As part of the Johnson County Peach Festival Weekend, The Greater Fort Smith Riverblenders Barbershop Chorus will present their now annual program for your pleasure and enjoyment at 7:00 Saturday evening, July 21st at First Presbyterian in Clarksville. Enjoy Patriotic, Love Songs, Gospel, Old Time Favorites, Contemporary, Sing-Alongs, and more! Contributions accepted to cover expenses [...]

Being prepared for an outdoor excursion and time in nature is a must. Learn a few first aid and safety tips for handling injuries, getting lost, or other possible dangers while during your outdoor adventures.

Bring your photography questions to a pro! Join us for an overview of some basics of nature and outdoor photography. Bring your camera for a hands-on experience.

Hey gals, are you ready for a hike up the mountain? Meet Park Interpreter Maryanne at the East Summit trailhead for a hike up the mountain on the East Trail, down the mountain on the West Trail, and finally around the Base Trail back to the East Summit trailhead. This strenuous 3-mile hike is very [...]

Lake Dardanelle State Park’s diverse habitats provide homes for many creatures large and small. Join a park interpreter in the kid’s corner of the visitor center as she tells you about some of the smaller creatures. She is also be feeding these creatures, so discover the small native wonders around us.

Join amateur astronomers at the visitor center for an evening with the stars and other celestial phenomena. As twilight settles in, the Central Arkansas Astronomical Society will provide telescopes for viewing objects in the night sky. If cloudy skies prevent observation, an indoor program on astronomy will be presented at 9 p.m.

There is great diversity in habitat and animals at Lake Dardanelle, making it easy to explore and enjoy nature here. Collect your nature item list from a park interpreter near the playground on the Dardanelle side of the park and begin your hunt to see how many of the nature items on the list you [...]

Everything tastes better when cooked outdoors! Have a tasty treat cooked before your eyes while learning some of the uses and care of a cast iron Dutch oven. Questions and appetites are welcome.

Why does Lake Dardanelle have such a healthy bass population? The health of this fishery is partially due to the good conservation practices of the staff at Lake Dardanelle State Park. Join a park interpreter at the amphitheater to learn about fish and how we can better care for them.

Does that cable go there? Is the lever supposed to do that? Can a wheel even be backwards? Learn the ins and outs of beginning bicycle maintenance, including when to call in a professional. This program can be a great start to your park experience.

An herb garden can be incredibly versatile, from culinary herbs to centuries-old medicinal uses, to fun and creative gifts for friends. Discover how to use just a few simple herbs to begin a fragrant, inexpensive hobby with Master Gardener Lori Spencer, project leader of the lodge’s herb bed. At the end of the program, you’ll [...]

Hey little wild ones, join Park Interpreter Maryanne to see how many colors we can find in nature! You would be surprised by all of the beautiful colors natures provides!

There are many creatures that call Lake Dardanelle State Park home. Join a park interpreter at the amphitheater to discover who they are and what clues they leave behind as they move. After looking through the clues, we’ll head down the trail and see if we discover who goes there?

Get started in this huge hobby by learning the basics of binoculars and identification. If you don’t have binoculars, we’ll loan you a set. Meet in the lodge Sparrow Room.

Join local snake handlers Brad Burchfield and Jeremy Sloan for a 1-hour presentation about the reptiles of Arkansas. Handle or just view several snake specimens and then join the fun as we strike out on a “herp hike” to look for snakes that may be found here at Lake Fort Smith State Park.

As the Arkansas River journeys through Lake Dardanelle, it continually shapes the land and creates opportunities for people like you. The river is always changing; it hasn’t always looked the way it does today. Join a park interpreter at the grassy area across from the visitor center and learn some of the hazards and bounty [...]

Join two professional guides for a fun program on enjoying the wilderness with the least amount of impact.

By learning basic knot tying skills, you can learn to set up your campsite quickly and efficiently. Meet a park interpreter at the amphitheater to learn how to tie a few basic knots that may be handy on any outdoor adventure.

Humans wear camouflage to blend in while hunting, and sometimes just for style. But, animals have to use camouflage to survive in the wild. Meet a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitor center to see some pictures of these animals doing what they do best, blending in with nature, and see [...]

Ever wonder how children during the Civil War found enough time for play between their chores? Meet Park Interpreter Mystina at the Pioneer Cabin (Cedar Creek trailhead) to discover the chores children may have had to do during the Civil War, including working with a certain animal that you get to meet up-close. Discover some [...]

Join the River Valley Stargazers for a fun evening of star watching. Meet at the Mount Magazine State Park horse camp to look through telescopes, hear about dark skies, and share in a love of the night sky. Everyone is welcome.

Burgers, homemade potato chips, drinks, and a great time! Tickets may be purchased at the visitor center. Please purchase your tickets before 5 p.m. For an after-dinner treat, stay for a “Cooking with Coals” demonstration.

Looking for a fun and healthy way to spend your “me” time? Look no further than your own backyard! The outdoors are full of exciting and inexpensive hobbies. Join us at Mount Magazine State Park for a weekend packed with programs and activities geared toward women. We’ll have gear demonstrations, talks, activities, and classes all [...]

May is Arkansas Heritage Month, and you are invited to spend a Saturday celebrating the state’s rich heritage in Arkansas’s first state park. Programming will include commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Contact the park for a schedule as the event draws near.

As the Arkansas River journeys through Lake Dardanelle, it continually shapes the land and creates numerous opportunities for people to enjoy from fishing to kayaking. We’ll be paddling our kayaks through some seldom closely seen shoreline of this beautiful 34,000-acre lake. Sign-up and pay at the visitor center (479) 967-5516) at least one day in [...]

Arkansas was originally known as the Bear State. By 1836, American Indians who farmed and hunted the land were driven westward, and the black bears were disappearing too—along with once-abundant bison, mountain lions, and wolves. Today, numerous bears again roam the forested hills of Arkansas and leave their tracks on the landscape. Are there bears [...]

With scissors, glue, and a little bit of recycling, we can make a nifty tool to chart the skies! Meet in the lodge hearth room to put together your very own constellation finder. Afterwards, stop by the star party to show off your creation.

Join the River Valley Stargazers for a fun evening of star watching. Meet at the Mount Magazine State Park horse camp to look through telescopes, hear about dark skies, and share in a love of the night sky. Everyone is welcome.

Kick off the season with a ladies’ hike along the Base Trail of Pinnacle Mountain. The hike is 3-miles in length and the terrain is moderate to strenuous. Wear appropriate shoes and bring water. Ladies’ hikes are offered every Wednesday through August 29th at 6 p.m. at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, and location varies week [...]

Featured artist for the month of May at Mount Magazine State Park is Laura Raborn. Laura is a full-time artist living in Little Rock. She is also a graduate student studying painting. Her work examines urban landscapes and shares the beauty of many forgotten structures.

The Fort Smith Chorale celebrates the holiday season with its annual Carols by Candlelight concert, highlighted by John Leavitt’s Christmas cantata Hodie (Today). The Chorale will also present Ding Dong! Merrily on High, an energetic Christmas favorite accompanied by piano, flute and percussion. Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols gives a very English Christmas. [...]

Enjoy this drive through tour of more than 40,000 lights in a Christmas theme at the Alma City Water Park, Located on East Collum Lane and Park.  The display is free to all, however donations may be given to the Alma Community Outreach Centers program to be used to purchase food for their feed the [...]

Join the Little Rock Zoo for a delicious breakfast buffet in Cafe Africa and a unique keeper chat all about penguins!  Seating is limited and prior reservations are a must!  Breakfast with Animals starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp!  Please be on time!  For more information or to make reservations, please call (501)661-7218. (Reservations require a [...]

Meet Santa and enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, crispy treats, arts & crafts…and join Santa as he presents gifts to the animals!  Reservations are a must!  Tickets available at the Zoo Members’ entrance or by calling (501) 661-7218.

Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In an [...]

Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In an [...]

Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In an [...]

Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In an [...]

Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In an [...]

Tuesdays and Saturdays at 1:30 pm – What’s for Lunch? – See our aquarium exhibit! We have 8,000 gallons of aquariums, filled with many of the fish species found in Lake Dardanelle. Join park staff, as they feed the fish live food. See for yourself, just what do those fish eat for lunch?

Tuesdays and Saturdays at 1:30 pm – What’s for Lunch? – See Lake Dardanelle State Park’s aquarium exhibit!  The park has 8,000 gallons of aquariums, filled with many of the fish species found in Lake Dardanelle. Join park staff, as they feed the fish live food. See for yourself, just what do those fish eat [...]

Enjoy a spectacular display of lighted boats parading down the Arkansas River.  Park your car on the bluffs of Spadra Park and feast your eyes on the free show!  Santa will greet guests at the East Boat Ramp after the parade!  The shows begin at 6:00pm nightly on Saturday & Sunday, December 17th and 18th, [...]

Each Saturday at 10:00am, a member of the education staff will lead a hike along one of the Janet Huckabee Nature Center’s many trails.  Dress for the weather and don’t forget your camera!

The north side of Wells Lake on the nature center grounds will be transformed into an outdoor observatory.  The Arkansas Oklahoma Astronomical Society will host an evening devoted to the evening sky with a focus on the waxing Gibbous Moon; Jupiter; Neptune; Andromeda Galaxy; and Winter Milky Way.

The Russellville Christmas Parade is scheduled for 6:30pm Thursday evening, December 1st.  The parade will begin at 10th and South Arkansas, and will travel north to Main Street…then turn west, ending at El Paso.  The annual Christmas Tree lighting is planned for 6:00pm at the corner of Boulder and West Main.  For more information call [...]

The Dardanelle Christmas Parade is scheduled for 6:30pm on Friday evening, December 2nd.  Theme for this year is “Traditional Christmas”.  Those entering should be lined up at Merritt Park by 5:00pm for judging.   Contact the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce for more information.

  Lake Dardanelle State Park is proud to offer free winter lake cruises for the best chance of seeing American Bald Eagles. Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing including American White Pelicans, ducks, and Snow Geese. Please dress warmly as temperatures and winds are more severe on the lake. In [...]

 Downtown Russellville starting at 4:00pm.  For more information call 968-4411.

Thanksgiving weekend through New Year’s. Morrilton. Enjoy dozens of lighted Christmas displays at the Conway County Fairgrounds in Morrilton.  The display lasts Thanksgiving weekend through New Years.

Enjoy the beauty of the “Frost Moon” as it rises in to the east.  Join park personel behind the lodge to take a close look and search for the Sea of Tranquility, the crater Tycho, and other lunar features.  Enjoy being closer to the moon than anywhere else in Arkansas!

Heritage of the lodge site is revealed during this easy guided walk.  See the grotto, Chimney Rock, the famous tree, and more.

Mount Magazine State Park is home to many amazing wild animals.  Learn about one of our most fascinating and create your very own not-so-wild critter to take home!  This afternoon you have a chance to build and dress a stuffed bear to take home.  Tickets may be purchased at the lodge front desk.  Meet in the [...]

Have a tasty treat cooked before your eyes while discussing some of the uses and care of a cast iron Dutch oven, sharing recipes, and chatting about the park.  Questions and appetites are welcome!  Take a mug and utensils to sample the results. Meet in the lodge hearth room.

Meet in the sparrow room of the lodge to enjoy a film presentation on Mount Magazine State Park.