arkansas post national memorial

Following the Great River Road through Arkansas brought us to the Post National Memorial. We stopped "just because" it is a National Park. The first thing we noticed on the way in was the water lillies! They were so big and stood so tall above the water that at first we weren't sure if it was a variant species (the ranger assured us they are just water lillies).The park is so quiet and off the "beaten path" that it seems hard to believe it was once the hub of activity in the area! We just had time for a short visit, so centered our activity around the Visitor Center. The film and historical artifacts alone are worth the visit, though we would like to return to spend time hiking the area.

This is a nice little park in a beautiful tranquil setting. It is tucked out of the normal flow of traffic in the state so you have to be determined to see it to get there. In other words it is not on the way to any place.The history of the park is most interesting beginning with the French then the Spanish, the Confederate States, and finally the United States. Arkansas Post was first established in approximately 1886 making it older than New Orleans, which really surprised me.The park has a nice museum, small but well done with a film on the history of the post. I learned the Arkansas Gazette was first published at the Arkansas Post in 1819. A remarkably long history.Most likely the Civil War battle for Arkansas Post was the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi River, another interesting fact I learned while visiting the park. Previously in all my Civil War reading I never knew of a battle for the Arkansas Post.If you are a history buff, well worth the effort to find, travel to, and learn from. Especially so if you are an Arkansan. For you rabid cancellation stamp collectors there are three cancellation stamps to be found there to add to your passport book.

Another National park, naturally a lot of money was sunk into making this place worth visiting. And it is! Excellent orientation video, a ton of history to absorb, topped off with an excellent short hike alongside the river and through a forest. Very fun. Like others have said, it's ultimately a sad story on how a place that used to the economic center for an entire state became abandoned and forgotten as times changed. A cistern and a well is all that remains of the town and the fort is now underwater. So it's not quite the Fort Smith of SE Arkansas but there's still a lot to see and I'm glad I went!

If you are interested in Arkansas history or history in general then you must visit Arkansas Post. This was once the capitol of Arkansas. The visitor center includes an educational movie and many historical artifacts. The park rangers regularly present educational programs on the history of the post and wildlife. If you look you will likely see alligators.

Arkansas Post is a bit out of the way but well worth the visit. Covers the area from pre-colonial times including Native Americans up through the Revolution, Civil War, to present day. The park is in a beautiful, swamp/bluff type setting along the channels and bayous near the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers. The visitors center is very informative and the park is a great place to see the scenery, wildlife and views of the area. Kids did the Junior Ranger program and earned their badges.

I must confess that this park has alot of sentimental value to me. It is one of the first National Parks that I visited and it is a perfect mix of nature (hiking trails and the river) and history (this area saw the American Revolution, the Civil War, and many points in between). Make sure to see the Museum and Gift Shop. Ask the rangers for a Junior Ranger packet to learn more about the park. The film gives a good overview but is cheesy. Time is better spent wandering the beautiful area and basking in the history.

I was heading south from Pine Bluff to Vicksburg and decided to stop at Arkansas Post National Memorial on the way. It was about a ten minute drive off the highway and is located on the banks of the Arkansas River. The area is swampy, flat, with trees covered in Spanish moss, and houses a growing population of about a dozen alligators. When I was there on a Tuesday there were no other people on the property except the staff and one lone fisherman. The museum is first-rate and has an excellent orientation film. I walked the paths of a city that has disappeared long ago, meeting some of the current inhabitants, white tail deer. The Confederate trenches from January 1863 are still visible and are on the battlefield. The main Confederate earthwork fort lies offshore under a dozen feet or water. This would be a great place for a family outing, a fishing party, or just walking the trails. It is a bit isolated and free from development. Altogether I had a great time.

Having lived in the area many years, it is one of the places we took our children to for outings. Nice place to see wildlife and have a picnic.

Arkansas Post National Memorial is dedicated to the settlement that existed there and other locations since the 1600's. It also commenerates the January 1863 battle that took place there that because of the hugh numbers of soldiers who fought there made it the largest city west of the Mississippi for a few days. Most of what is covered there is about the early post and not much is mentioned about the battle. Probably because little still exists of the original battlefield and nothing of the fort. It is a shame because those who died there are nearly forgotten. The town of Arkansas Post is marked as well as the history of it. There is much nature to be observed and the visitors center is well maintained and the Rangers friendly. Summer is not a good time to visit if you are going into the woods. If you do use Off or other insect repellants as ticks are abundant. Also look out for snakes. Near creeks beware that alligators do exist. Still in all it is a great place to visit.

If in the southeastern corner of the state, great place to start a road trip touring Arkansas History.

We have only visited the memorial once, but always wanted to go back and spend more time there.

My father and I stopped here because our one of our ancestors fought in the Battle of Arkansas Post during the Civil War. The post itself has a limited amount of information about the civil war, but it does contain a number of different things because the area wasn't only used in the civil war, but prior to it by the French and Spanish for trade and commerce along the river. The Fort itself is not viewable as it has been completely submerged by the River, and has been submerged since the early 1900's. The movie played inside is actually very good, tells the history in a story manner through which a father is teaching his son while out camping together. The rangers at this park were helpful in gathering data for us but I would not consider them experts on the history of the Civil war in the area, but this is also because they need to know history from a lot of other eras. Overall I give this a 3 stars because it is a nice stop if you are in the area, but considering how remote the location is I wouldn't make it a priority.