Arkansas state parks have stayed open as best they can this year, reducing activities and applying other restrictions to ward off the pandemic. Now, with vaccines arriving, Arkansans can think more hopefully about spending a night or more in 2021 at one of the system's parks.
Twelve of the 51 parks offer sleeping accommodations in cabins, while four rent rooms in lodges. Two, Petit Jean and Mount Magazine, have both cabins and lodges. Budget-minded stays, for visitors with a recreational vehicle or tent, are available at the 31 parks with camping facilities. Rates vary.
A massive stone fireplace in the lobby sets a welcoming winter tone for the 24-room Mather Lodge at Petit Jean, established in 1923 as Arkansas' first state park. The lodge, built during the Great Depression by the federal Civilian Conservation Corps, was updated a decade ago in a $4.3 million project.
The 2,658 acres of Petit Jean take in streams, springs, forests, ravines and distinctive rock formations. One scenic highlight is Cedar Creek Canyon. There are 33 cabin units, 21 of them with full kitchens, tucked in wooded terrain near the lodge. All cabins have fireplaces, and two with hot tubs are designated for honeymoon use.
With its mostly flat summit rising 1,350 feet above sea level, 150 feet higher than Petit Jean's elevation, Mount Nebo State Park offers even vaster views of the surroundings. The vistas can be enjoyed from the porches of most housekeeping cabins, 10 of them rustic stone structures and the five other modern A-frames.
Unlike Petit Jean, Mount Nebo lacks a lodge or a restaurant. The visitor center stocks a limited amount of picnic supplies, but overnight guests desiring a hot dinner will need to bring their own food for cooking. There are restaurants not too far away in Dardanelle and Russellville. However, the drive down from the summit and back up again is steep and sinuous, as warning signs inform motorists. After dark, the drive becomes more challenging.
The most stylish state-park overnights can be found on Mount Magazine, where a full-scale renovation of the lodge was completed in 2015. Amenities include picture windows that frame the sky-high scenery. Dining-room fare focuses on Southern recipes.
Among Mount Magazine's 40 rooms are a mix of premium accommodations. Four upscale rooms are equipped with gas fireplaces and spa tubs. Another room has just a spa tub. There is one suite with a king bedroom and adjoining queen sleeper.
The lodge at Queen Wilhelmina State Park, on the Talimena Scene Drive atop Rich Mountain, is heir to a history that dates back to 1898. That's when a railroad line built the first lodge, known as the "Castle in the Sky," on the site. It closed after three years and fell into ruin.
After the creation of the state park, another lodge was built in 1963. It was destroyed by fire in 1973 and replaced in 1975 by the present 40-room property, which received a thorough renovation completed in 2015.
The system's fourth lodge is operated at DeGray Lake Resort State Park. Additional parks with cabins include Crowley's Ridge, Devil's Den, Lake Catherine, Lake Chicot, Lake Fort Smith, Lake Ouachita, Moro Bay Ozark Folk Center and Village Creek.
Daisy, DeGray Lake, Lake Catherine, Lake Charles and Petit Jean feature overnight stays that may evoke the far reaches of Mongolia. They are yurts, round tents with high walls, equipped with electricity and screened windows. Inside are cots, a lantern, a stove and an ice chest. As many as six people can snuggle in — and wake up to find that they are still in the USA.
Prices and other details on indoor lodging and camping can be found at ArkansasStateParks.com.