The Homestead Act of 1862 gave many families a chance to acquire land and begin a new life in the Ozarks. The Collier family from Kentucky settled near the Buffalo National River, as many did. The restored homestead gives those of us in the 21st century a look at the way life once was in this part of the country. Exploring a Native American bluff shelter at Buffalo Point is also on tap, as well as trout fly-fishing on the Spring River near Hardy.