Facilities and Activities:
| Day-Use | Fishing | yes | | | Hiking Trail, miles | yes | | | Picnicking | yes |
National Park Location Maps:
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View TOPO Maps!
National Park Photo Gallery:
volunteer positions open
National Park Event Calendar:
volunteer positions open
Nearby Parks:
Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area
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| National Park Overview: |
 | In 1686, Henri de Tonti established a trading post known as "Poste de Arkansea" at the Quapaw village of Osotouy. It was the first semi-permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The establishment of the Post was the first step in a long struggle between France, Spain, and England over the interior of the North American continent.
Over the years, the Post relocated as necessary due to flooding from the Arkansas River, but its position always served of strategic importance for the French, Spanish, American, and Confederate military. Spanish soldiers and British partisans clashed here in the 1783 "Colbert Raid," the only Revolutionary War action in Arkansas.
Arkansas Post became part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. By 1819, the post was a thriving river port and the largest city in the region and selected as the first capital of the Arkansas Territory.
During the Civil War, Confederate troops tried to maintain tactical control of the confluence of the two rivers, and in 1862 they constructed a massive earthen fortification known as Fort Hindman at the Post. In January 1863 Union troops destroyed the fort, ensuring control of the Arkansas River.
Today, the memorial and museum commemorate the multi-layered and complex history of the site. Located on a peninsula bordered by the Arkansas River and two backwaters, the site offers excellent fishing and wildlife watching opportunities. |
| Nature of the Area: |
| Animals:
On the edge of the Arkansas River and the Grand Prairie, Arkansas Post is home to a diverse animal population. Whitetail deer can frequently be seen throughout the park, while other species are not as easily seen. Racoons and opossums also reside in the forested sections of the park.
The most notable non-native species residing in the aprk is the nutria, an aquatic mammal similiar to beaver. Introduced to North America in the early 20th century, the nutria [Myocastor coypus] quickly spread from Louisiana along various waterways, including the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers.
Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the settlement at Arkansas Post was the base for fur-trapping activities along the Arkansas, White, and St. Fransis rivers. The animal population in the park today serves as a reminder of the seemingly unlimited animal populations that attracted hunters over 150 years ago.
Plants:
The land-based portion of the park, 117 hectares, is characterized by terrace landscapes, flat terrain, and various stands of upland and lowland hardwoods. Bayous and swamps are interspersed throughout the area. Manicured lawns, prairie, and tall-grass areas also exist within the Park. As such, an abundance of flora and fauna resides both on land and in water. Moore Bayou and Post Bayou lie along the north/northwest border and Post Bend Lake, a backwater of the Arkansas River, lies on the north and northeastern border. Both bayous, as well as the backwater, empty into the Arkansas River, which borders the southern edge of the Park. Arkansas Post is the site of over 300 years of European occupation. Consequently, the land-based portion presents a mosaic of different successional stands. Of the twelve general vegetation types delineated, the Superintendent has designated five (excluding mowed areas) as high visitor use areas. They are the oak/pine, oak/hickory, oak/mixed, sweetgum, and tallgrass types. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
| Be the 1st to Review Arkansas Post National Memorial. You can rate it, post a comment on it, or do both. |
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| History of the Area: |
| Arkansas Post's three-hundred year history is a rich and complex story. Diverse peoples, including the Quapaw Indians, European explorers such as De Soto and La Salle, hunters and traders all contributed to making Arkansas Post an important frontier outpost from the 1680s to the late 1700s. Transferred to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase, Arkansas Post was transformed from a sleepy French community to a bustling town during the two years it served as capital of the Arkansas Territory.
While little visible remains of this vibrant place in American history survive, Arkansas Post has many stories to tell. The following links explore various aspects of the history of Arkansas Post: |
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| | Note to Park related businesses:
List your vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental or any other park related activity, park related attraction or park related service on Google or StateParks.com. (more).... |
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| Related Links: |
| Vicksburg Campaign Photo Album - Arkansas Post National Memorial - Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center (3-97) Return to Memphis-Duckport Canal Return to Arkansas Post Return to Vicksburg Campaign Photo Album | | Arkansas Post National Memorial (Fort Hindman) site photos - Arkansas Post (Fort Hindman) site photos ... Arkansas Post National Memorial (Fort Hindman) 1999 NPS Map Battle of Arkansas Post Engraving NPS Aerial Photos (3-97) Site of Fort Hindman. Site Marker ... | | Arkansas Public Lands: Arkansas Post National Memorial - Arkansas Public Lands: Arkansas Post National Memorial ... Visitor-Center Picnic Water Sports Wildlife Viewing Arkansas Post National Memorial Arkansas Post National Memorial 1741 Old Post ... | | The Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial In Arkansas - Calendar - Arkansas Post National Memori - Calendar of events during Arkansas Bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase ... Arkansas Post National Memorial For more information regarding this event, please contact Ed Wood, Superintendent, Arkansas ... | | Arkansas Post National Memorial - Arkansas Post National Memorial Overview. | | Arkansas Post, National Memorial - Arkansas Post, National Memorial ... 229 miles)Shiloh (260 miles) Contact Information for Arkansas Post National Memorial Arkansas Post National Memorial 1741 Old Post Road Gillett, AR 72055 ... |
| Nature Programs: |
| Junior Ranger Program:
A Junior Ranger program is available for children ages 7 - 12. In order to become a junior ranger at Arkansas Post, you must: 1.) Tour the visitor center and watch the park film. 2.) Hike the nature trail and take a self-guided tour of the historic town site. 3.) Complete five activities in the Junior Ranger Workbook. |
| Directions: |
| Plane - Little Rock, 100 miles to the northwest, is serviced by an international airport.
Car - Arkansas Post National Memorial is located in southeastern Arkansas. The entrance to the park is on Arkansas state road 169, nine miles south of Gillett, via U.S. 165 (The Great River Road), and about 17 miles northeast of Dumas, via U.S. 165.
FROM THE NORTH (Little Rock, AR): From Interstate 40 turn onto Interstate 30 south. South of Little Rock, exit onto Interstate 530 and continue to Pine Bluff. When Interstate 530 ends, exit to Highway 65. Follow Highway 65 to Gould, AR and turn left onto State Road 212. When 212 ends, turn left onto Highway 165, and cross over the Arkansas River. Continue on 165 for five miles, and turn right on State Road 169. Follow 169 two miles into the park.
FROM THE SOUTH (Lake Village, AR / Greenville, MS / Monroe, LA): Follow Highway 65 or 165 north to Dumas, AR. In Dumas, turn right at the stoplight onto Highway 165, and continue north for about 18 miles. Turn right onto State Road 169 and follow 169 two miles into the park.
FROM THE EAST (Helena, AR): Head west on Highway 49. Turn onto State Road 1 at Marvell, and continue on 1 until De Witt. In De Witt State Road 1 merges into Highway 165. From De Witt, follow 165 about 20 miles. Turn left onto State Road 169 and follow 169 two miles into the park.
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