List of Arkansas state parks

There are 53 state parks in the U.S. state of Arkansas, as of 2025. 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. 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.

Arkansas State Parks

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 to.

Name	County	Size	Estab- lished	River / lake	Image	Remarks
Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources	Union	19 acres	1986	-		Museum preserving and interpreting the history of oil and bromine mining in Arkansas
Arkansas Post Museum	Arkansas	8 acres	1997	-		Museum dedicated to the history of Arkansas Post, Arkansas's territorial capital until 1821. Located on the grounds of the Arkansas Post National Memorial
Blanchard Springs	Arkansas		2025	North Sylamore Creek
Bull Shoals-White River	Baxter, Marion	732 acres	1955	Bull Shoals Lake		Trout fishing destination above and below Bull Shoals Dam with over 100 campsites
Cane Creek	Lincoln	2053 acres	1992	Cane Creek Lake		Wooded lake along Bayou Bartholomew including a hiking trail and camping
Conway Cemetery	Lafayette	acres	1986	-		Historical state park with no recreational services located on James Sevier Conway's former cotton plantation
Cossatot River	Howard, Polk	5230 acres	1988	Cossatot River		Class III, IV, and V whitewater rafting river listed on the National Park Service's National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
Crater of Diamonds	Pike	911 acres	1972	Little Missouri River		World's only diamond-bearing site accessible to the public
Crowley's Ridge	Greene	291 acres	1937	Lake Ponder		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	Pike	276 acres	1955	Lake Greeson		Park nestled within the Ouachita Mountains on Lake Greeson near the Ouachita National Forest. Popular for camping, water sports, and fishing
Davidsonville	Randolph	163 acres	1957	Black River		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	Clark, Hot Spring	984 acres	1974	DeGray Lake		Resort state park with championship rated golf course, 94 room lodge, and over 100 campsites
Delta Heritage Trail	Arkansas, Desha, Phillips	960 acres	2002	Old Town Lake		Rails to trails conversion of former railroad bed through Arkansas Delta lowlands, currently, planned to be
Devil's Den	Washington	2500 acres	1933	Lee Creek		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	Mississippi	5 acres	1961	-		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	Mississippi	1 acre	1953	-		Park surrounding a grave and memorial to Herman Davis, a U.S. sniper during World War I
Historic Washington	Hempstead	101 acres	1973	-		Fifty-three buildings that preserve and interpret the architectural, cultural, and political history of a historic nineteenth century town.
Hobbs Conservation Area	Benton, Carroll, Madison	12056 acres	1979	Beaver Lake		Large park in the Boston Mountains along Beaver Lake featuring trails, camping, and a shooting range.
Jacksonport	Jackson	acres	1965	Black River and White River		Park containing the 1872 Jacksonport courthouse, preserving the culture and history of a former steamboat river town
Jenkins' Ferry Battleground	Grant	40 acres	1961	Saline River		One of three battleground sites from the Camden Expedition of the Civil War. Water recreation available on the Saline River
Lake Catherine	Garland, Hot Spring	2180 acres	1935	Lake Catherine		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	Lawrence	140 acres	1967	Lake Charles		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	Chicot	acres	1957	Lake Chicot, Arkansas		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	Pope	246 acres	1966	Lake Dardanelle		Two sites, including 74 campsites, boating, visitor center, and aquarium. Popular for bass fishing, including hosting many major tournaments.
Lake Fort Smith	Crawford	260 acres	1967	Lake Fort Smith		Large lake in the Ozarks offering 30 campsites, 10 cabins, a marina, swimming pool and visitor center
Lake Frierson	Greene	114 acres	1975	Lake Frierson		Reservoir built along Crowley's Ridge known for fishing. Features seven campsites, trails, boat ramp and visitor center
[Lake Ouachita County, Arkansas\|Ouachita State Park\|Lake Ouachita]	Garland	360 acres	1955	Lake Ouachita		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 County, Arkansas\|Poinsett State Park\|Lake Poinsett]	Poinsett	132 acres	1963	Lake Poinsett		Popular with fishing enthusiasts, the park offers 29 campsites, trails and interpretative programs
Logoly	Columbia	368 acres	1974	Nature Pond		Environmental education park containing mature oak-hickory forests, mineral springs and endangered species
Louisiana Purchase	Lee, Monroe, Phillips	acres	1961	Cypress Swamp		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 (Arkansas)\|White River Museum State Park\|Lower White River Museum]	Prairie	acres	1975	White River		Museum dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of culture, commerce and history along the White River in Arkansas
Mammoth Spring	Fulton	acres	1957	Mammoth Spring		Park surrounding the large natural spring, offering fishing, boating and hiking, an Arkansas welcome center and museum
Marks' Mills Battleground	Cleveland	acres	1961	-		Park commemorating Civil War battle, including exhibits and park area. Also a Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark.
Millwood	Little River	824 acres	1976	Millwood Lake		Forested area surrounding large lake known for bass fishing, bird watching, hiking and camping.
Mississippi River	Lee, Phillips	536 acres	2009	Mississippi River		Newest state park created within the St. Francis National Forest. Park currently includes campground at Bear Creek Lake and birding trail.
Moro Bay	Bradley	117 acres	1972	Ouachita River		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	Logan	2234 acres	1983	-		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	Yell	2984 acres	1928	-		One of three mountain state parks in the Arkansas River Valley, includes historic cabins, of hiking trails, and popular hang-gliding launch points.
Ozark Folk Center	Stone	637 acres	1973	-		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	Cross	107 acres	1994	St. Francis River
Petit Jean	Conway	3471 acres	1923	Lake Bailey		Situated atop Petit Jean Mountain in the Arkansas River Valley, offers trails, creeks, and geology throughout the forested mountains
Pinnacle Mountain	Pulaski	2069 acres	1973	Maumelle River		Rocky Pinnacle Mountain emerges where the flat Arkansas Delta intersects the Ouachita Mountains
Plantation Agriculture Museum	Lonoke	acres	1985	Horseshoe Lake		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	Lonoke	185 acres	1975	Mound Pond
Poison Springs Battleground	Ouachita	85 acres	1961	-		Preserves and commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring in the American Civil War, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition
Powhatan	Lawrence	acres	1970	Black River		Preserves a small nineteenth-century river port town on the Black River
Prairie Grove Battlefield	Washington	840 acres	1957	-		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	Polk	460 acres	1957	-		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	Union	13 acres	1991	-		Arboretum and botanical garden owned by South Arkansas Community College with plants native to the Western Gulf Coastal Plain region.
Village Creek	Cross, St. Francis	6909 acres	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	Ouachita, Nevada	725 acres	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	Madison	786 acres	1962	War Eagle Creek
Woolly Hollow	Faulkner	370 acres	1973	Lake Bennett