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 1acres to 11744acres.
| County | Size | Estab- lished | River / lake | Image | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources | acres (8 ha) | 1986 | None | Museum preserving and interpreting the history of oil and bromine mining in Arkansas | |||
| Arkansas Post Museum | 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 | acres (296 ha) | 1955 | Trout fishing destination above and below Bull Shoals Dam with over 100 campsites | ||||
| Cane Creek | acres (831 ha) | 1992 | Wooded lake along Bayou Bartholomew including a hiking trail and camping | ||||
| Conway Cemetery | 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 | acres (2145 ha) | 1988 | |||||
| Crater of Diamonds | acres (369 ha) | 1972 | None | World's only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public | |||
| Crowley's Ridge | acres (118 ha) | 1937 | 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 | acres (112 ha) | 1955 | Park nestled within the Ouachita Mountains on Lake Greeson near the Ouachita National Forest. Popular for camping, water sports, and fishing | ||||
| Davidsonville | acres (66 ha) | 1957 | 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 | acres (398 ha) | 1974 | Resort state park with championship rated golf course, 94 room lodge, and over 100 campsites | ||||
| Delta Heritage Trail | acres (390 ha) | 2002 | None | Rails to trails conversion of former railroad bed through Arkansas Delta lowlands, currently 14miles, planned to be 73miles | |||
| Devil's Den | acres (1000 ha) | 1933 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | acres (4879 ha) | 1979 | Large park in the Boston Mountains along Beaver Lake featuring trails, camping, and a shooting range. | ||||
| Jacksonport | acres (66.7 ha) | 1965 | Park containing the 1872 Jacksonport courthouse, preserving the culture and history of a former steamboat river town | ||||
| Jenkins' Ferry Battleground | acres (16.2 ha) | 1961 | One of three battleground sites from the Camden Expedition of the Civil War. Water recreation available on the Saline River | ||||
| Lake Catherine | acres (882.2 ha) | 1935 | 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 | acres (57 ha) | 1967 | 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 | acres (85.6 ha) | 1957 | 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 | acres (99.6 ha) | 1966 | 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 | acres (105.2 ha) | 1967 | Large lake in the Ozarks offering 30 campsites, 10 cabins, a marina, swimming pool and visitor center | ||||
| Lake Frierson | 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 | acres (145.7 ha) | 1955 | 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 | acres (53.4 ha) | 1963 | Lake Poinsett | Popular with fishing enthusiasts, the park offers 29 campsites, trails and interpretative programs | |||
| Logoly | acres (148.9 ha) | 1974 | None | Environmental education park containing mature oak-hickory forests, mineral springs and endangered species | |||
| Louisiana Purchase | 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 | acres (0.2 ha) | 1975 | Museum dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of culture, commerce and history along the White River in Arkansas | ||||
| Mammoth Spring | acres (25 ha) | 1957 | Park surrounding the large natural spring, offering fishing, boating and hiking, an Arkansas welcome center and museum | ||||
| Marks' Mills Battleground | 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 | acres (333 ha) | 1976 | Forested area surrounding large lake known for bass fishing, bird watching, hiking and camping. | ||||
| Mississippi River | acres (217 ha) | 2009 | Newest state park created within the St. Francis National Forest. Park currently includes campground at Bear Creek Lake and birding trail. | ||||
| Moro Bay | acres (47 ha) | 1972 | 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 | 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 | acres (1208 ha) | 1928 | None | One of three mountain state parks in the Arkansas River Valley, includes historic cabins, 14miles of hiking trails, and popular hang-gliding launch points. | |||
| Ozark Folk Center | 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 | acres (43 ha) | 1994 | None | ||||
| Petit Jean | 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 | acres (837 ha) | 1973 | None | Rocky Pinnacle Mountain emerges where the flat Arkansas Delta intersects the Ouachita Mountains | |||
| Plantation Agriculture Museum | 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 | acres (75 ha) | 1975 | None | ||||
| Poison Springs Battleground | 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 | acres (3.7 ha) | 1970 | Preserves a small nineteenth-century river port town on the Black River | ||||
| Prairie Grove Battlefield | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | acres (318 ha) | 1962 | Withrow Spring | ||||
| Woolly Hollow | acres (150 ha) | 1973 | None |
| County | Size | River / lake | Image | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Sylvia Recreation Area | acres (81 ha) | Lake Sylvia | A former girl scout camp and a former National Forest Campground, this park encompasses an 18-acre lake and offers camping, hiking, swimming, and interoperative programs. Arkansas State Parks took management operations in July 2021 and is operated under Pinnacle Mountain State Park.[3] | |||
| War Memorial Stadium | acres (2.8 ha) | None | A multi-purpose stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. Operated by Arkansas State Parks since 2017.[4] |