Lake Dardanelle State Park

This park is located in two areas on Lake Dardanelle, a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River. The main site is in Russellville where you’ll find the Sport Fishing Weigh-in Pavilion, a fishing pier, boardwalk, trail, and visitor center with five aquariums and the Lakeview Room meeting facility. It’s also a National Park Service-certified site on the Trail of Tears water route. Park interpreters lead a variety of programs and lake tours. There are 57 campsites in the Russellville area of the park (16 Class AAA, 14 Class AA, and 27 Class B) with 18 Class B sites in the Dardanelle area of the park.

Camping

 The main campground, the Russellville Area, has 57 campsites (three barrier-free) and the Dardanelle Area has 18 sites. Both areas are open all year. Boat ramps are open all year free of charge.  Campsites include dual-voltage hook-ups, freezeproof water connections, and modern bathhouses plus a table and grill at each site. A sanitary dump station is also at both the Russellville and Dardanelle areas.

Other Facilities

The park visitor center and exhibit area houses 7,000 gallons of freshwater aquariums displaying fish found in the lake and its tributaries. Other living exhibits include a honeybee hive, river darter tank, and aquatic turtle touch table. Visitors may explore the park’s environment and culture through interactive exhibit stations. An orientation video is available at the visitor center theater. The Lakeview Room offers other opportunities for programs, and may be rented for a modest fee.  Spend a pleasant afternoon swimming, fishing, or picnicking by the lake at one of the park's many picnic sites.

The Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Facility provides everything needed to hold a fishing tournament on Lake Dardanelle. Park staff handles release of all tournament fish. Group pavilions and Fishing Tournament Weigh-In Facility may also be reserved for a modest fee. Tournament Facility meeting room may be rented separately.  Marinas are in both the Russellville and Dardanelle areas (both privately owned and operated). Shopping, hospitals, and restaurants  are in nearby towns just minutes away.

Fishing

Lake Dardanelle's fishery is healthy and diverse, offering you the thrill of nature and the success of the catch. Although stringer-busting catches of crappie, bream, and catfish are common, the outstanding largemouth bass fishery attracts anglers from all over the country. Take a short drive to the waters below the Dardanelle Dam and try your skills on the 40-pound catfish or the 200-pound-and-up alligator gar which lurk here in the depths of the Arkansas River

Recreation

Fun on Lake Dardanelle comes in many varieties: fishing, waterskiing, swimming in well-marked beach areas, sailing the open waters along the lake’s  3l5 miles of shoreline, or cruising by power boat. Take a party barge or kayak tour, available at the main park area. To explore the lake's coves and shallow waters, kayaks and stand up paddleboards may be rented at the visitor center. Also, available is a barrier-free playground

Watchable Wildlife

You can explore nature at this park because Lake Dardanelle's diverse habitats sustain many living creatures. A native plant garden at the visitor center and other designated watchable wildlife areas provide opportunities for seeing butterfies, birds, mammals, and more.

Meadowbrook Self-Guided Trail

Trail Type: Day Hikes Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 3/4 mile
Time: 1/2 hour hiking time

The theme of the Meadowbrook Self-Guided Trail is change: the succession of plants, man's influence on the environment, and the variety of flowers, plants, and trees in the Arkansas River Valley. The trail begins and ends near the park amphitheater.