The construction of the McClellan-KerrArkansas River Navigation System allows for much easier travel up and downthe Arkansas River. Join a park interpreter on the back deck of the visitor centerto discover how travel on the river has evolved over time.

At Pleasant View Park

Lake Dardanelle’s healthy fishery provides youwith great opportunities for catching fish. Join a park interpreter in the grassyarea across from the visitor center to learn the basics of fishing and how youcan try your luck catching a fish, even if you don’t have the gear.

Join a park interpreter in grassy areaacross from the visitor center for this fun story time and craft designed forchildren under 5 to learn about and explore nature and the many creatures thatcall Lake Dardanelle State Park home.

Have you ever seen a snake’s shed that itleft behind? Join a park interpreter in the weigh-in pavilion to discover whysnakes shed and what you can tell about a snake from its skin. You will evenget to make your very own snakeskin bookmark to take home with you!

Have you ever wondered about the daily lives ofthe Cherokee who inhabited this are before removal, long before this area wasa park? Meet a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitor centerto learn some of the games they played to pass the time develop their huntingskills. All ages Welcome!

Lake Dardanelle is home to many creatures.Discover some of Lake Dardanelle State Park’s nocturnal residents. Join a parkinterpreter at the amphitheater and learn what animals come out when we goto sleep.

Lake Dardanelle State Park is the site ofmany unique events in history, and the Arkansas Traveler is one that hasmolded Arkansas folklore for years. The painting is thought to have been basedon this area. Meet a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitorcenter to discover the interesting history and sentiment that accompany thisfamous painting.S

The Arkansas River creates manyrecreational opportunities for us to enjoy. Join Lake Dardanelle State Park stafffor O.W.L.S. (Outdoor Women Learning Skills). This program series is designedto give ladies the opportunity to explore the available recreation at LakeDardanelle and the surrounding areas, by learning skills and knowledge thatthey need to enjoy nature. Registration will be $30 per. We will meet in theLakeview room of the visitor center.

Come join us for a pARTy in the Park on May 13th, 2023! 

This is an open to the public community art festival! There will be interactive activities for all ages, entertainment, vendors selling and promoting their artwork, and food vendors!

We are currently calling for vendors! Artist vendors are our main focus, as we want to support our local artist community. See our "forms" page on our website to fid the rules for entering as a vendor as well as the application! 

Artist Vendors: $25 for 10x10 booth space

Business/Non-Profit Vendors: $35 for 10x10 booth space 

Food Truck Vendors: $45 for truck space 

Feel Free to email rvartscenter@gmail.com, or call 479-968-2452 with any questions!

Go to www.rivervalleyartscenter.org for more information, vendor rules, and forms. 

Bird watching is a hobby for all ages. To getstarted you only need the 3 B’s: Binoculars, a Bird book, and Birds. LakeDardanelle State Park has plenty of birds, so join a park interpreter at theamphitheater to learn just how easy bird watching can be.

You can learn a lot about a bird by just lookingat their beaks. Meet a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitorcenter to see the different ways birds use their beaks to eat.

Lake Dardanelle State Park has a diverse ecosystemthat supports a wide variety of life. Race through this life-sized tree maze todiscover some of the trees found here and what makes them stand out from theothers. We will meet in the grassy area across from the visitor center.

Learn about the wide variety of shapes and sizes offish the live in Lake Dardanelle due to its health and diversity. Join a parkinterpreter in the visitor center Lakeview Room to discover the reasons fortheir shapes and you can create a fish of your own.

Lake Dardanelle’s diverse habitat is home toa wide variety of creatures. Join a park interpreter at the amphitheater to exploresome of the players in this vital ecosystem.

Join us for a Blood Drive at Ridout Lumber Company on May 15 from 10:00 am - 2:30 pm! Every donor receives a FREE T-shirt and a Magic Springs ticket along with a drink and a snack!

To sign up scan the QR code, enter the sponsor code (516G), enter the drive date, and click the search button. 

Join us for a Blood Drive at Russellville Nursing and Rehab on May 15 from 12:30 - 5:30 pm! Every donor receives a FREE T-shirt and a Magic Springs ticket along with a drink and a snack!

to sign up scan the QR Code, enter the sponsor code (356W), enter the drive date, and click the search button! 

Give the gift of life! 

Join us for a Blood Drive at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 17 from 4:15 - 8:00 pm! Every donor receives a FREE T-shirt and a Magic Springs ticket along with a drink and a snack!

Sign up with Pam Stokes at 479-264-4955 or visit justserve.org

Give the gift of life!

Many of the early explorers, including those thattraveled through the area around what is now Lake Dardanelle State Park, keptjournals of the things they saw and experienced as they traversed thewilderness. Join a park interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitorcenter to learn why it was so important. You will also be able make your ownnature journal to take with you.

Join us for a Mother's Day Market on May 20 from 9 am - 5 pm! It will be held at the Pope County Fair Grounds. Flair Fair is a market with local vendors.

a 10x10 Booth is $50. 

Contact Kristi Roulston for more information (flairfairmarket@gmail.com)

The forests of Lake Dardanelle StatePark are filled with many pine trees. These trees played an important role in thedevelopment of the state of Arkansas and also support wildlife. They can alsobe used to create your own artwork. Join a park interpreter in the grassy areaacross from the visitor center to learn to make a paintbrush from the needlesand then create your own masterpiece.

Humans wear camouflage to blend in whilehunting and sometimes just for style. Animals use camouflage to survive in thewild. Meet a park interpreter at the amphitheater to see some pictures of theseanimals doing what they do best, blending in with nature, and see if you canspot all the hidden creatures in the pictures!

Let’s test your nature knowledge! Join a parkinterpreter at the amphitheater for a fun filled evening of S’mores and Trivia.Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on around the fire.

As the sun goes down on Lake Dardanelle, the sky islit up with beautiful colors glowing in the sky. Join a park interpreter in the grassyarea across from the visitor center as we watch the sun go down to make yourvery own painted sunset to take home. All supplies will be provided.

The great outdoors is filled with many colorful things.Thanks to Lake Dardanelle’s diverse habitats, you can discover just how brightand colorful the world around you is. Join a park interpreter at the visitor centerfor this easy color walk.

Lake Dardanelle State Park’s MeadowbrookTrail is a thriving natural area. Join a park interpreter at the amphitheater for aleisurely stroll down the trail to discover some of the many things that call thisarea home, while playing a friendly game of Bingo.

How can you tell an animal hasbeen in the area without having seen it yourself? You can often find hints leftbehind. Stop by the park interpreter’s Look & Learn Table at the visitor centerto learn about a few of the animals tracks you may see when you visit LakeDardanelle State Park.

There are many creatures that call LakeDardanelle home. Join a park interpreter in the grassy area across from thevisitor center to discover who they are and what clues they leave behind as theymove about. After looking through the clues we will create some tracks of ourown, to remind us who goes there.

Thanks to the healthy fishery of Lake Dardanelle,you can experience the thrill of nature and the success of the catch. Join a parkinterpreter in the grassy area across from the visitor center to discover thediversity of the fishery and Lake Dardanelle State Park’s role in maintainingthat. You will then have the chance to practice your casting!

Join a park interpreter at the kayak beach nearthe visitor center to take one of the park’s kayaks out for a test drive. This is aperfect opportunity for those who want to try kayaking but don’t have a boat.Each test drive will last just long enough for paddlers to get a feel for kayaking,but kayaks can be rented from the visitor center when conditions allow.Participants must be at least 6 years old.

Letterboxing is a centuries old activity much likegeocaching but uses a compass. Join a park interpreter at the visitor center tolearn to use a compass and get started on your hunt for the letterboxes hiddenin the park. Supplies are provided.

You can explore nature at this park because LakeDardanelle’s diverse habitats sustain many living creatures. Meadowbrook Trailis home to many of these creatures. Join a park interpreter at the visitor centerand discover what animals call this area home. Then head down the trail to seehow many creatures you can see or what traces of them we can find.

Lake Dardanelle’s fishery is healthy and diverse. We’llbe using the fishery as inspiration to make some beautiful creations. Meet apark interpreter in the grassy area across from the visitor center to create somefishy art.

Join us for a Blood Drive at Kroger - Russellville on May 28 from 10 am - 3 pm! Every donor receives a FREE T-shirt and a Magic Springs ticket, a drink and a snack, and a special drawing for 4 Magic Springs tickets plus a parking pass for 1 lucky donor at this drive!

to sign up scan the QR code, enter the sponsor code (W292), enter the drive date, and click the search button. 

Give the gift of life!

The Arkansas River creates manyopportunities for enjoyment as it journeys through Lake Dardanelle. What alllives in the Lake besides fish and turtles? Well, here is your chance to find out.We will seine for macro-invertebrates at the kayak beach by the visitor centerand see who is living in the lake. Come prepared to get wet and wear watershoes.

The natural world is filled with little detailsthat we often overlook. Come by the park interpreter’s Magnification Station atthe visitor center to use microscopes to get an up-close look at some differentnature items. All ages welcome!

Cherokees who historically inhabited this area wereheavily dependent on nature for their livelihood. Join a park interpreter at theamphitheater as he explains the importance the wild turkey had to those whotraveled through and settled this area. Learn how historical Cherokee uses forthe turkey differ from the uses of today. Discover why turkey is not just fordinner.

By learning basic knot tying skills, you can learn toset up your campsite quickly and efficiently. Meet a park interpreter in thegrassy area across from the visitor center to learn how to tie a few basic knotsthat will come in handy on any outdoor adventure.

Have you heard the music that the insects hereat Lake Dardanelle make in the evenings? Join a park interpreter at theamphitheater to learn more about how insects make their music and help uscreate our own “insect orchestra.”

Join a park interpreter at the visitor center totake a walk through the area in search of our visiting birds. Even if you’ve neverbirded before, you can enjoy these creatures in a whole new way!

Birds have many special adaptations thatmake them especially suited for the area they live in. Join a park interpreter atthe visitor center Lakeview Room to explore some of these adaptations. We willcreate birds of our own with their own special adaptations and create a habitatfor our special friend.

Imagine that you are a child traveling to newterritory with your parents long ago. What would you have done for fun? Join apark interpreter in the grassy area across from the Visitor Center to discoverhow kids passed the time while their parents forged the culture you find heretoday and try your hand at some old-fashioned fun. All ages welcome!

All things in nature are made of certain basicshapes. Join a park interpreter at the visitor center and hike around the parkand discover just how many shapes are out there.

Have you ever thought about how people survivedbefore there were stores to buy what they needed? Come to the amphitheaterto learn about how the Cherokee used parts of a deer to get what they neededto survive.

Lake Dardanelle State Parkprovides plentiful habitats for butterflies at all stages of the life cycle thanks toits many gardens planted with them in mind. Visit the park interpreter’s Look &Learn Table at the visitor center to learn more about butterflies as theytransform.

Meet a park interpreter at theamphitheater to see how in tune you are with the natural world. We’ll be testingyour skills about furs, tracks, and some mystery items! Bring your whole familyand see how much you know!