Crowley's Ridge State Park is a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 in northeastern Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

 managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

Crowley's Ridge State Park is located at the former homesite of the original settler of the area, Benjamin Crowley

Benjamin Crowley

Benjamin Crowley II was an early settler of Arkansas.Crowley was born in Halifax County, Virginia. He was the son of Benjamin Crowley I and Sarah Strong. By 1787, he was living in Oglethorpe County, Georgia where the Crowley and Strong families had migrated. On December 15, 1795, he married...

. The park is located atop Crowley's Ridge

Crowley's Ridge

Crowley's Ridge is an unusual geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most prominent feature in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain between Cape...

 near Paragould, Arkansas

Paragould, Arkansas

-Health & Education:Paragould is home to Arkansas State University Paragould, Arkansas Northeastern College, Black River Technical College, and Crowley's Ridge College. Paragould has two public school districts, the Greene County Technical School District and the Paragould School District, as well...

.

The park was originally constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

 and the original stone and log structures give the park a rustic feel. The park offers a 31 acres (12.5 ha) fishing lake originally constructed by the Arkansas National Guard

Arkansas National Guard

The Arkansas National Guard comprises both Army and Air components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status...

 and which is well stocked with channel catfish

Channel catfish

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

 and largemouth bass

Largemouth bass

The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...

 by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The park also has a 3 acres (1.2 ha) spring

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

-fed swimming lake which is one of the most popular swimming areas in Arkansas.

The park has modern cabins with kitchens, picnic areas, a dining hall, snack bar, and other amenities. The park also provides group accommodations for up to 60 person groups. Crowley's Ridge State Park is consistently one of the most visited state parks in the Arkansas park system.

The bathhouse, bridge, comfort station, and dining hall are listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

External links

• Crowley's Ridge State Park - official site
• Crowley's Ridge State Park - Encyclopedia of Arkansas information