Lake Fort Smith State Park

Friday, September 30, 2016 Donna and I got away for a weekend at Lake Fort Smith State Park. The park is located north of Mountainburg, Arkansas off highway 71 in Boston Mountain Range of the Ozark Mountains. The state park is on the western side of 1,400-acre Lake Fort Smith that is the municipal water supply reservoir for the city of Fort Smith.  The park has a marina with boat rentals including Jon boats, paddle boats and party barges. Given that it is the Fort Smith water supply there is no swimming allowed.  Although we didn't spend any time hiking, the park serves as the western terminus of the 165-mile Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail. 

The park was originally built by the WPA, but when the dam was raised 101' the old facilities were covered and the lake grew to consume Lake Shepard Springs. The new park completed in 2008 is one of the cleanest parks we have visited. All of the campsites are well spread out and terraced with landscape block. We were in campsite #16 which was a class AAA site. The campground is relatively small making for a very quiet stay. 

We spent Saturday in town. I dropped Donna with Lynda and her friends at the Junk Ranch in Prairie Grove while I drove to Fayetteville and met John, John Faucet and Bobby McNeill for the Razorback game at Sassy's Red House.  BBQ was great with a Bushhawg for dessert and the Hogs destroyed Alcorn State 52 - 10.

Back at camp by dark. We made a campfire and roasted hot dogs. Finished off with S'mores.

This was our first chance to try out our new string lights. 

Sunday morning we took a drive around the campground stopping at the visitor center and walking down to the overlook. From the overlook you get a good view of the day use area.