State Parks closing lodges at four locations due to COVID-19

Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism (ADPHT), announced Tuesday (March 24) that the agency is closing the lodges at four of its state parks, effective at 8 a.m. Monday, March 23, through Friday, April 17, 2020.

The lodges to close are located at:

• DeGray Lake Resort State Park
• Mount Magazine State Park
• Petit Jean State Park
• Queen Wilhelmina State Park

Cabins and campgrounds will remain open, and carry-out service at park restaurants will remain available.

Guests will still be able to utilize park trails and other outdoor amenities.

Guests will receive cancellations by email. Any deposits to the parks will be refunded and any lodge-based fees will be waived. Questions about reservation cancellation should be made to the parks directly.

Closings previously announced on March 20 and 21:

Welcome Centers – Lobbies of the 13 Welcome Centers located around the state, which serve the traveling public, are closed until further notice.

Heritage Museums and Archives – The Division of Arkansas Heritage’s Little Rock museums are closed to the public until further notice. This includes Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and Old State House Museum. The State Archives locations at Little Rock, Old Washington and Powhatan are closed

Arkansas State Parks – Access to certain park facilities will be limited, effective March 20.

Park visitor centers are only accessible for camping/lodging check-in, and trail access, but exhibits and gift shops will be closed.

The diamond search area at Crater of Diamonds State Park is closed.

All interpretive programming, events, and workshops are canceled until further notice.