Upper Delta | Arkansas State Parks

Fall Getaways

Hop on a scenic road, kick up some golden leaves and make your way to a fresh-out-of-your-favorite-fall-movie getaway. Arkansas State Parks has something for everyone — are you more of a cabin or lodge person? — so book your stay now because fall is in season.

Photo Essay: Jacksonport, Then & Now

Jul 2021

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Bonnie Marberry

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...

a black and white drawing of the Jacksonport State Park courthouse in the 1870s

Water Activities in Arkansas State Parks

Jul 2021

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Arkansas State Parks Staff

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!

Father and daughter Fishing at Cane Creek State Park

Educator Lesson: Taste of the Land Mississippi River State Park

Jun 2021

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Cara Curtis

In this short video, join Park Interpreter Cara for a virtual experience using a cast-iron Dutch oven to create a squirrel and rice meal. By exploring the story of this regional comfort food, you’ll see that each ingredient reflects how past communities used the land that became Mississippi River State Park. While the food cooks, you’ll even travel to different locations...

Park Interpreter Cara at Mississippi River State Park

Trail of Tears Across Arkansas State Parks

Mar 2021

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Sasha Bowles

Arkansas has hundreds of miles of the Trail of Tears, and of the nine states traversed by the trail, is the only state that witnessed the removal of all five of the Southeastern tribes as they moved west. Arkansas State Parks has five parks that lie along these removal routes. These parks have been certified as National Park Service Trail of Tears National Historic Trail...

Photo Essay: Creek Crawl

Feb 2021

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Kara Helton

Located in northeast Arkansas on Crowley’s Ridge, Village Creek State Park encompasses nearly 7,000 acres with steep forested hills and creek-fed valleys. Part of our mission is to protect the park’s natural resources, and one way for park staff to do that is to monitor the biodiversity of our creeks. Since our creeks provide water to most of the park, when it is time to...

A panoramic view looking down the creek’s banks, near the park’s Big Ben Nature Trail

Photo Essay: Stories in Stones

Jan 2021

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Heather Runyan

Village Creek State Park is located in east Arkansas on Crowley’s Ridge. This park exists to help protect the unique natural, cultural, and historical resources of the ridge, including things like fossils. The fossils found at Village Creek State Park tell the story of this unique land. In this photo essay, we will take a closer look.

A creek with a gravel bar in the middle and trees to either side

Arkansas State Parks Adjusts Operations to Respond to Statewide COVID-19 Increase

Dec 2020

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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

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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

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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...

State park ranger holding recycling bucket

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