Village Creek State Park is a Arkansas state park in

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

and St. Francis counties,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The park was formed as a result of a study commissioned by the Arkansas General Assembly to form a large park in east Arkansas. Segments of the Old Military Road, later used as the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...

run through the park, which also features two lakes and 27 holes of

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

History

The Arkansas General Assembly authorized a study in 1967 in the interests of forming a recreational area in eastern Arkansas. In addition to the natural value, the Village Creek area contained the historically significant Old Military Road, later used as the Trail of Tears, and parts of William Strong's mid-1800s plantation. Land acquisition began in 1972, and the park was dedicated on June 27, 1976 in a large ceremony including

David Pryor David Hampton Pryor (born August 29, 1934) is an American politician and former Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as the 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 a ...

and Charlie Rich.

Recreation

Village Creek State Park offers two lakes for boating and fishing, Lake Austell and Lake Dunn. Fishers will find bass,

bream Bream ( ) are species of freshwater and marine fish belonging to a variety of genera including '' Abramis'' (e.g., ''A. brama'', the common bream), '' Acanthopagrus'', ''Argyrops'', '' Blicca'', '' Brama'', '' Chilotilapia'', ''Etelis'', '' L ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

, and crappie, and boat rentals are available between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There are 10 modern cabins, ranging from one to three bedrooms in addition to 96 campsites (24 premium class A, 5 standard class A, 67 Class B). Campers also have access to five modern bathhouses, a swimming beach, boat dock, and playground. Picnic tables, grills, and bathhouses are available at Lake Austell Day Use Area, and four pavilions are available for rent. The visitor center includes interpretive displays about the culture, history, and wildlife of

Crowley's Ridge Crowley's Ridge (also Crowleys Ridge) is a geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most pro ...

and information on the four tribes forced to use the Trail of Tears. An auditorium, grocery store and gift shop are also housed in the visitor's complex. The 27 hole Ridges at Village Creek golf course is accessible from the pro shop. Seven trails, including Big Ben Nature Trail and Austell Hiking Trail are available for hiking or walking, in addition to the Military Road Trail, a part of the congressionally designated Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Four other state parks accompany Village Creek State Park atop Crowley's Ridge: Crowley's Ridge State Park, Lake Frierson State Park,

Parkin Archeological State Park Parkin Archeological State Park, also known as Parkin Indian Mound, is an archeological site and state park in Parkin, Cross County, Arkansas. Around 1350–1650 CE an aboriginal palisaded village existed at the site, at the confluence of ...

, and Lake Poinsett State Park are all nearby.

References

{{authority control 1976 establishments in Arkansas Arkansas Heritage Trails System Crowley's Ridge Protected areas established in 1976 Protected areas of Cross County, Arkansas Protected areas of St. Francis County, Arkansas State parks of Arkansas

History

Recreation

See also

References