Devil's Den State Park

We took a week in early September to camp with John and Lynda at Devil's Den State Park. We arrived on a Monday and stayed through Friday in sites #60 and #64 on the outside of the loop across from the baseball field. Donna and I stayed in site #60 and John and Lynda took #64. Other than a light sprinkle of rain on the way to the park we had great weather. Lee Creek runs just behind the campsites on this loop. With little to no rain the creek was pretty low.

Site #60

Site #64

Our first evening John and I were sitting outside at his campsite and a ranger drove by slowly, then backed up and got out. He started questioning us about when we arrived. Turns out that when I checked in the visitor center had written the departure date on John's hang tag incorrectly. Not paying much attention to the writing on the tags we just hung them on our posts. John’s tag showed us departing on the day we arrived. I wasn't able to prove any different as I had requested the receipt be emailed and we had zero internet signal. The ranger believed our story (probably checked it later) and wrote John out a new hang tag. I guess unregistered campsite squatters is a problem.

Large Head Photo at John's Camper

Sunset Over the Baseball Field

Besides getting out on the trails for some scenic hiking I was particularly excited about getting my drone in the air and taking some pictures and video. This trip would be my first time to fly in an Arkansas State Park. After some research, then back and forth with the Arkansas State Parks staff in Little Rock I was issued a permit to fly at Lake Devil and Lee Creek near the day use area and at the Yellow Rock Trail Overlook.

On Tuesday morning I got out early and went to the day use area to put the drone in the air. I was the only person in the area with the exception of a few folks that appeared on the opposite side of the dam from the trails. Lake Devil was so still it looked like glass. Below are photos that I took from near the dam and suspension foot bridge. See the end of this post for a short movie made with these pictures and some drone video.

Lake Devil Dam

Donna unveiled the latest southern culinary trend. She replaced the "charcuterie tray" with the new "snackle box".

Wednesday morning I hiked the 2.2 mile Yellow Rock Trail loop to the Yellow Rock Overlook from the shelter on highway 170. Yellow Rock Trail was built by the CCC in the 1930's and is considered a moderately strenuous route. From the Yellow Rock Overlook there was a great view of Lee Creek and the surrounding valley.

Wednesday evening we decided to take a road trip. We drove to Moranos in Fayetteville for dinner where Brick Fields was playing. It was a great night of "blues therapy”.

Thursday afternoon John and I went for a hike around the Devil's Den Trail. The trial makes 1.6 mile loop past large rock formations, bluffs and what should have been a waterfall and creek at the bridge, but lack of rain had everything dried up. The trail was considered moderately challenging due to the steps and elevation changes.

Dry Waterfall

Evening at the campsite was a time to relax and chill. Coco does not seem to chill in the hammock.

Just behind and below our campsites was Lee Creek. Our previous trip to Devil's Den the creek was running fast enough that we could hear it from our campsite. Still a pretty creek at the lower summer level.

Below is an iMovie compilation of photos and video from the week at Devil's Den.

Lake Catherine State Park

Once again Covid-19 caused issues with a planned camping trip. This time Donna was recovering and decided to wait until her 10th day to come to Lake Catherine State Park, rather than come in the 95 degree heat wearing a mask. John and Lynda met me at the Flying J in Russellville on Monday and we caravanned the trailers without Donna to the park. 

On the trip to Lake Catherine we took the Owensville Cutoff from highway 5 to reach highway 128 and eventually highway 70. The Owensville Cutoff is the shortest way to get to Lake Catherine from Russellville (avoiding highway 7 hills and the Little Rock interstate) but never without its hazards. On this trip while navigating its winding curves and hills a wide load truck with a flatbed trailer carrying a portable building (maybe 12' x 20' that looked like 20' x40') popped over a hill taking the entire road. I took to a shallow gravel ditch and thought I had rolled the trailer seeing it lean over in my right side mirror. The truck driver probably thought that he was in the clear when he blew past me but soon realized that John was directly behind me with his trailer and the wide load truck came to a complete stop. John slipped by the wide load at a wider spot and we continued on. I talked to John on the phone and he told me that he saw daylight under my trailer tires. I told him that I would be stopping shortly to change into some clean underwear. Finally reaching the end of the Owensville Cutoff we found that highway 128 had a lane closure with a stop light controlling traffic on a single lane stretch. ARDOT gave us 3/4 of a lane for about a mile which was ample space if you were driving a Toyota Prius. 

The return trip we bypassed the Owensville Cuttoff by taking highway 7 North out of Hot Springs through Bath House Row to highway 5. Once again we were caught by a lane closure with a stop light controlling traffic access to the single lane for about a mile.  I was the lead vehicle followed by John with his trailer then Donna in the Highlander.  ARDOT again gave us 3/4 of a lane with an 18" drop on the right and vertical orange stanchions on the driver side (guess there wasn't room for orange barrels).  I missed one ARDOT worker with my mirror by about 6" and about 1000 orange stanchions by about 4" each.

The first two nights were quiet at site #65 until Donna arrived on Wednesday from her Covid isolation. Lynda and John were directly across the street in site #62 on the waterfront. Gene and Jeanean were just one campsite away in #66 on the waterfront with their kids Justin and his wife Paula.

 

Site #65: Ronnie & Donna

Site #62: John & Lynda

Site #66: Gene & Jeanean

Lake Catherine State Park Brochure

We had four legged campers Coco, Chuey, Thea and Tank. My grand-dog Coco had recently moved to live with John and Lynda from her home in Dardanelle. All the dogs were well behaved and only needed chasing down a couple times when they went rogue off leash. They were not big fans of the geese and racoons.

Coco and Pops

We all stayed well fed. Justin fried fish for us on Tuesday night, John sponsored a low country shrimp boil on Wednesday night then we all chipped in on Thursday night for steaks cooked by Gene. 

We had several beautiful sunsets on the lake and the view of Entergy’s Lake Catherine power plant from across the lake was impressive as well. 

Lake Catherine Power Plant

On Wednesday morning I took a solo hike down to Fall Creek Falls for a glimpse of the waterfall. After weeks of dry conditions it could best be described as a trickle, not the roar we had seen on our previous trip. 

Remmel Dam through the Trees

Despite all the travel hazards and Covid isolation we all had a great time with the extended Belvedresi family. We enjoyed time at the lake and a trip into Hot Springs for Mexican lunch one day.