Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

Basic Rock and Mineral Cleaning at Home

Video: What’s SUP on Lake Ouachita

Lake Ouachita State Park exists, in part, to provide access to Lake Ouachita – a haven for watersport enthusiasts. The sport of stand up paddleboarding has been steadily growing in popularity over the years. Stand up paddleboarding is an enjoyable form of exercise and a great way to explore any body of water, especially Lake Ouachita. Check out the video for an immersive...

Photo Essay: Jacksonport, Then & Now

Part of the mission of Jacksonport State Park is to preserve and educate about the history of our town. The park’s artifact collection holds photographs of what the town used to look like, and thanks to historical records, we know exactly where these pictures were taken. Even without a time machine, you can see the places in the park where the citizens of Jacksonport once...

Water Activities in Arkansas State Parks

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to get out on the water. While Arkansas might be a landlocked state, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the rush of flowing water surround you on a hot day. Grab a paddle or fishing rod and don’t forget your SPF 50!

Photo Essay: Life in a Rotten Log

Village Creek State Park is a 7,000-acre park located in northeast Arkansas. The park’s mission is to protect and conserve the natural, cultural, and historical resources of Crowley’s Ridge. We have an unusual ally in protecting our natural resources: the rotten logs of the forest floor. Where many people see a rotting log as an eyesore, many creatures see it as the key to...

Photo Essay: A Solution for Pollution 

Crowley’s Ridge State Park in northeast Arkansas is one of Arkansas’s six original state parks, constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Today, those original native stone and wood structures create a setting of rustic serenity among the natural surroundings. To this day, part of the park’s mission is to protect natural resources. Our team strives...

Hiking With Man’s Best Friend

Lake Dardanelle State Park, located in Russellville, Arkansas, provides a quiet and relaxing setting to enjoy the outdoors with the entire family, including man’s best friend. The park features a large amount of pet-friendly space including open grassy fields, picnic areas, and the Meadowbrook Trail, an easy ¾-mile walk through a wooded section of the park. Responsibly...

Photo Essay: Churn Your Own Butter

Davidsonville Historic State Park in northeast Arkansas preserves Arkansas’s first platted (planned) town and the stories of the people who lived here. The people of Davidsonville churned butter as a necessary chore to keep their households running smoothly, but today is a fun activity to connect us to the past. In this photo essay, we will explore the very important task...

Leave No Trace

You are welcome at Arkansas State Parks. We have one of the most pristine state park systems in the nation to enjoy. In order to protect and make sure your state parks are available for generations to come, it’s important to stay on designated trails, pick up after yourself and don’t litter (cigarette butts are litter), and recreate responsibly. Recreating responsibly has...

Photo Essay: Black Gold In 1920s South Arkansas

The oil-rich town of Smackover is in the heart of the Arkansas oil fields. The 1920s south Arkansas oil boom brought danger and destruction, but also a sense of opportunity and change that has lasted through the generations. Today, one mile south of town is the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, which aims to connect people to the lasting cultural and economic impacts...