AETN State & National Parks Initiative

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources
The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources is a free museum which features a 25,000-square-foot exhibition building. Visitors can explore the museum to discover the origin of oil as well as a 1920s era Arkansas boom town. The park also includes year-round educational and interpretive programs, guided tours, and special demonstrations.
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Arkansas Post Museum
The Arkansas Post Museum offers exhibits spread across five buildings. The Main House features an audiovisual room and gift shop while the Summer Kitchen allows visitors to see the domestic life of early Arkansans in the Delta. Admission to the museum is $3 for adults and $2 for children 6-12 years of age.
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Cane Creek State Park
Cane Creek State Park offers visitors an opportunity to experience two of Arkansas’s distinct natural settings in one visit. Situated where the West Gulf Coastal Plain and Arkansas’s Mississippi Delta meet, Cane Creek offers hiking, biking, paddling, and fishing. Cane Creek also features picnic sites, a screened pavilion, a climate-controlled pavilion, visitor center and gift shop, launch ramp, and playground.
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Conway Cemetery State Park
Conway Cemetery State Park marks James Sevier Conway’s final resting place. James Sevier Conway was born in Tennessee and came to Arkansas from St. Louis in 1829 as a surveyor. Conway surveyed the area between Arkansas and the Choctaw Nation that is today the western line of the state that stretches from Fort Smith to the Red River. Conway also assisted in the surveying of the Louisiana-Arkansas boundary.
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Crater of Diamonds State Park
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond-producing site in the world open to the public. Visitors can search for diamonds in the park’s 37 ½ acre plowed field, which is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic pipe. Diamonds of all colors can be found at the park, as well as many other rocks and minerals. Another great feature of Crater of Diamonds is the “finders keepers” policy, which allows anyone who finds a gem to keep it regardless of value
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Crowley's Ridge State Park
Crowley’s Ridge State Park is located in northeast Arkansas and occupies the former homestead of Benjamin Crowley, whose family first settled the area. Log and stone structures, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, are found throughout the park. Crowley’s Ridge offers camping, picnic areas, swimming, trails, pavilions, baseball field and a 31-acre fishing lake.
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Daisy State Park
Located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, Lake Greeson, the Little Missouri River and Daisy State Park make a winning combination for outdoor enthusiasts. Daisy State Park features acres of clear water and mountain scenery. The park also features camping, hiking trails, a playground, and motorcycle/mountain bike/ATV Trail.
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Davidsonville Historic State Park
Established in 1815, Davidsonville included the Arkansas Territory’s first post office, courthouse and land office. Bypassed by the Southwest Trail, Davidsonville faded by the 1830s; however, archeologists are still finding remnants of streets, foundations and objects from life after the Louisiana Purchase. Davidsonville Historic State Park offers visitors fishing, camping, picnic areas, pavilions, playgrounds, hiking trails and a visitor center.
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DeGray Lake Resort State Park
DeGray Lake Resort state park is located on 13,800-acre DeGray Lake and nestled in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. DeGray Lake offers fishing, camping, hiking, water sports and swimming. DeGray Lake Resort offers golfing and can host events such as weddings, reunions, business meetings and retreats.
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Delta Heritage Trail State Park
This rails-to-trails conversion in southeast Arkansas is being developed in phases along the 73-mile former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way that stretches from one mile south of Lexa (six miles west of Helena) to Cypress Bend (five miles northeast of McGehee), one of the former routes of The Delta Eagle.
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Devil's Den State Park
One of Arkansas’s Mountain Parks, Devil’s Den is located in the Lee Creek Valley of the Ozark Mountains. Devil’s Den offers hiking, camping, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps are spaced along hillsides throughout the park. Visitors can explore many of the caves that can be found in the park, however; Farmer’s Cave and Big Ear Cave are closed to the public in order to protect the health of several species of bats that live in the caves.
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Hampson Archeological Museum State Park
Hampson Archeological Museum State Park exhibits a nationally renowned collection from the Nodena site, a 15-acre palisaded village that once thrived on a meander bend of the Mississippi River. Hampson Archeological Museum interprets the lifestyles of this farming-based civilization that lived there from 1400 to 1650 A.D.
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Herman Davis State Park
Herman David State Park is a one-acre park that surrounds the gravesite of and monument to Private Herman Davis. Davis was an Arkansas farm boy and war hero who fought in World War I and was listed on John J. Pershing’s 100 greatest heroes. Private Davis received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guere and the Medaulle Militaire awards from the American and French governments.
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Historic Washington State Park
Historic Washington, Arkansas, is a lovely, peaceful tree-shaded town in and one of the most amazing historic places in Arkansas that you'll want to experience. Here you will time travel back to the 19th century as you stroll the plank board sidewalks alongside streets that have never been paved, and tour the historic public buildings and former residences.
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Hobbs State Park Conservation Area
Arkansas's largest state park in land area, Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (HSPCA) covers 12,045 acres along the southern shores of 28,370-acre Beaver Lake. Twenty-two of the park’s 60 miles of border stretch along the shores of Beaver Lake. The park lies between Beaver Lake to the north and War Eagle Creek to the south. It stretches across a part of Benton County southeast of Beaver Lake and extends into Madison and Caroll counties
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Jacksonport State Park
Jacksonport, located on the White River, was once a thriving river port during the 1800s. During the Civil War, both Confederate and Union forces occupied the town because of its strategic location on the White River. Visitors today can enjoy the park’s museums, the 1872 courthouse and the Mary Woods No. 2 sternwheel paddleboat. Activities include swimming, camping and the Tunstall Riverwalk Trail.
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Jenkin's Ferry State Park
Jenkin’s Ferry State Park marks the site of a Civil War battle that took place on April 29 and 30, 1864. During this battle, Union troops fought off an attack by the Confederates and using and inflatable pontoon crossed the Saline River and retreated to Little Rock. By the end of the battle, the South had lost nearly 1,000 soldiers and the North nearly 700. Visitors to Jenkin’s Ferry State Park can enjoy interpretive exhibits, picnic sites, swimming and boating on the Saline River.
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Lake Catherine State Park
Visitors to Lake Catherine, a 1,940 acre-lake nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, can enjoy camping, hikes, swimming, playgrounds and boating. The park also features 18 Civilian Conservations Corps cabins situated along the lakeshore.
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Lake Charles State Park
Lake Charles features 645 acres of spring-fed waters in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. The lake offers good catches of bass, crappie, bream and catfish. Visitors can enjoy fishing, camping and hiking trails.
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Lake Chicot State Park
Lake Chicot is Arkansas’s largest natural lake. This 20-mile long oxbow lake is a great setting for fishing, boating and bird watching. Crappie, bass and bream are plentiful along the upper end of the lake during the spring and fall. Fishing for catfish is great throughout the year. Located in the Mississippi Delta, birding is an all-year activity. Visitors can enjoy camping, picnicking, hiking and biking. The park also features 14 cabins with kitchens. Boats and bicycles are also available to rent.
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Lake Dardanelle State Park
Lake Dardanelle is a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River. These two water resources combined here have put this are into the national spotlight as a major bass tournament site. Lake Dardanelle State park offers camping and boating. The visitor center also features aquatic exhibits, interpretive exhibits and touch screen kiosks that tell the park’s history.
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Lake Fort Smith State Park
Lake Fort Smith is located in a valley of the scenic Boston Mountain Range of the Ozark Mountains. Lake Fort Smith offers outdoor adventures such as camping, boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, swimming and nature study. Lake Fort Smith also features an 8,000-square-foot visitor center with exhibits, classroom, outdoor patio, wood-burning fireplace and a view of the lake.
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Lake Frierson State Park
Lake Frierson is located in the rolling hills known as Crowley’s Ridge. The 335-acre lake offers bream, catfish, crappie and bass fishing. Park facilities include campsites, grills, restrooms, playground, self-guided trail, launch ramp and a visitor center with interpretive exhibits. Boat and kayak rentals are available.
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Lake Ouachita State Park
Lake Ouachita, a 40,000-acre and the largest manmade lake in Arkansas, is surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest and located near Hot Springs. Visitors to Lake Ouachita can enjoy swimming, waterskiing, scuba diving, boating and fishing. The park also features camping and several fully equipped cabins that overlook the lake.
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Lake Poinsett State Park
Lake Poinsett State Park is located atop Crowley’s Ridge in northeast Arkansas. The 640-acre lake offers excellent crappie, catfish, bream and bass fishing. Visitors to the park can enjoy hinking, birding and watchable wildlife excursions, Dutch oven cooking workshops, fishing derbies and guided kayak and canoe tours. Boat rentals are also available.
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Logoly State Park
Logoly State Park is Arkansas’s first environmental education state park. Interpreters at Logoly offer workshops on ecological and environmental topics. The 368 acres that comprise Logoly State Park includes many unique plant species and mineral springs. Visitors can enjoy camping, picnic sites, trails and a visitor center with exhibits and an indoor classroom.
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Lower White River Museum State Park
Here you'll understand the role of Arkansas's White River, with emphasis on the Lower White, as one of the vital transportation routes for the first settlers who arrived in the Arkansas frontier. Artifacts and state-of-the art exhibits tell the story of the river's influence on settlements established along its banks and their subsequent commerce rooted in hunting and fishing, and expanded into agriculture, shelling, and timber.
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Mammoth Spring State Park
Mammoth Springs, located near the Missouri border, is Arkansas’s largest spring and second largest spring in the Ozark Mountains. Mammoth Springs flows nine million gallons of water hourly. Forming a 10-acre lake, it then flows south to form the Spring River, a popular Ozark float and trout stream. Visitors to Mammoth Springs can enjoy the Arkansas Welcome Center, exhibits that share the story of the area’s history, picnic sites, a trail, ball field and a playground.
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Millwood State Park
Millwood State Park, located near Ashdown, offers visitors excellent largemouth, catfish and crappie fishing throughout most of the year. Another popular activity is birdwatching, because of the lake’s variety of year-round inhabitants and wintering eagles. Visitors can also enjoy camping, self-guided nature trail and bicycle trail.
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Mississippi River State Park
Starting May 1, Arkansas State Parks took over the management and operation of the 253-acre Bear Creek Recreation Area of the St. Francis National Forest. Arkansas State Parks’ camping rules and regulations apply at the Lone Pine Campground and Maple Flat Campground on Bear Creek Lake.
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Bull Shoals - White River State Park
Bull Shoals-White River State Park features some of the nation’s finest fishing and boating opportunities. Nestled in north central Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains, Bull Shoals-White River State Park is famous for record rainbow and brown trout. Visitors can enjoy boating, swimming, camping and the 15,744-square foot visitor center, which offers a view of the White River.
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Mount Magazine State Park
At 2,753-feet, Mount Magazine is Arkansas's highest mountain, rising dramatically above the broad valleys of the Petit Jean River to the south and the Arkansas River to its north. Graced with timeless natural beauty, this plateau-a remnant of an ancient sea floor-runs east-west stretching six miles long and up to a mile across.
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Mount Nebo State Park
Rising 1,350 feet, Mount Nebo offers sweeping views of the Arkansas River Valley. In 1933, a portion of the mountain was chosen as a park site. Native stone and logs from Mount Nebo were used by the Civilian Conservation Corps to construct many of the park's bridges, trails, rustic-style cabins, and pavilions.
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Ozark Folk Center State Park
"A Wonderful Way to Enjoy Yesterday," here's an adventure in yesterday's Ozark Mountain way of life that you can see, touch and enjoy today. Arkansas's unique Ozark Folk Center State Park is America's only facility that works at preserving the Ozark heritage and presenting it in such an entertaining way.
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Parkin Archeological State Park
Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern Arkansas at Parkin preserves and interprets the Parkin site on the St. Francis River where a 17-acre Mississippi Period American Indian village was located from A.D. 1000 to 1550. A large platform mound on the river bank remains.
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Petit Jean State Park
Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas’s first and flagship state park, enhances this 300–year–old legend with windswept views, enchanting woodlands laced with streams and wildflowers, and a spectacular waterfall - Cedar Falls.
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Pinnacle Mountain State Park
Pinnacle Mountain is a day-use park dedicated to environmental education, recreation, and preservation. Located just west of Little Rock, this natural environment was set aside in 1977 as Arkansas's first state park adjoining a major metropolitan area.
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Plantation Agriculture Museum State Park
Exhibits and programs interpret the history of cotton agriculture in Arkansas from statehood in 1836 through World War II when agricultural practices quickly became mechanized. Visit the Dortch Gin Exhibit Building and learn how cotton was ginned. Tour the museum and learn about farming life during the Plantation Era.
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Poison Spring State Park
In the spring of 1864, three Civil War battles took place in south central Arkansas that were part of the Union Army's "Red River Campaign." Arkansas's three state historic parks that commemorate these battles--Poison Spring, Marks' Mills and Jenkins' Ferry--are part of the Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark.
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Powhatan Historic State Park
In the 1800s, this busy river port on the Black River was the chief shipping point for a large territory. In 1888, high on a hill overlooking the busy riverfront, an Italianate-style courthouse was built from bricks made on site.
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Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
Prairie Grove is recognized nationally as one of America's most intact Civil War battlefields. The park protects the battle site and interprets the Battle of Prairie Grove, where on December 7, 1862, the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi clashed with the Union Army of the Frontier resulting in about 2,700 casualties in a day of fierce fighting.
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Queen Wilhelmina State Park
A spectacular mountaintop setting. Breathtaking panoramic scenery. Royal hospitality. Queen Wilhelmina State Park is this, and more. The park's crowning attraction is its renowned hostelry, a historic lodging tradition born in 1898 with the original "Castle in the Sky" that graced this same lofty locale high above the Ouachita Mountains over 100 years ago.
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South Arkansas Arboretum State Park
South Arkansas Arboretum is located next to El Dorado High School and offers visitors 13 acres of indigenous plants and exotic species such as azaleas and camellias. South Arkansas Arboretum is operated by the South Arkansas Community College and features walking trails, restrooms and a pavilion. The park is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for designated holidays.
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Toltec Mounds State Park
Arkansas’s tallest remaining, prehistoric American Indian mounds are preserved at this National Historic Landmark located near Little Rock. The mounds are the remains of a large ceremonial and governmental complex that was inhabited from A.D. 600 to 1050. Toltec Mounds State Park is managed in conjunction with the Arkansas Archeological Survey and serves as a state park and an archeological museum. The park visitor center offers exhibits, an audiovisual theater, sales area and an enclosed pavilion that overlooks the mounds. Self-guided tours are offered.
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Village Creek State Park
Village Creek State Park offers visitors a first hand look at the unique geology of Crowley’s Ridge, a landform of rolling hills in eastern Arkansas’s Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The park features campsites situated around Lake Dunn. Other features of the park include fishing, boating, hiking, interpretive exhibits at the visitor’s center, and horseback riding.
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White Oak Lake State Park
Adjacent to Poison Spring State Forest, White Oak Lake State Park lies on the shore of White Oak Lake, 2,765 timber-filled acres for bass, crappie, catfish and bream fishing. The park offers regular sightings of great blue heron, egret, osprey, and green heron. In winter, bald eagles are also seen regularly.
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Withrow Springs State Park
Withrow Springs State Park is located in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. Withrow Springs State Park offers visitors fishing, floating, hiking, swimming and tennis. The park also offers picnic sites, camping, and canoe rentals.
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Woolly Hollow State Park
Located in the Ozark foothills, Woolly Hollow State Park looks over 40-acre Lake Bennett, and offers swimming and camping. The park also offers canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, fishing boats and motors for rent.
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Arkansas Post National Memorial
Settled by the French in 1686, the remote "Post de Arkansae" was the first permanent European colony in the Mississippi River Valley and played a valuable role in the long struggle between France, Spain and England for dominance of the lucrative fur trade.
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Buffalo National River
The Buffalo National River flows free over swift running rapids and quiet pools for its 135-mile length. One of the few remaining rivers in the lower 48 states without dams, the Buffalo cuts its way through massive limestone bluffs traveling eastward through the Arkansas Ozarks and into the White River.
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Central High School National Historic Site
On the morning of September 23, 1957 nine African-American teenagers stood up to an angry crowd protesting integration in front of Little Rock's Central High as they entered the school for the first time. This event, broadcast around the world, made Little Rock the site of the first important test of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision.
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
At Fort Smith National Historic Site you can walk where soldiers drilled, pause along the Trail of Tears, and stand where justice was served. The park includes the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the "hanging judge," presided over the court for 21 years.
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Hot Springs National Park
Water. That’s what attracts people to Hot Springs. People have used the hot springs here for more than two hundred years to treat illnesses and to relax. Both rich and poor came for the baths, and a town built up around the Hot Springs Reservation to accommodate them. Together nicknamed "The American Spa,” Hot Springs National Park today surrounds the north end of the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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Pea Ridge National Military Park
On March 7 & 8, 1862, 26,000 soldiers fought here to decide the fate of Missouri. The 4,300-acre park honors those who fought for their way of life. Pea Ridge was one of the most pivotal Civil War battles, and is the most intact Civil War battlefield in the country.
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