Arkansas State Park Award. The Best of the Best…

52 Arkansas State Parks.

That’s a lot.

To help you decide which Arkansas State Park to visit first, we are presenting awards to the most deserving parks. All of the parks have something great to offer (well…most of them anyway). But here are the parks that are at the top in our memories…

Welcome to: The First Annual Arkansas State Park Awards!

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Most Diverse Arkansas State Park Award

Petit Jean State Park.

Of course, Petit Jean State Park gets this one. It is the first state park and my favorite!

You can camp. You can hike through the Ozarks. You can see the most photographed waterfall in the state (Cedar Falls). You can park and take a short walk to multiple overlooks to watch sunset or sunrise. You can see distinctive natural features such as Bear Cave, the Grotto, the Natural Bridge, and other formations like carpet rocks and turtle rocks. You can relax and watch geese swim across a serene pond. You can have dinner at a lodge sitting cliffside.

It’s a nature lover’s paradise at this park.

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Best Scenic Surprise Arkansas State Park Award

Cossatot State Park.

We visited Cossatot State Park early in our journey through all 52 Arkansas State Parks. We had seen pictures of Cossatot Falls and wanted to see it for ourselves. After talking with the park ranger, and a long drive down a dirt road, we finally found the parking lot.

A short walk later we emerged from the trail at the edge of Cossatot River and were greeted by the most beautiful scenery I had seen in Arkansas at that point. I felt like I was in another state!

Friendly Ghost Arkansas State Park Award

Powhatan Historic State Park.

Because what is a state park without a friendly ghost?

At Powhatan Historic State Park, we first visited with the park rangers to hear the back story of the park: An inmate sentenced to death tried to escape, only to be caught and hung.

After we listened intently to the story, we started our self-guided tour around the courthouse. As we stepped into the first room, I got a text from my boyfriend (who was standing next to me, with no phone in his hand) saying “Hi.” After searching through his text history and not finding that text in his phone, we decided it was a friendly ghost welcoming us to the courthouse.

Best Memory Arkansas State Park Award

Lake Charles State Park.

We arrived at Lake Charles State Park on a late summer evening. After grilling up some dinner, and having a few drinks, we decided to call it a night earlier than usual. It turned out to be a little too early because by 2 am we were both awake and well rested.

Deciding to not waste the opportunity, we went on a late-night walk and ended up on a small pier overlooking the lake with the moon hung high in the sky. We sat on the pier listening only to the peaceful sounds of nature, with not another soul around. It was perfect.

Most Unique Experience Arkansas State Park Award

Jenkins Ferry Battleground State Park.

This experience is not easily duplicated. We visited many of the far southern Arkansas State Parks in late January, after much rainfall. All of the parks were flooded to some degree. By far, the worst was Jenkins Ferry Battleground State Park.

We were able to pull into the park, but only barely. The rest of the road and the entire park was covered in water. Luckily, we had brought our kayaks along, anticipating poor hiking conditions. This decision paid off when we realized the only way to the state park passport station would be to kayak to it.

We quickly decided that we were not leaving without our state park stamp, and unloaded the kayaks. It turned out to be the coolest way we have ever explored a park.

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Cutest Wildlife Visitors Arkansas State Park Award

Lake Catherine State Park.

This unassuming state park has turned out to be a favorite of ours. Our first time at this park we were surprised to be camping right at the waterside. The campgrounds are beautiful and peaceful. But our favorite part was the nursery of baby raccoons that visited our campsite in the middle of the night for a quick snack of leftover dog food. The following morning we were visited by a small herd of deer.

On our second visit, in the middle of January, we kept an eye out for the raccoons, who did not pay us a second visit. But the deer were calming strolling through the campgrounds as we watched the sunrise over Lake Catherine.

Best Drive Arkansas State Park Award

Queen Wilhelmina State Park.

Many of Arkansas State Parks have beautiful drives throughout the parks. But Queen Wilhelmina caught my attention because it is the only place in the state that I have driven on a ridge, with panoramic overlooks on both sides of the vehicle. Gorgeous!

Queen Wilhelmina sits on Rich Mountain, the second-highest peak in Arkansas, at 2,681ft (just behind Mount Magazine at 2,753ft).

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Crocodile Dundee Arkansas State Park Award

Mississippi River State Park.

We are from far NW Arkansas, so visiting the Delta was a change of pace for us. We are accustomed to hiking in the Ozarks. So with a bit of research about the Delta, we decided we would take along our kayaks and hope to find some cypress trees. And boy did this area deliver!

We kayaked at Old Town Lake, just outside of the Delta Heritage Trail State Park, and then again in the Mississippi River State Park. We were blown away by all of the cypress trees. And extra blown away by the wildlife we are not used to seeing. There were so many snakes, birds, and owls on the lakes. We love it!

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However, we tried this again at another Delta area state park in the winter with completely different wildlife results. So plan accordingly if you want to witness the wildlife.

Best Waterfall Arkansas State Park Award

Petit Jean State Park.

Easy enough, Petit Jean State Park wins this for having the state’s most photographed waterfall: Cedar Falls. Even better, you get a choice of viewing options for this waterfall.

If you are outdoorsy and athletic, hike to the bottom of the mountain to view the falls at the base. If you prefer not to hike down, and then up the side of a mountain, there is a parking lot at the top with ramps that lead down to a bird’s eye view of the 95ft Cedar Falls.

High Hopes Arkansas State Park Award

Crater of Diamonds State Park.

This is one of the only places in the world where you can mine for your own diamond. Crater of Diamonds State Park is a huge field of dirt that is frequently plowed, unearthing more diamonds. And their motto? “Finders, Keeper.”

And yes. Diamonds are frequently found. They keep a running list of all diamonds found on their website HERE.

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That concludes the First Annual Arkansas State Park Awards. I hope you found interest in one of these amazing parks and will visit soon! Be sure to LEAVE NO TRACE as you visit each park. And mark your calendars for next year’s State Park Awards!

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Take a moment to visit…

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