Free entry · 5 state parks + 2 federal sites · checked October 9, 2026
State parks near Fayetteville & Northwest Arkansas
The five Arkansas State Parks within easy reach of Fayetteville and Bentonville: Devil's Den in the Boston Mountains, Hobbs on Beaver Lake, Withrow Springs on War Eagle Creek, the Prairie Grove battlefield and Lake Fort Smith. Two federal sites people mix up with them are here too: Pea Ridge National Military Park (National Park Service) and Lake Wedington (U.S. Forest Service), which is closed for a waterline project. Entry to Arkansas State Parks is free. Hours, campsite counts and current notices are as posted by Arkansas State Parks, NPS and the Forest Service on Oct 9, 2026.
Orange pins and badges are open this weekend, from each place's posted schedule.
The essentials
Before you go
- Entry
- Free. Arkansas State Parks doesn't charge an entry fee; you pay only for campsites, cabins, pools, pavilions and some programs. Pea Ridge (NPS) is free too.
- Book camping & cabins
- reserve.arkansasstateparks.com, or call the park. Nightly rates show when you pick dates; the parks' own pages don't list them.
- Pools
- Devil's Den, Withrow Springs and Lake Fort Smith have park pools, open Memorial Day to Labor Day only, so all three are closed for the season. Day passes are $6 (ages 6+) and $5 (ages 2–5), as posted.
- Statewide line
- Arkansas State Parks 888-287-2757
Source: arkansas.com
Current notices (Oct 9, 2026)
- Devil's Den
- The 1.5-mile Devil's Den Trail is closed for repairs (park notice). No reopening date posted.
- Hobbs
- The Ozark Plateau Trail at the visitor center is closed for repairs. Gun-hunt closures Oct 17–21, Nov 7–8 and Nov 14–18 shut the shooting range, the Pigeon Roost campsites and the Hidden Diversity, Pigeon Roost, Sinking Stream, Shaddox Hollow and Wolf Den Loop trails.
- Withrow Springs
- No access to War Eagle Creek from the park right now because of an ARDOT construction project. The lower War Eagle Trail is closed for storm-damage repairs; the upper trail to the overlook is open.
- Lake Fort Smith
- Pool closed for the season since Aug 10, 2026.
- Lake Wedington (USFS)
- The whole recreation area, including walk-in access, has been closed since July 2, 2026 for a waterline project. No end date posted.
Source: arkansas.com
From Arkansas Game and Fish
- Fishing licenses & fees · who needs one, prices, where to buy
- Boater education & boating law · life jackets, who needs the course
- WMA/Lake Conservation Permit · $10.50, new July 1, 2026
- Wedington WMA · the public land around Lake Wedington
- Hunting seasons & licenses
- Ozark Highlands Nature Center, Springdale · free, Tue–Sat
Arkansas State Parks
Free entry at all five. Campsite and cabin counts are each park's own; book at reserve.arkansasstateparks.com or by phone.
- Family-friendly
State park: CCC-built cabins, camping, trails
Devil's Den State Park
11333 W. Arkansas Hwy 74, West Fork
- When:
- Campground, picnic area and cabins open all year. Café closed for the season; pool closed until Memorial Day weekend
- Hours:
- Visitor center daily 8 AM–5 PM (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) · store 9 AM–5 PM, closed Mon–Tue, through Nov 15 · 479-761-3325
- Admission:
- Free entry. Cabin and campsite rates show when you book at reserve.arkansasstateparks.com/devils-den.
- What's there:
- One of the most intact Civilian Conservation Corps parks in the country, in the Lee Creek valley. 18 cabins with kitchens and fireplaces (studio to three-bedroom; cabins 2, 3, 5 and 7 take dogs for a fee), 9 camper cabins that sleep 4 with a shared bathhouse, and 107 campsites by the park's count, including full-hookup, no-hookup, 6 bike-in and a horse camp (book the horse camp by phone). Trails: Yellow Rock (3 miles, the Lee Creek valley overlook), the 15-mile Butterfield backpacking loop (free permit at the office), the 7-mile Gorley King horse trail and Fossil Flats for mountain bikes. The Devil's Den Trail is closed for repairs. Lake Devil is an 8-acre lake for fishing behind a stone dam.
State park: trails, primitive camping, hunting
Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area
20201 E. Hwy 12, Rogers
- When:
- Open all year, but some trails and the Pigeon Roost campsites close for gun hunts Oct 17–21, Nov 7–8 and Nov 14–18, 2026
- Hours:
- Visitor center daily 8 AM–5 PM (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) · shooting range Tue–Sun 8 AM–4:30 PM, closed during the fall hunts · 479-789-5000
- Admission:
- Free entry. Primitive campsites book at reserve.arkansasstateparks.com/hobbs.
- What's there:
- Arkansas' largest state park, 12,173 acres on Beaver Lake's south shore, mostly day use. 54 miles of multi-use trail, including the Karst Loop (7.8 miles, ride it counterclockwise) and the 24-mile Hidden Diversity system. 11 primitive campsites, no water or toilets: 5 about 4 miles in on the Pigeon Roost Trail and 6 bike-in or hike-in on the Karst Loop. Guided kayak tours on Beaver Lake run May–October. One of two state parks that allow regulated hunting.
- Family-friendly
State park: camping, pool, War Eagle Creek
Withrow Springs State Park
33424 Spur 23, Huntsville
- When:
- Campground and picnic area open all year. Pool Memorial Day–Labor Day only (closed for the season)
- Hours:
- Visitor center Mar–Nov daily 8 AM–5 PM; Dec–Feb Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM, Sat–Sun 1–5 PM (closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) · 479-559-2593
- Admission:
- Free entry. Campsite rates show when you book at reserve.arkansasstateparks.com/withrow-springs. Pool $6 ages 6+, $5 ages 2–5, family season $225 (as posted).
- What's there:
- 29 full-hookup (Class AAA) and 10 walk-in campsites, an enclosed pavilion for 75, tennis courts, ball fields and a nature-scape playground. Three trails: Dogwood Nature Trail (0.75 mile), Forest Trail (on an old logging road, about 2.25 miles round trip) and War Eagle Trail (2 miles, lower section closed). The park is normally a put-in for War Eagle Creek, a Class I float in spring and fall, but creek access is closed during an ARDOT project. The rare Ozark trillium grows here. No cabins.
- Family-friendly
Civil War battlefield, museum & walking tour
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
506 E. Douglas St., Prairie Grove
- When:
- Grounds open all year. Battle reenactment Dec 5, 2026 (held in even-numbered years, first weekend of December)
- Hours:
- Hindman Hall Museum Wed–Sat 8 AM–5 PM, Sun 1–5 PM, closed Mon–Tue (and New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) · grounds 8 AM to an hour after sunset · 479-846-2990
- Admission:
- Free, museum included
- What's there:
- More than 1,000 acres of the Dec 7, 1862 battlefield, the last major Civil War fight in Northwest Arkansas (2,700 casualties). Walking and driving tours, artifacts from the battle in Hindman Hall, picnic area. Coming up: Spirit Walk Oct 24 and Trunk or Treat Oct 31. No camping.
- Family-friendly
State park: lake, cabins, camping, trailhead
Lake Fort Smith State Park
15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg
- When:
- Campground open all year. Marina Wed–Sun through October, closed Nov 1–Mar 15. Pool closed for the season
- Hours:
- Visitor center daily 8 AM–5 PM (closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day) · marina 8 AM–5 PM · 479-369-2469
- Admission:
- Free entry. Boat rentals as posted: kayak or canoe $10/hour, $40/day · 16-ft boat with 9.9 hp motor $85/day · party barges $230–$350/day
- What's there:
- 10 cabins (one- and two-bedroom; cabins 1 and 2 take dogs for a fee), 30 campsites (20 full-hookup, 10 water and electric) and two group lodges. The western trailhead of the Ozark Highlands Trail starts behind the visitor center. No swimming, water-skiing, paddleboarding or jet skis on the lake.
Not a state park, but
Two places people search alongside the state parks. Different agencies, different rules.
- Family-friendly
National Park Service battlefield, tour road & trails
Pea Ridge National Military Park
15930 National Park Drive, Garfield
- When:
- Open all year. From Nov 16, 2026 to Mar 8, 2027 the visitor center closes Tuesdays and Wednesdays; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
- Hours:
- Visitor center 9 AM–5 PM · tour road 6 AM–sunset daily · 479-451-8122
- Admission:
- Free; no entrance pass required
- What's there:
- Site of the March 7–8, 1862 battle, 4,400 acres. A 7-mile, 10-stop driving tour, a 28-minute film and museum in the visitor center, and the Williams Hollow loop (a little over 2 miles, moderate to strenuous) from Elkhorn Tavern. Bikes ride the paved roads and the Ford Road trail only. Leashed pets (6 ft) welcome outside buildings. No camping.
U.S. Forest Service lake, cabins & campground (closed)
Lake Wedington Recreation Area
Arkansas Hwy 16, 13 miles west of Fayetteville
- When:
- Closed since July 2, 2026 for a waterline project, walk-ins included; no reopening date posted
- Hours:
- Boston Mountain Ranger District 479-667-2191
- Admission:
- When open (Forest Service fee page): day use $5 a vehicle, campsites $20 a night, cabins $80–$140 a night
- What's there:
- A 102-acre WPA-era lake in the Ozark National Forest, on the National Register of Historic Places: 6 historic cabins, a lodge, 18 campsites with no hookups, a swimming area, an accessible fishing pier, a boat ramp (10 hp motor limit) and the 7-mile North Twin hiking and biking trail. No pets on the swim beach. Not a state park; it's run by the Forest Service.
On the calendar
Verified events for the season, updated every night.
- Sat, Oct 10All
dayDevil's Den Fall Festival
Community:Devil's Den State Park· West Fork
Free - Sat, Dec 5All
dayBattle of Prairie Grove Reenactment
Outdoor & Active:Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park· Prairie Grove
Worth the drive
State park: lodge, cabins, Arkansas' highest point
Mount Magazine State Park
16878 AR-309, Paris
- When:
- Open all year
- Hours:
- Visitor center daily 8 AM–5 PM · lodge 479-963-5151 · park 479-963-8502
- Admission:
- Free entry; lodge rooms, cabins and campsites are booked separately
- What's there:
- A longer drive south of the Arkansas River, at 2,753 feet. The Lodge at Mount Magazine has 60 rooms and the Skycrest Restaurant; 13 cabins with hot tubs share the same south-bluff view; 18 campsites. Rock climbing and hang-gliding launches.
Call ahead
These come up in older roundups, but nothing official confirms a 2026 season yet.
- Devil's Den cabin availability. The park page lists 18 cabins and 9 camper cabins, but the state's booking site wouldn't let us check live availability. Call 479-761-3325 before you plan around a specific cabin.
- Devil's Den Trail. Closed for repairs per the park's notice, with no reopening date. Ask the visitor center (479-761-3325) which trails are open before you hike.
- War Eagle Creek at Withrow Springs. The park says it has no creek access during an ARDOT construction project. Call 479-559-2593 before bringing a boat or fishing gear.
- Lake Wedington. Closed since July 2, 2026 for a Forest Service waterline project, with no end date. Call the Boston Mountain Ranger District at 479-667-2191 for updates.
Quick answers
- Do Arkansas state parks charge an entrance fee?
- No. Entry to Arkansas State Parks is free; you pay only for things like campsites, cabins, pools and pavilions. Pea Ridge National Military Park, run by the National Park Service, is free too.
- What state parks are near Fayetteville, AR?
- Five Arkansas State Parks: Devil's Den (West Fork), Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (Rogers), Withrow Springs (Huntsville), Prairie Grove Battlefield (Prairie Grove) and Lake Fort Smith (Mountainburg). Pea Ridge National Military Park and Lake Wedington are nearby too, but they're federal, not state parks.
- Is Withrow Springs State Park open?
- Yes. The campground and picnic area are open all year, and the visitor center is open daily 8 AM–5 PM through November. The pool is open Memorial Day to Labor Day only, the lower War Eagle Trail is closed for repairs, and there's no War Eagle Creek access during an ARDOT project.
- How many cabins does Devil's Den State Park have?
- 18 cabins with kitchens and fireplaces, from studios to three bedrooms, plus 9 camper cabins that sleep 4 and share a bathhouse. Cabins 2, 3, 5 and 7 are dog-friendly for a fee. Book at reserve.arkansasstateparks.com/devils-den or call 479-761-3325.
- Is the Devil's Den Trail open?
- No. Arkansas State Parks lists the 1.5-mile Devil's Den Trail as closed for repairs, with no reopening date posted. The park's notice names only that trail; call 479-761-3325 to confirm the others before you hike.
- When is the Prairie Grove Battlefield reenactment?
- Dec 5, 2026, per the park's events list. Arkansas' largest Civil War reenactment is held in even-numbered years on the first weekend of December. The park and Hindman Hall Museum are free.
- Is Lake Wedington open?
- No. The Forest Service closed the whole Lake Wedington Recreation Area, including walk-in access, on July 2, 2026 for a waterline project, with no end date posted. Lake Wedington is a Forest Service area, not a state park.
- Can you camp at Hobbs State Park?
- Only at 11 primitive sites with no water or toilets: 5 about 4 miles in on the Pigeon Roost Trail and 6 bike-in or hike-in sites on the Karst Loop. The Pigeon Roost sites close during the Oct 17–21, Nov 7–8 and Nov 14–18 gun hunts.
Dates, hours and prices are as each business posted them on October 9, 2026, and they change. Spot something out of date, or run one we missed? Tell us.
Nobody paid to be on this list. Inclusion is editorial.