biggest remains
a mystery to this day.
the Dover Lights have
puzzled thousands of people
living and traveling through the
Ozarks. those who have seen
the lights say that they are very
strange indeed. people report
that the Dover Lights look like
glowing orbs or lanterns deep
in a ravine.
the little town of Dover,
arkansas is about 10 miles
north of Russellville, halfway
between Little rock and fort
smith.
the lights aren't actually in
Dover, but they're close to it.
they can sometimes be
seen at night from a pull-off
spot west of scenic Highway
7 and north of the Long Pool
recreation area. Drivers can
pull off the road and look down
a valley along a creek. When
it's not foggy, people have seen
small floating colored lights
which seem to go in and out of
the trees. they are no houses
or roads there, only a forest-
covered mountainside.
there are many stories
about where the lights come
from. some say the valley
is haunted by coal miners
that died tragically when
the tunnels collapsed on
them. another tale says the
lights are spirits of spanish
conquistadors, searching the
valley for treasure. Others say
the lights are caused by natural
gas leaking from local caves,
or even campers down in the
valley. some even believe that
the lights come from aliens.
Regardless of which story
local people believe, the
sightings are similar: glowing
lights are visible deep in the
ravine from up above. the
lights were first seen in the
early 1800s, long before there
was electricity in the remote
location.
In 2015, a local tV station
looked into the Dover Lights
and even caught the lights on
camera.
the Dover Lights have
become a legend among
arkansas residents. Maybe
someday someone will figure
out what they are. In the
meantime, it's fun to guess!
