Bonnie

We visited here while camping at Maumelle campground. It’s a rocky trail but a fun way to wear out our pup. Recommend.

We chose the KOA campground because it is adjacent to this park. The construction in the park and in the campground meant we had to jump a construction fence, but still a great place to walk our pup. In Feb, they still had Christmas lights up which was awesome! From here you can get to the greenway that follows the river towards The Island or cross the bridge and walk the sidewalk on the other side.

This is a great place to take a pup in training to watch the world go by. Aisles are wide. There are also a couple of benches near the fish tanks.

We are staying across the park at the KOA and called ahead to make sure our pup was welcome. It was the off-season and she received snuggles from all the employees including treats and a cup of water from the bar. Free moonshine samples for pup parents and we stopped in their small bar to sit down and have a cocktail. This will be a nightly happy hour stop while we’re here on vacation.

We enjoyed our Sunday family hike. We parked near the dam and even though it was busy, we were able to park and it didn’t feel crowded. Multiple options. We did the 1.8 mile loop and it was well marked. See the map near the bridge. Recommend.

We visited in the winter so parking options near trailheads are by the ball fields or the water park. See the Visitor’s Center in town for a map.

We brought home our first puppy while working as Camphosts in Babler’s campground. I can honestly say this is a great park to visit with your dog! Lot’s of hiking trails to explore or just walk the road. The old tennis courts down by the old swimming pool is a great place to do some off-leash training (we bring a baby gate). No admittance fee.

Nearly 20 miles of marked trails within the boundary of the state park provide great views of our Southern Appalachian Forest, and a direct access to the Appalachian Trail.