FATHER AND SON COMPLETE ARKANSAS STATE PARKS PASSPORT PROGRAM

BY ADENA WHITE

The Natural State has 52 state parks, making it possible to visit a different locale every weekend of the year. Arkansas State Parks offers a passport program that gives travelers a pocket-size booklet that can be stamped at a visitor center or by rubbing a pencil along an embossed stamp at parks where there is not a visitor center.

Matthew and Elijah White of Conway accepted this challenge, completing the passport program in 10 months. Matthew is my husband, and Elijah is our son, who was 3 years old when he got his 52nd stamp in April 2022.

Matthew decided to tackle the passport program in July 2021 while our family was on a weekend getaway at Lake Ouachita State Park in Mountain Pine, located near Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village. He saw the passport book at the gift shop and decided to pick up two copies – one for him and one for Elijah. He knows me well enough to know I wouldn’t want that level of commitment.

“My son and I had just visited Woolly Hollow State Park in Greenbrier the day before, and I thought, ‘Well, I’ve already knocked out two parks this weekend. What’s 50 more?’” Matthew said.

The state parks experience is quite different with a toddler in tow. You spend more time at the park playgrounds and less time hiking trails or reading interpretive signage, making it possible – and necessary – to navigate each park quickly.

“Elijah was 2 and 3 years old during our passport adventure, so there were some things he couldn’t do – like hang gliding from Mount Magazine or mountain biking on the 45-mile Delta Heritage Trail,” Matthew said.

Despite Elijah’s limitations, Matthew found several ways to entertain our toddler during their travels.

“I was surprised by how much each park had for kids,” Matthew said. “Many parks had playgrounds and hands-on exhibits in the visitor center. Several parks also offered short, paved trails and kid-friendly swimming pools. Even a place like the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources – which sounds like it may be boring for little kids – turned out to be really engaging!”

Arkansas State Parks groups its 52 destinations into four categories: historic parks, lake and river parks, mountain parks, and adventure parks. Matthew said each park is memorable in its own way.

“Several of the parks are what I’d consider the traditional state parks and have campsites, playgrounds, picnic tables, trails, mountains, lakes, cabins, mountain biking, ranger programs, and more,” Matthew said. “But Arkansas also has attractions such as museums, historical markers, lodges, restaurants, a diamond mine, archaeology stations, a battlefield, and a craft village. Each park is unique, and they are spread out in such a way that you really see the entire state.”

Conway’s convenient location in the center of the Natural State makes it possible to reach every corner of Arkansas in three hours or fewer, not counting the bathroom breaks that become increasingly important when you have a potty-training passenger. Additionally, there are eight state parks within an hour drive of Conway: Lake Dardanelle, Lake Sylvia, Mount Nebo, Petit Jean Mountain, Pinnacle Mountain, Plantation Agriculture Museum, Plum Bayou Mounds

Archeological State Park (formerly Toltec Mounds Archeological Park), and Woolly Hollow.

“Conway is a great jumping off point to visit any of the 52 state parks,” Matthew said. “Though not state parks, Greers Ferry, Heber Springs, and the Buffalo National River are also close by for water enthusiasts. Maumelle, Little Rock, and North Little Rock have great parks. Even right here in Conway, we love to visit Cadron Settlement, Tucker Creek, or Lake Beaverfork. It’s called the Natural State for a reason!”

Although Elijah may not have many memories of his first completion of the Arkansas State Parks passport program, Matthew looks forward to experiencing the state parks with our son at every stage of his life. Their first tour served as an opportunity to preview the parks and make notes of which ones we can return to as a family.

“I love hiking, and I hope to revisit many of these parks to explore the trails as Elijah gets older,” Matthew said. “We’ll also be able to take our time and really enjoy each park and can plan our visits around festivals and other special event days. There are so many great things happening at our state parks!”

While I won’t complete the passport program in 10 months like my husband and son did, I plan to start collecting stamps of my own. Although it’s not “official” because I don’t have stamps, I joined them at 13 state parks, including overnight stays in cabins at Mount Nebo, Lake Ouachita, and Devil’s Den. Only 39 more to go!

Out on the Open Road

With its central location in T he Natural State, Conway is just a short drive from some of the region’s most popular tourist towns, giving you the perfect excuse for a day trip or weekend getaway.

Memphis, TN

Drive Time : 2 hours 26 min.

Don’t Miss: Beale Street

Fayetteville/NW Arkansas

Drive Time : 2 hours 28 min.

Don’t Miss: Dickson Street Crystal Bridges Museum

Roland, OK

Drive Time : 2 hours

Don’t Miss: Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland

Oklahoma City, OK

Drive Time : 4 hours 37 min.

Don’t Miss: Bricktown

Nashville, TN

Drive Time : 5 hours 38 min.

Don’t Miss: Live Music

Dallas, TX

Drive Time: 5 hours 3 min.

Don’t Miss: Professional Sports Theme Parks

New Orleans, LA

Drive Time : 7 hours 26 min.

Don’t Miss: French Quarter

A Road Trip for the Spring

One of the state’s best kept secrets is the Grandview Prairie Nature Center near Columbus in southwest Arkansas in the springtime. The center is located on nearly 5,000 acres of Blackland Prairie and includes hundreds of acres of wildflowers that bloom each spring.

“The time to go is April, May and June,” Maynard said. “It doesn’t get much visitation, but it’s a beautiful place. People are missing out.”