When summer heat nears 100 degrees, you have to get some altitude to escape it, and that means heading for the mountains.
Two great places for mountain recreation in Arkansas are Devils Den State Park near Winslow and Queen Wilhelmina State Park near Mena.
My adventuring partner and I visited Queen Wilhelmina State Park over the Independence Day weekend. The temperatures in the lowlands were in the high 90s and above 100 degrees in places. Queen Wilhelmina State Park, which sits atop 2,681-foot Rich Mountain, was positively autumnal at 84 degrees on a day with low humidity and a stiff wind.
For anybody who has read "The Chronicles of Narnia," by C.S. Lewis, Rich Mountain is how I imagine Archenland, which borders Narnia to the south. It's not quite heaven but it's close, especially in the summertime. A day like July 2 was perfect for a day on the park's four trails. The most prominent is the Ouachita National Recreation Trail, which starts near Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Little Rock. Queen Wilhelmina State Park is near the trail's terminus at Talimena State Park in Oklahoma. This part of the trail is very steep and rocky, with frequent and dramatic elevation changes.
The 1.3-mile Lover's Leap Trail is a walk of moderate difficulty that offers some spectacular vistas of the forested expanses below. The Spring Trail and Reservoir Trail are each less than 1 mile long. The Spring Trail is easy. The Reservoir Trail is moderate.
For camping, Queen Wilhelmina has 41 campsites, including eight Class A and 27 Class B sites with water and electrical service. There are five tent sites with water, and one hike-in tent site, picnic areas and trails.
Good fishing is also available in the vicinity of Queen Wilhelmina State Park. You can float fish or wade fish for smallmouth bass and Kentucky bass on the upper Ouachita River. Excellent wade fishing is possible in the summer on the Ouachita River at Cherry Hill Access. You can float fish from McGuire Access to Cherry Hill, and from Cherry Hill to Shirley Creek Access. This section of the Ouachita River inspired the late State Sen. Wayne Dowd of Mena to introduce legislation to protect the natural integrity of Arkansas's waterways.
You can fish for bass, bream and catfish at Lake Wilhelmina.
On Friday we took another heat break in the opposite direction to Devil's Den State Park. It rests in the heart of the Boston Mountains, and although its elevation is not nearly as high as Queen Wilhelmina, its trails contain multiple air conditioners from the jets of cold air shooting out from the many caves on the area.
Indeed, Devils' Den encapsulates the region's perforated karst topography that harbors many miles of caves, subterranean passages and cold springs that ripple to the surface throughout the landscape. It is a broken, rocky wasteland containing deep fissures and hollows that are blanketed by a dense hardwood forest composed of oaks and hickories.
Established in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the park contains and preserves the headwaters of Lee Creek, which flows south through Van Buren to its confluence with the Arkansas River. Unlike many Arkansas state parks that boast gleaming, modern visitor centers, the Devil's Den visitor center still resides in a vintage CCC building, giving it a distinctive Adirondack vibe that once defined many Arkansas state parks and national forest campgrounds.
Camping is a wonderful experience at Devil's Den State Park. There are 117 sites, many with water, electricity and sewer service. Hike-in campsites are also available.
If you want more private accommodations, you can rent one of 17 cabins ranging from studio to three-bedrooms. They have fully equipped kitchens. All have air-conditioning and heat.
There are also nine single-room camper cabins that have a queen-size bed, bunk beds, table and chairs. They are heated and air-conditioned, as well, and each has a porch, a grill and fire ring.
The best way to experience Devil's Den State Park is by hiking its 15 trails. They give you an interactive experience with the park's topographic and geologic features. The Butterfield Hiking Trail is the park's signature hike, covering 15 strenuous miles mostly through the Ozark National Forest. Only experienced hikers in excellent physical condition can complete this hike in one day. Overnight hiking requires a permit.
For more information about Devil's Den State Park, visit arkansas.com/west-fork/devils-den-state-park.
For more information about Queen Wilhemina State Park, visit arkansasstateparks.com/parks/queen-wilhelmina-state-park.
A gray squirrel cautiously eyes a photographer Friday at Devil’s Den State Park. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
Trails at Devil’s Den State Park and Queen Wilhelmina State Park are great places to photograph wildflowers. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)
Dripping Springs is among the highlights along the trails in Devil’s Den State Park. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Bryan Hendricks)