Lake Fort Smith State Park

Arkansas State Park In The Boston Mountains North Of Fort Smith, Rebuilt Entirely And Reopened In 2008 After The Original Park Was Flooded By The Raising Of Lake Fort Smith. The Western Terminus Of The Ozark Highlands Trail. · Mountainburg, Arkansas

The original Lake Fort Smith State Park is under water. When the city raised the dam to enlarge its water supply in the 2000s the old park was flooded, and the state built a replacement on higher ground that opened in 2008 - which is why everything here is modern and the setting is not. It sits in a steep Boston Mountains valley with the lake below and ridges on both sides, and it is the western end of the Ozark Highlands Trail, so through-hikers start or finish at the visitor centre. There is a pool, a set of cabins and a campground, all newer than almost anything else in the Arkansas system.

15458 Shepherd Springs Lane, Mountainburg, Arkansas, 72946, United States

Open year-round and Arkansas state parks charge no entrance fee. Trails and lake access are open dawn to dusk. The visitor centre keeps daytime hours with reduced winter hours; the swimming pool and boat hire are seasonal. Cabins and campsites are booked through Arkansas State Parks. Lake Fort Smith is a municipal water supply, so some activities are restricted - check current rules before planning around the water.

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