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Best Arkansas State Parks Ranked from Amazing to Meh
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There are 52 Arkansas State Parks. Not sure which one to visit first? Read through this article of 18 Arkansas State Parks ranked before you decide. (By the end of 2023, I will have a full ranking involving all 52 Arkansas State Parks (so check back!). For now, here are 18 ARKANSAS State Parks Ranked…
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Table of Contents
18 ARKANSAS State Parks Ranked
- Petit Jean
- Mt. Nebo
- Cossatot River
- Devil’s Den
- Mt. Magazine
- Pinnacle Mountain
- Woolly Hollow
- Cane Creek
- Queen Wilhelmina
- Hobbs
- Crater of Diamonds
- Lake Ouachita
- Lake Dardanelle
- Lake Ft. Smith
- Plantation Agriculture Museum
- Daisy
- Withrow Springs
- Toltec Mounds
What These Parks Have to Offer…
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #1-3
Petit Jean State Park (3,471 acres)
Hiking: 20 miles of hiking on 8 trails
Accommodations: Lodge, cabins, 125 campsites (35 Class AAA and 90 Class B), yurts
Sites to see: Overlooks (up to 1120ft), waterfalls (95ft Cedar Falls– most photographed waterfall in Arkansas). Check out Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows, Bear Cave, the Grotto, Natural Bridge
Other Activities: Boat and kayak rentals available, swimming pools, picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, amphitheater, visitor’s center
Interesting Fact: Arkansas’s First State Park
Check out why Petit Jean is #1
Mount Nebo (3,000 acres)
Hiking: 14 miles of trails
Accommodations: Cabins (12 of 15 on a bluff with a view) and 34 campsites (24 Class B and 10 hike-in tent sites)
Sites to see: Overviews at the top (1350ft), with seating to watch sunrise/sunset (can be reached by vehicle)
Other Activities: biking trails, swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic areas, pavilions, visitor’s center
Interesting fact: Arkansas’s 2nd State Park
Check out “5 BEST Hikes in Arkansas {With AMAZING Views}“
Cossatot River (5,302 acres)
Hiking: 20 miles of hiking on 4 trails
Accommodations: 23 self-pay tent sites
Sites to see: Cossatot Falls
Other Activities: kayaking, canoeing, visitor’s center
Interesting Fact: The French origin of “Cossatot” means skull crusher
Related Article: 3 ARKANSAS STATE PARKS in a Day – Daisy, Cossatot River, and Queen Wilhelmina
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #4-6
Devil’s Den (2,500 acres)
Hiking: 64 miles of trails
Accommodations: cabins, camper cabins, 135 campsites (44 Class AAA, 24 Class D, 8 Hike in, + 42 sites at the horse camp)
Sites to see: Yellow Rock Overlook, the rock dam at Lee Creek (forming Lake Devil)
Other Activities: fishing, boating, canoes and pedal boats for rent, mountain biking, horseback riding, cafe, swimming pool, pavilion, visitor’s center
Check out “3 AMAZING Hiking Trails for your KIDS { Northwest Arkansas }“
Mount Magazine (2,234 acres)
Hiking: 14.2 miles on 5 trails
Accommodations: lodge, 13 cabins, 18 campsites (2 Class AAA, 16 Class AA)
Sites to see: North Rim Trail views
Other Activities: mountain biking, horseback riding, ATV riding, hang gliding launch area, rock climbing, picnic areas, pavilion, visitor’s center
Interesting fact: The highest point in Arkansas @ Signal Hill (not a great view)
Pinnacle Mountain (2,356 acres)
Hiking: 23 miles of trail
Accommodations: Day use
Sites to see: Pinnacle Mountain scenic overlook, hike the East Quarry Trail to the East Quarry Overlook
Other Activities: mountain biking, rock climbing, fishing, visitor’s center, pavilion
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #7-10
Woolly Hollow (375 acres)
Hiking: 3 trails ( 2 small trails >0.5m) and a 3.5mile trail
Accommodations: 30 Class AAA campsites, 10 tent sites
Sites: Woolly Cabin, cascades on Huckleberry Trail
Other Activities: fishing, boating, swimming, rentals: canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, fishing boats, mountain biking, visitor’s center
Cane Creek (2,053 acres)
Hiking: 18 miles on 2 trails
Accommodations: 29 campsites (11 Class A, 18 Class B), 1 rent-an-RV
Sites to see: nearby Bayou Bartholomew (the world’s longest bayou), suspension bridges on trails
Other Activities: guided walking, biking, kayaking, birding tours, picnic sites, backpacking shelter, pavilions, visitor’s center, fishing piers, playground, boat and bicycle rentals, kayaking trail
Queen Wilhelmina (460 acres)
Hiking: 3 trails- 2.6 miles
Accommodations: 41 campsites (8 Class A, 27 Class B, 5 tent sites, 1 hike-in tent site), lodge
Sites to see: national scenic byway drive to the park, Lover’s Leap, Wonder House, Queen Wilhelmina Lodge
Other Activities: picnic area, eating in the Queen’s Restaurant, guided hikes, playground, volleyball court, visitor’s center
Interesting Fact: Queen Wilhelmina is located on Rich Mountain, Arkansas’s 2nd highest peak (2,681ft)
Related Article: 3 ARKANSAS STATE PARKS in a Day – Daisy, Cossatot River, and Queen Wilhelmina
Hobbs (12,054 acres)
Hiking: 12 trails, 54 miles
Accommodations: 11 primitive campsites
Sites to see: the 17,531 sqft visitor’s center
Other Activities: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, outdoor shooting range, visitor’s center
Interesting Fact: Hobbs is Arkansas’s largest state park and the only state park to allow regulated hunting
Related Article: Hiking HOBBS State Park
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #11-13
Crater of Diamonds (911 acres)
Hiking: 2 walking trails @ 1.2miles
Accommodations: 52 camping sites (47 Class AAA, 5 walk-in tent sites)
Sites to see: 37-acre field to mine for a variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones – any rock or mineral you find is yours to keep.
Other Activities: picnic sites, seasonal water park, enclosed pavilion, amphitheater, visitor’s center
Related Article: Digging for Diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park {complete guide}
Lake Ouachita (360 acres)
Hiking: 4.5 miles on 2 trails
Accommodations: 93 campsites (58 Class AAA, 23 Class D, 12 walk-in tent sites, 4 camper-cabins, 8 cabins
Sites to see: Historic Three Sister’s Springs
Other Activities: swimming, skiing, scuba diving, boating, kayaking, fishing, boat and kayak rentals, visitor’s center, eagle cruises, kayak tours, guided hikes
Interesting Fact: Arkansas’s largest lake is Lake Ouachita (covering 40,000 acres)
Lake Dardanelle (246 acres)
Hiking: 0.75 mile paved trail
Accommodations: 57 campsites in the Russellville location (16 Class AAA, 14 Class AA, 27 Class B) and 18 Class B campsites in the Dardanelle location.
Sites to see: Sport Fishing Weigh-in Pavilion, fishing pier
Other Activities: fishing, boardwalk, visitor’s center, birding
Interesting Facts: This park has 2 separate locations
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #14-16
Lake Fort Smith (260 acres)
Hiking: 3 trails for 5.5 miles in the park, (one trail is a 3-mile connection to a larger system- Ozark Highlands Trail, 218 miles)
Accommodations: 30 campsites (20 Class AAA and 10 Class B), 10 cabins
Sites to see: the 1,490-acre Lake Fort Smith
Other Activities: fishing, kayaking, mountain biking, swimming pool, marina with boat rental, pavilion, picnic sites, visitor’s center, guided hike
Plantation Agriculture Museum (14.5 acres)
Hiking: none
Accommodations: day use
Sites to see: Dortch Gin Exhibit, Seed Warehouse #5
Other Activities: museum, historic tractor shed, seed warehouse, live demonstrations (cotton ginning), visitor’s center
Daisy (276 acres)
Hiking: 1 trail, 0.75miles
Accommodations: 100 campsites (26 Class A, 56 Class B, 18 tent sites), 3 yurts
Sites to see: scenery in the fall
Other Activities: fishing, kayaking with rentals, lake tours, fishing, ATV riding, picnic area, pavilion, launch ramps, playground, water skiing, scuba diving, visitor’s center
Related Article: 3 ARKANSAS STATE PARKS in a Day – Daisy, Cossatot River, and Queen Wilhelmina
Arkansas State Parks Ranked #17 and #18
Withrow Springs (786 acres)
Hiking: 3 trails, 4 miles
Accommodations: 29 Class AAA and 10 walk-in campsites
Sites to see: cave and rock formations leading to a 150ft overlook on the War Eagle Trail
Other Activities: tennis courts, baseball, and softball fields, picnic areas, pavilion, snack bar, visitor’s center, canoeing
Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological (100 acres)
Hiking: 2.4 miles of walking trail around the mounds
Accommodations: day use
Sites to see: the mounds
Other Activities: visitor’s center, enclosed pavilion, visitor’s center, archeological laboratory
Interesting Facts: 1 of 4 National Historic Landmarks in the Arkansas State Parks system. Until November 2022, was named the Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park.
Arkansas State Parks Bucket List
Adventure journal containing a checklist of travel locations and a map to show where each park is located.
Although all of these parks are amazing, the level of activities they offer varies. Your rankings may vary based on your preferred activity.
My trusty co-pilot did his own ranking system (without seeing mine first), and his were similar to mine:
- Petit Jean
- Cossatot
- Mount Nebo
- Mount Magazine
- Devil’s Den
- Queen Wilhelmina
- Pinnacle Mountain
- Woolly Hollow
- Crater of Diamonds
- Hobbs
- Daisy
- Plantation Agricultural Museum
- Lake Ouachita
- Cane Creek
- Withrow Springs
- Lake Fort Smith
- Lake Dardanelle
- Plum Bayou
Check out the update with 35 Arkansas State Parks Ranked!
What is YOUR favorite Arkansas State Park? And, which one do you plan to visit next?
If you want to visit all (or most) of the 52 Arkansas State Parks to do your own ARKANSAS State Parks Rankings – get a Passport Book and start your journey! They are available at all Arkansas State Parks Visitor’s Centers.
18 ARKANSAS State Parks Ranked
Wow! You guys stay busy! All of these places look absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you!