21 Arkansas State Parks in 2021 – Part 11

Just a short drive down the road from the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources lies the South Arkansas Arboretum.  The Park houses nice, paved walking trails through a wooded area, a gazebo, butterfly garden, and many plant species native to the area.  While not large by any means, this state park is a nice little gem in our state parks challenge and makes it our #11 stop.

#11 South Arkansas Arboretum

The South Arkansas Arboretumis much like a botanical garden on a small scale.  It was surprising to even find this small little park to be even considered an Arkansas State Park.  When we think of State Parks, we do not often think of something like this, but it doesn’t make it less important.  It is a nice place to stop to see the pretty flowers and to go for a short walk.  I think this park is more for locals than for out of towners like us though. 

The Park is managed and maintained by the South Arkansas Community College and is in El Dorado.  It is Arkansas’ only state park located within a city.

The Walking Trail

There are 12 acres of walking trails within the park.  2 miles of paved trails make up the park and most are shaded.  There are also several smaller off shoots of the main trails that you can explore. The trails are lined with native plants and the natural beauty of the area is preserved.

Native Plants

The entire park has different native plants to the area and depending on the season you visit you can see different colors making up the parks’ beauty.  In the summer there are flowering azaleas, rose bushes, and wild flowers.  In the winter the evergreens shine, and the camellias begin to bloom. 

Butterfly Garden

One of the prettiest parts of the park is the butterfly garden.  Different flowering plants that attract butterflies grow in this section.  A butterfly house stands in the middle of it all.  During the late spring and early summer, you can see caterpillars lying on plants and butterflies taking flight. 

Final Thoughts

This Park was a small stop on our big weekend tour but is a good stop none the less.  It is a good place to stop and relax in the gazebo or stretch your legs on the walking trail after a long car ride to southern Arkansas.  It was so small that it doesn’t even have a visitor’s center to stamp the passport.  To stamp the passport, you must make a rubbing of the seal that is imbedded into the passport center sign.  Morgan’s crayons that she just finished making at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources helped us complete this task. 

We hope you are enjoying reading about our state park adventures as much as we have enjoyed going on them.  Stay tuned for our next stops in the 21 Arkansas State parks in 2021 Challenge .  Remember… Life’s Short… Take the Trip!

Ready to start planning your own adventure? Email us at: amberh@destinationsinflorida.com