Arkansas State Parks Trip Ideas Park Crater of Diamonds Historic Washington State Park Village Creek Crowley's Ridge DeGray Lake Resort Moro Bay Davidsonville Jacksonport Millwood Cossatot River Logoly Mississippi River Withrow Springs Daisy Hobbs State Park Conservation Area Lake Dardanelle Lake Fort Smith Lake Frierson Ozark Folk Center Petit Jean White Oak Lake Bull Shoals - White River Cane Creek Devil's Den Lake Catherine Lake Charles Lake Chicot Mount Magazine Parkin Archeological Pinnacle Mountain Powhatan Courthouse Queen Wilhelmina Delta Heritage Trail Hampson Museum Lake Ouachita Lake Poinsett Mount Nebo Prairie Grove Battlefield Woolly Hollow Louisiana Purchase Museum of Natural Resources Plum Bayou Mounds Region Central Northwest North Central Lower Delta [X] Southwest [X] Upper Delta Park Activity Diamond Digging Watchable Wildlife Hiking Kayaking / Canoeing Fishing Mountain Biking Boating / Marinas Swimming Geocaching Horseback Riding Climbing Backpacking Motorcycling Road Cycling Snorkeling / Scuba Diving Lake Tours Hang Gliding River Running Trail Type Day Hikes Horseback Riding Mountain Biking Backpacking Barrier Free (ADA) Kayaking/Water Trails Wilderness ATV Trail Difficulty Easy Moderate Strenuous Author Waymon Cox Arkansas State Parks Staff Monika Rued Meg Matthews Chris Adams Tayler Markham Zoie Clift Heather Runyan Sarah Reap Billy Nations Bonnie Marberry Elizabeth Kimble Grady Spann Ivory Detter Kara Helton Paul Butler Pearl Jangjiravat Cara Curtis Cathy Combs Haley Johnson Jason Parrie Joe Jacobs Josh Williams Kayla Gomance Kelly Farrell Kristina Root Leita Spears Maggie Howard Mary Buchman Matt Manos Megan Ayres Moore Rachel Lewis Robin Gabe Sasha Bowles Shelley Flanary Tara Gillanders Date Published September 2025 August 2025 June 2025 February 2025 December 2024 January 2024 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 May 2018 March 2018 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 May 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 8 Next page Next › Arkansas State Parks Adjusts Operations to Respond to Statewide COVID-19 Increase Dec 2020 ⁄ Meg Matthews Visitor information centers, museums, restaurants and two marinas at Arkansas State Parks will see a reduction of operating hours to efficiently manage available resources during the recent statewide increase in COVID-19 cases. Photo Essay: Life in a Rotten Log Nov 2020 ⁄ Heather Runyan 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 Nov 2020 ⁄ Elizabeth Kimble 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... Leave No Trace Nov 2020 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 Nov 2020 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... Self-Guided Tour of Historic Washington State Park Nov 2020 Click below to download a self-guided walking tour of Historic Washington State Park, which lets you explore Washington, Arkansas, and its history at your own pace. This historic park makes up the largest collection of 19th-century buildings in the state. You can walk on the same ground and see many of the same sights as people in 19th-century Washington, Arkansas. Visitor Finds 4.49-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park Nov 2020 ⁄ Monika Rued It was all treat, no trick this Halloween for Steven McCool of Fayetteville, Ark., at Crater of Diamonds State Park. The 34-year-old found the third-largest diamond of the year. He found a 4.49-carat yellow diamond. Sifting Gravel for Diamonds Oct 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Visitors at the Crater of Diamonds get to do something here they can’t do at most other state parks – take the rocks and minerals they find home with them. There are specific rules regarding the type and amount of materials that can be removed from the park. They not only benefit the park but also the thousands of people who... Photo Essay: The Secrets of the St. Francis Oct 2020 ⁄ Rachel Lewis Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern Arkansas focuses on protecting cultural resources. The St. Francis River, a very large and mostly overlooked resource here, has proved to be a lifeline for past cultures that lived on this site. And, it continues to be a valuable resource today. These photos will guide you through past cultures of Parkin to show how the St... The Most Colorful Time of the Year Oct 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Over the next few weeks, visitors will travel to Arkansas to enjoy cooler weather and beautiful fall foliage. Though the colors of autumn are fleeting, you can collect many colorful minerals at Crater of Diamonds State Park to enjoy all year long! Pagination Previous page ‹ Previous Page 8 Next page Next ›
Arkansas State Parks Adjusts Operations to Respond to Statewide COVID-19 Increase Dec 2020 ⁄ Meg Matthews Visitor information centers, museums, restaurants and two marinas at Arkansas State Parks will see a reduction of operating hours to efficiently manage available resources during the recent statewide increase in COVID-19 cases.
Photo Essay: Life in a Rotten Log Nov 2020 ⁄ Heather Runyan 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 Nov 2020 ⁄ Elizabeth Kimble 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...
Leave No Trace Nov 2020 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 Nov 2020 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...
Self-Guided Tour of Historic Washington State Park Nov 2020 Click below to download a self-guided walking tour of Historic Washington State Park, which lets you explore Washington, Arkansas, and its history at your own pace. This historic park makes up the largest collection of 19th-century buildings in the state. You can walk on the same ground and see many of the same sights as people in 19th-century Washington, Arkansas.
Visitor Finds 4.49-Carat Diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park Nov 2020 ⁄ Monika Rued It was all treat, no trick this Halloween for Steven McCool of Fayetteville, Ark., at Crater of Diamonds State Park. The 34-year-old found the third-largest diamond of the year. He found a 4.49-carat yellow diamond.
Sifting Gravel for Diamonds Oct 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Visitors at the Crater of Diamonds get to do something here they can’t do at most other state parks – take the rocks and minerals they find home with them. There are specific rules regarding the type and amount of materials that can be removed from the park. They not only benefit the park but also the thousands of people who...
Photo Essay: The Secrets of the St. Francis Oct 2020 ⁄ Rachel Lewis Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern Arkansas focuses on protecting cultural resources. The St. Francis River, a very large and mostly overlooked resource here, has proved to be a lifeline for past cultures that lived on this site. And, it continues to be a valuable resource today. These photos will guide you through past cultures of Parkin to show how the St...
The Most Colorful Time of the Year Oct 2020 ⁄ Waymon Cox Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Over the next few weeks, visitors will travel to Arkansas to enjoy cooler weather and beautiful fall foliage. Though the colors of autumn are fleeting, you can collect many colorful minerals at Crater of Diamonds State Park to enjoy all year long!
