More expansion planned at Lake Fort Smith State Park

story and photos by Roy Hill

The new version of Lake Fort Smith state park reopened last year, and already there are plans for more improvements and expansions.

"Next month (August), well be taking four bids to build a second group lodge and dining hall facility to be open by next summer," said Ron Gossage, park superintendent. "There are also plans to build 10 new cabins, and eventually expand that number to 14 total."

The second group lodge will go near the Wild Turkey Lodge, which will temporarily close because of the nearby construction. The cost estimate for the new lodge and dining hall is $3 million.

"The lodge right now sleeps 32," Gossage said. "The next one will have more semi-private rooms and will sleep 28. The dining hall will seat up to 120.”

Gossage has seen 175,000 visitors in the park since its reopening, and hopes that trend continues.

"The best thing since the reopening has been getting folks back out to enjoy the park," Gossage explained. "We want to let folks see where their tax money and city money went to build the park back."

The city of Fort Smith contributed $12 million to the initial $22 million cost to build the new park after the previous park was swallowed up on the Lake Fort Smith expansion. The new park features a visitor center with interpretative displays on the history, ecology and biology of the Ozark Mountain region, as well as classrooms and meeting spaces and a gift shop.

"We have a lot of interpretative programs about the history and settlement of this area. Not just Lake Fort Smith, but the Fort Smith region. The most popular programs seem to be the ‘Critter Crunch’ program where they feed the animals on display in the center, and courses on GPS and geocaching,” Gossage said.

Near the visitor center is a swimming area with a deep pool, a kiddie pool and a water-park-style fountain zone, along with campsites, boat ramps, a bait and snack shop, and marina where several kinds of boats are available for rent.

"According to the visitor comments we get, they enjoy the campsites and the marina, and the comments on the visitor center show it’s well received. We get a lot of student groups from area high schools at the visitor center and the outdoor classroom area,” he said.

Gossage thinks the long planning process prior to the park’s reopening minimized problems and challenges for the facility because it allowed them to look at more scenarios and interests and work those things into the new park structure. The planning has resulted in revenue generation for the park and for the Arkansas State Park system in general.

"Over the last year, the park generated $265,000 for the state park system," Gossage said. "Down at the marina, the rentals of the kayaks and canoes and pontoon and other boats alone generated about $40,000, not counting bait and snack sales."

The new boat launch ramp is located next to the old Lake Shepherd Springs dam, with sections of the old dam still visible above the new lake’s surface. The mile or so of woodland stream that separated the old Lake Shepherd Springs from the old Lake Fort Smith is a now a broad expanse of dark green water reflecting the rounded Ozark mountains that surround it.

Soon, people will be able to view the lake without visiting the park, as there are plans for a Web cam at the scenic overlook just below the visitor’ center.

"We hope to have the webcam up within 90 days or so," Gossage said. "The view is really great in the fall when the leaves change color."

Gossage, who has been with the park since 1973, hopes those who remember the old Lake Fort Smith park will also enjoy the newer version of the park.

"We just want people to come out and see what changes we’ve made. We lost history at the old park, but we are trying to give people an opportunity to make new memories here."