Arkansas State Parks

There are 52 state parks in the U.S. state of Arkansas, as of 2019.^[1] The state parks division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism is the governing body and operator of all parks, although jurisdiction is shared with other state agencies in a few cases.

The first Arkansas state park, Petit Jean State Park, opened in 1923 following an unsuccessful attempt by a lumber company to donate the Seven Hollows and canyon areas to the federal government as a National Park.^[2] Stephen Mather deemed the parcel too small in 1921, but the Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 276, allowing the Commissioner of State Lands to accept donations of land for public use.

The list gives an overview of Arkansas state parks and a brief history of their development since the first park opened in 1923. State parks range in size from 1 acre (0.40 ha) to 11,744 acres (4,753 ha).

Current Arkansas state parks

Name	County	Size	Estab- lished	River / lake	Image	Remarks
Arkansas Post Museum	Arkansas	8 acres (3.2 ha)	1997	None		Museum dedicated to the history of Arkansas Post, Arkansas's territorial capital until 1821. Located on the grounds of the Arkansas Post National Memorial (National Park Service)
Bull Shoals-White River	Baxter, Marion	732 acres (296 ha)	1955	Bull Shoals Lake		Trout fishing destination above and below Bull Shoals Dam with over 100 campsites
Cane Creek	Lincoln	2,053 acres (831 ha)	1992	Cane Creek Lake		Wooded lake along Bayou Bartholomew including a hiking trail and camping
Conway Cemetery	Lafayette	11.5 acres (5 ha)	1986	None		Historical state park with no recreational services located on James Sevier Conway's (the first governor of Arkansas) former cotton plantation
Cossatot River	Howard, Polk	5,230 acres (2145 ha)	1988	Cossatot River		Class III, IV, and V whitewater rafting river listed on the National Park Service's National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
Crater of Diamonds	Pike	911 acres (369 ha)	1972	None		World's only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public
Crowley's Ridge	Greene	291 acres (118 ha)	1937	Lake Ponder		Park built on the homestead of Benjamin Crowley, dedicated to the culture and history of the Crowley's Ridge region. Includes many structures built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and spring-fed Lake Ponder
Daisy	Pike	276 acres (112 ha)	1955	Lake Greeson		Park nestled within the Ouachita Mountains on Lake Greeson near the Ouachita National Forest. Popular for camping, water sports, and fishing
Davidsonville	Randolph	163 acres (66 ha)	1957	Black River		Historic state park preserving the abandoned frontier river town of Davidsonville. Interpretive tours and signs guide visitors through the historic community bypassed by the Southwest Trail in the 1820s. Fishing is available along three nearby rivers, with 49 campsites
DeGray Lake	Clark, Hot Spring	984 acres (398 ha)	1974	DeGray Lake		Resort state park with championship rated golf course, 94 room lodge, and over 100 campsites
Delta Heritage Trail	Arkansas, Desha, Phillips	960 acres (390 ha)	2002	None		Rails to trails conversion of former railroad bed through Arkansas Delta lowlands, currently 14 miles (23 km), planned to be 73 miles (117 km)
Devil's Den	Washington	2,500 acres (1000 ha)	1933	Lee Creek		Civilian Conservation Corps-built park in the Ozarks with lake, caves, swimming pool and several trails. Includes over 100 campsites, including cabins
Hampson Archeological Museum	Mississippi	5 acres (2 ha)	1961	None		Museum displaying archeological artifacts from the Nodena site, an aboriginal village of the Nodena people dated 1400-1650 CE, and bones from the Island 35 Mastodon
Herman Davis	Mississippi	1 acre (0.4 ha)	1953	None		Park surrounding a grave and memorial to Herman Davis, a U.S. sniper during World War I
Historic Washington	Hempstead	101 acres (41 ha)	1973	None		Fifty-three buildings that preserve and interpret the architectural, cultural, and political history of a historic nineteenth century town.
Hobbs Conservation Area	Benton, Carroll, Madison	12,056 acres (4879 ha)	1979	Beaver Lake		Large park in the Boston Mountains along Beaver Lake featuring trails, camping, and a shooting range.
Jacksonport	Jackson	164.7 acres (66.7 ha)	1965	Black River and White River		Park containing the 1872 Jacksonport courthouse, preserving the culture and history of a former steamboat river town
Jenkins' Ferry Battleground	Grant	40 acres (16.2 ha)	1961	Saline River		One of three battleground sites from the Camden Expedition of the Civil War. Water recreation available on the Saline River
Lake Catherine	Garland, Hot Spring	2,180 acres (882.2 ha)	1935	Lake Catherine		Civilian Conservation Corps park created along the lake, resulting in a well-preserved natural shoreline. Park features cabins, campsites, nature programs, marina, hiking trails, and a sand beach swimming area
Lake Charles	Lawrence	140 acres (57 ha)	1967	Lake Charles		Lake is maintained and stocked with fish by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; also features camping, hiking, boat ramps and an interpretative nature center
Lake Chicot	Chicot	211.6 acres (85.6 ha)	1957	Lake Chicot		Largest oxbow lake in the United States; formerly the main channel of the Mississippi River. Park is located within a pecan grove within a bayou environment, offering 122 campsites, 14 cabins, swimming pool, boat shop/marina and interpretative visitor center.
Lake Dardanelle	Pope	246 acres (99.6 ha)	1966	Lake Dardanelle		Two sites (Russellville and Dardanelle), including 74 campsites, boating, visitor center, and aquarium. Popular for bass fishing, including hosting many major tournaments.
Lake Fort Smith	Crawford	260 acres (105.2 ha)	1967	Lake Fort Smith		Large lake in the Ozarks offering 30 campsites, 10 cabins, a marina, swimming pool and visitor center
Lake Frierson	Greene	114 acres (46.1 ha)	1975	Lake Frierson		Reservoir built along Crowley's Ridge known for fishing. Features seven campsites, trails, boat ramp and visitor center
Lake Ouachita	Garland	360 acres (145.7 ha)	1955	Lake Ouachita		Built surrounding a reservoir, the park features a marina, trails, restaurant, eagle tours, and interpretative information on three historic springs in the park vicinity
Lake Poinsett	Poinsett	132 acres (53.4 ha)	1963	Lake Poinsett		Popular with fishing enthusiasts, the park offers 29 campsites, trails and interpretative programs
Logoly	Columbia	368 acres (148.9 ha)	1974	None		Environmental education park containing mature oak-hickory forests, mineral springs and endangered species
Louisiana Purchase	Lee, Monroe, Phillips	37.5 acres (15.2 ha)	1961	None		Boardwalk through a headwater swamp leading to a monument dedicating the point of beginning of all surveys of the Louisiana Purchase, which allowed for the westward development and expansion of the United States
Lower White River Museum	Prairie	0.4 acres (0.2 ha)	1975	White River		Museum dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of culture, commerce and history along the White River in Arkansas
Mammoth Spring	Fulton	623.5 acres (25 ha)	1957	Mammoth Spring		Park surrounding the large natural spring, offering fishing, boating and hiking, an Arkansas welcome center and museum
Marks' Mills Battleground	Cleveland	6.2 acres (2.5 ha)	1961	None		Park commemorating Civil War battle, including exhibits and park area. Also a Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark.
Millwood	Little River	824 acres (333 ha)	1976	Millwood Lake		Forested area surrounding large lake known for bass fishing, bird watching, hiking and camping.
Mississippi River	Lee, Phillips	536 acres (217 ha)	2009	Mississippi River		Newest state park created within the St. Francis National Forest. Park currently includes campground at Bear Creek Lake and birding trail.
Moro Bay	Bradley	117 acres (47 ha)	1972	Ouachita River		Park at the convergence of Raymond Lake, Moro Bay, and the Ouachita River with visitor center. Popular destination for fishing, water sports, hiking trails and camping.
Mount Magazine	Logan	2,234 acres (904 ha)	1983	None		The park contains Mossback Ridge, including the peak of Mount Magazine, Arkansas's highest point. Park also contains The Lodge at Mount Magazine, cabins, trails, and a hang gliding area.
Mount Nebo	Yell	2,984 acres (1208 ha)	1928	None		One of three mountain state parks in the Arkansas River Valley, includes historic cabins, 14 miles (23 km) of hiking trails, and popular hang-gliding launch points.
Museum of Natural Resources	Union	19 acres (8 ha)	1986	None		Museum preserving and interpreting the history of oil and bromine mining in Arkansas
Ozark Folk Center	Stone	637 acres (258 ha)	1973	None		Located near Mountain View, Arkansas, it preserves the music, culture, and traditions of the Ozark Mountains. Hosts special concerts and regular folk music performances.
Parkin Mounds	Cross	107 acres (43 ha)	1994	None
Petit Jean	Conway	3,471 acres (1405 ha)	1923	None		Situated atop Petit Jean Mountain in the Arkansas River Valley, offers trails, creeks, and geology throughout the forested mountains
Pinnacle Mountain	Pulaski	2,069 acres (837 ha)	1973	None		Rocky Pinnacle Mountain emerges where the flat Arkansas Delta intersects the Ouachita Mountains
Plantation Agriculture Museum	Lonoke	14.5 acres (5.9 ha)	1985	None		Former general store serving a community of cotton farmers operating as a museum including over 10,000 artifacts. Grounds also contain farm machinery used on cotton plantations.
Plum Bayou Mounds	Lonoke	185 acres (75 ha)	1975	None
Poison Springs Battleground	Ouachita	85 acres (34 ha)	1961	None		Preserves and commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring in the American Civil War, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition
Powhatan	Lawrence	9.1 acres (3.7 ha)	1970	Black River		Preserves a small nineteenth-century river port town on the Black River
Prairie Grove Battlefield	Washington	840 acres (340 ha)	1957	None		Preserves and commemorates the Battle of Prairie Grove in the American Civil War. Park includes a museum, gift shop, and several historic structures from the period relocated to the site around a walking trail.
Queen Wilhelmina	Polk	460 acres (190 ha)	1957	None		Lodge atop Rich Mountain offers 38 guest rooms and is surrounded by forested slopes with creeks, trails, and mountain vistas. Located along the Talimena Scenic Drive.
South Arkansas Arboretum	Union	13 acres (5.3 ha)	1991	None		Arboretum and botanical garden owned by South Arkansas Community College with plants native to the Western Gulf Coastal Plain region.
Village Creek	Cross, St. Francis	6,909 acres (2,796 ha)	1972	Lakes Austell and Dunn		Large park in the eastern part of the state. Rises along Crowley's Ridge from the surrounding Arkansas Delta, includes lakes, twenty-seven-hole golf course, camping, and hiking. One trail follows the 1820s Memphis to Little Rock Road.
White Oak Lake	Ouachita, Nevada	725 acres (293 ha)	1961	White Oak Lake		Lake in the woods on the border between Bottomland hardwood forest and loblolly pine forest with diverse wildlife. Camping, boating, fishing, and hiking are popular around the lake. Interpretative signs about the Red River Campaign in the area during the Civil War.
Withrow Springs	Madison	786 acres (318 ha)	1962	Withrow Spring
Woolly Hollow	Faulkner	370 acres (150 ha)	1973	None

See also

• List of U.S. national parks

References

External links

• Media related to Arkansas state parks at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website