Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas

Fishing is a favored pastime at Lake Dardanelle State Park, making people the top of this food chain. We love to catch fish, but often don’t think of all the creatures it took to build that strong healthy fish on the end of our fishing line. Mayflies are an essential part of the food chain that keeps the fishery at Lake Dardanelle State Park healthy. In this photo essay...

Each spring, DeGray Lake Resort State Park is adorned in an array of colorful blooms, some of which can easily go unnoticed. This photo essay is a tribute to just a handful of samples found around the park. See how many you recognize.

For some, the idea of glancing at a screen while on the trail will never be appealing, and that’s okay. For the rest of us, technology has become an asset that allows us to bridge the gap between observing the natural beauty around us and immersing ourselves in it.

This video features a curious red fox kit exploring the perimeter of its home at DeGray Lake Resort State Park.

What lives in a lake? If you are like most of us, your first thoughts were fish, snakes, and turtles. Believe it or not, that’s only a small part of the life below Lake Dardanelle!

Escape to Lake Dardanelle State Park’s largest aquarium exhibit and see some of our native fish from a unique underwater perspective. Inside Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitor Center is 7,000 gallons of aquarium exhibits that provide an up-close connection with Lake Dardanelle’s native fish species.

What is now the body of water called Lake Dardanelle was once simply the Arkansas River, a life source to plants and wildlife, as well as the Native Americans and settlers who migrated here. One river many voices.

Lake Dardanelle State Park sits along the edge of Lake Dardanelle, a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River. Lake Dardanelle’s diverse habitats in and around the lake will surround you in natural beauty and a top-notch fishery. Enjoy this sunset view from the Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitor Center.

One of the most awe-inspiring birds you can witness is the Bald Eagle. Once endangered, the Bald Eagle has made an encouraging comeback and now nests along rivers and lakeshores throughout the state. Now, you can find our national emblem in dozens of sites across Arkansas, particularly along shores of lakes and rivers. The most common time to experience Bald Eagle...