Hey everyone! My name is Lauren, and I am a college student who really would like to get started urban exploring! If you have any tips, tricks, or want to explore feel free to reply or message me! I would like to explore around the Arkansas, Louisiana, or Missouri area but am open to ideas!

Welcome to UER! Most of us are suckers for photos, btw. Please feel free to share any adventures you've been on (however, writing is great too). We love living vicariously through each other around here!

I wish I'd known about you a day or two ago - I just left the Shreveport area yesterday.
Cheers
D

Welcome. My advice is go to the Forums and read the Rookie section - lots of good advice there. You're in a great spot for Urbex as between the three states you mentioned (and Oklahoma as well) there are literally hundreds of amazing spots to experience. Any questions, check the Rookie forum first (chances are it's been asked already) then reach out to us. Again, welcome to UER and good luck and happy exploring.

Hello! From a fellow new person, welcome! What I've learned in the past month or so being here (if it means anything in such a short time) is that if you share pictures, are generally a nice person, don't get on the bad side of someone who enjoys flaming people, and don't use too dark a color in chat, you should probably be fine. I'd explore with you if I didn't live all the way up here! Hope to see you around...

Welcome to UER.
Read the Hellholes thread on the Main forum.
Learn from others mistakes.
Falls and structural collapses are the biggest hazard you face.

Take your time and the pieces will fall into place... no pun intended

Google earth is your friend

Theres going to be some Arkansas and Louisiana folks here, you need to try the Great Lakes regional forum for hook ups and tips from Missouri folks.

Posted by 2Xplorations Theres going to be some Arkansas and Louisiana folks here, you need to try the Great Lakes regional forum for hook ups and tips from Missouri folks.

I just spent a week and a half in AR, LA, TN, and MS. I can say with confidence that there is plenty to do and see in all of those places! My first suggestion would be to concentrate some good effort to the Delta region running along the Mississippi river (Arkansas/Mississippi/Tennessee border). Do that and you will be rewarded. Of this I am certain. Mississippi. Delta. Back roads.

Sorry to double dip, but I wanted to add one more thing...

I had really positive results when I approached the locals in these areas. They will be far less suspicious of your presence, but even more, they are the portals to the most valuable nuggets of information on just about any location you find yourself wondering about. My interactions with locals on this trip proved to be probably the best local interactions I've come across in a very long time. Most of them would light up and their whole demeanor would change when I started asking them about the property across the street from their home, etc. Two or three of these people had actually been students in a couple abandoned schools I was exploring and one of them went so far as to walk me to the front entrance and make POE suggestions for the rest of the campus, lol. His business card is still in my wallet!
Good luck and feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Posted by Dee Ashley Sorry to double dip, but I wanted to add one more thing... I had really positive results when I approached the locals in these areas. They will be far less suspicious of your presence, but even more, they are the portals to the most valuable nuggets of information on just about any location you find yourself wondering about. My interactions with locals on this trip proved to be probably the best local interactions I've come across in a very long time. Most of them would light up and their whole demeanor would change when I started asking them about the property across the street from their home, etc. Two or three of these people had actually been students in a couple abandoned schools I was exploring and one of them went so far as to walk me to the front entrance and make POE suggestions for the rest of the campus, lol. His business card is still in my wallet! Good luck and feel free to PM me if you'd like.

I couldn't agree with this more. I took a week and half to drive back roads to Philadelphia over the Christmas break.

I met some of the most amazing folks in Louisiana, who went above and beyond in kindness. They were extremely proud of their history. I even got stopped by a cop photographing an old gas station, who then talked to me for 30 minutes about other places to go.