Mike Mills grew up on a farm in Rogers, Arkansas where he attended high school. He learned how to work hard and we was an excellent student and athlete. His dad always pushed him to do better and to do more. He learned about the outdoors camping with his family. Due to the 1970s environmental boom, his outdoor skills were appreciated by his college roommates. After studying pre-med at Hendrix College, he follows his passion and turned his love of the natural state into a career. He began by buying a canoe outfitter. In the winter when he and his one employee had nothing to do, they built a log cabin to rent. Wow! People liked the cabin. The next winter, they built another and outfitted them with nice beds, fireplaces, coffee pots, grills and other luxury amentities for ‘roughing’ it in the Buffalo River Country. He tried horse back riding but that wasn’t as successful. Now he has lodges, a gift shop, canoe rentals, hot air balloon rides and a zip line in the city of Ponca – population 117! People travel from all over to float the Buffalo River and hike the beautiful trails in the area. Mike’s business sells experiences on
the first national river in the United States. In 2013 Buffalo Outdoor Center was recognized by Arkansas’ Small Business of the Year.
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