Lake Fort Smith State Park

 June 13, 2021

On a Sunday afternoon we returned to Lake Fort Smith State Park near Mountainburg, Arkansas for four nights for a early summer getaway. There weren't many choices available when we booked in early February. We chose site #8 a little farther west in the park than we have previously camped. Site #8 had very little shade and the June heat cooked the campsite from about 10:00 until 7:00. The site had a nice tent pad on a lower terrace so it got more shade. Hannah and Brayden spent every night in the tent which was not too bad with electricity for a box fan, their electronics and and Hannah's decorative lighting.  

The first night it seemed a little strange that no one was outside at other campsites and everyone's exterior lights were off. It didn't take long to understand what others in the park had already learned. Our outside lights attracted some kind if light green colored gnats by the thousands. We had to leave the tent lights off until the kids were inside the tent. So many gnats were hitting our canopy and the tent that it sounded like light rain. In the picture below the gnats that died of natural causes were all over the truck bed cover the next morning. 

We found out just before the trip that the Lake Fort Smith State Park swimming pool was closed on Monday's and Tuesday's. So Monday morning we drove about 20 miles to the Alma Aquatic Park. The kids had a great time on all the slides except the toilet bowl slide. The toilet bowl as we called it was a tall slide that dumps you into a round swirling bowl and as you loose speed drops you out a center hole about five feet above a pool. It was really a pretty nice place for $10 per person. The park had a snack bar with burgers and drinks with tiki hut looking covered tables for lunch.

Just below the campsite was a wooded area with trees perfect for hanging hammocks.

On Tuesday Brayden and I went on an adventure north of the park up Shepard Springs Road to an access point along Frog Bayou. Not sure why mountain folk call this a bayou. It looks more like a clear mountain creek or river. Frog bayou flows from the Ozark National Forest into Lake Fort Smith where water is impounded for the city of Fort Smith municipal water supply. We found a parking spot off Shepard Springs Road near the to the Ozark Highland Trail and followed the trail to the Frog Bayou crossing. I explained to Brayden that there was no swimming because just like the lake the bayou is the city of Fort Smith water supply. Brayden fell in several times while wading the creek. We weren't sure if falling in up to your neck broke the swimming rule or not. As hot as it was I don't think any reasonable ranger would write us a ticket.

Butterfly on Brayden's Ear While Stopped to Drink

On returning from our Frog Bayou hike we saw two deer chilling in grass at the bath house near our campsite.

Wednesday the lake Fort Smith pool was open. We spend the early afternoon swimming at the pool. We all got a little too much sun that day.

After an afternoon in the pool we decided to to go out for dinner in Mountainburg at the Pizza Den restaurant, home of the Dragon Fired Pizza (a reference to the Mountainburg school mascot). Good pizza (I liked the BBQ pizza) and hot wings. They also had a party room and the Wishy Washy Laundry!

After dinner we went on an adventure around the south side of the lake on Lake Fort Smith road and God's Mountain road. Hannah provided pictures of the American Flag rock, Razorback Rock and various signs and vistas.  

We packed up early Thursday morning before if got too hot and headed back to Russellville just after lunch.