Attractions in Arkansas' Delta

Arkansas Post National Memorial/Arkansas Post Museum State Park -- The memorial, a National Park Service unit, commemorates the first permanent European settlement (1686) in the Mississippi River's lower valley. In 1819, Arkansas Post became Arkansas' first territorial capital and it was the scene of a major Civil War engagement in 1863. A walking tour with informational panels and a short film and exhibits in the memorial's visitors center interpret the site. The nearby state museum houses a broad collection of artifacts and materials relating to the Post and to agricultural and pioneer life in the nearby area. The museum is located six miles south of Gillett at the junction of U.S. 165 and Ark. 169, and the memorial lies two miles to the east at the end of Ark. 169. National memorial: (870) 548-2207; www.nps.gov/arpo/. State museum: (870) 548-2634; www.ArkansasStateParks.com/arkansaspostmuseum.

ASU Museum/Convocation Center -- One of the finest exhibits in the mid-South awaits visitors at Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro. And, a few blocks across campus, the ASU Convocation Center is an impressive sports and entertainment complex that hosts everything from major track and basketball events to headline concerts and national conventions. The museum features displays from around the world, a priceless glass collection, Native American and pioneer artifacts, natural history and regional geology, plus archeological examples that include a full-sized mastodon. Museum: (870) 972-2074. Convocation Center: (870) 972-3870; www.astate.edu.

Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge -- Since 1915, Big Lake has preserved more than 11,000 acres of Delta habitat for wildlife and water conservation. The refuge, with headquarters at 2274 Ark. 18, near Manila, offers wildlife watching opportunities, fishing, nature walks, driving tours and limited small game hunting. An eagle sanctuary is located in the refuge. For a free guide booklet, call (870) 564-2429 or visit http://biglake.fws.gov.

Crowley's Ridge Nature Center -- The second of four educational facilities planned in Arkansas, the three-story Jonesboro center opened in 2004. The $4.3-million project includes exhibits on the history of the Ridge, topographical models and a 30-foot-long satellite photo of the unique land mass, plus an observation tower, duck hunting display, theater, meeting room, natural prairie preserve, and a trail looping a lake. Located off Lawson Road and Ark. 141, south of Jonesboro. 870-933-6787. www.crowleysridge.org

Crowley's Ridge Parkway -- Designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998, the route winds through the only "highlands" in the state's Mississippi Delta country. Colorful highway signs point the way from near Piggott to Helena, a 200-mile route that provides panoramic views of the vast agri-industry of eastern Arkansas and the unique recreational opportunities along the Ridge. The parkway passes by or near five state parks, a national forest, the former home and writing studio of Ernest Hemingway, museums, historic sites and great shopping. For more information about the parkway region, call (870) 910-8080 or visit www.byways.com.

Great River Road -- The GRR shadows the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Arkansas' portion of the route, which was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2002, travels the flat terrain of the nation's largest alluvial plain as well as an extraordinary strip of elevated ground known as Crowley's Ridge. At stops on and near Arkansas' GRR, travelers can explore the rich heritage of eastern Arkansas' Delta region, including remnants of its original hardwood forest landscape, Native Americans, the Civil War and more. The Arkansas Delta Byways tourism website, www.deltabyways.com, provides comprehensive GRR information. Free brochures can be ordered via the website, by phone at (870) 910-8080 or by mail at Arkansas Delta Byways, P. O. Box 2050, State University, AR 72467.

Helena/Delta Cultural Center -- Exhibits at the Delta Cultural Center in the historic Mississippi River port of Helena interpret the natural and human history of Arkansas' Delta region. Included are interactive audio and video exhibits chronicling the rise of Delta blues and gospel music. Other Helena highlights include the Phillips County Museum (established in 1929 with fundraising help from Mark Twain) and the Pillow-Thompson House, one of the South's finest examples of Queen Anne architecture. Delta Cultural Center: 141-43 Cherry St., 1-800-358-0922, www.deltaculturalcenter.com. Phillips County Museum: 623 Pecan St., (870) 338-7790. Pillow-Thompson House: Perry and Beech Sts., (870) 338-8535, www.pccua.edu/pillowthompson.

Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center -- Visitors to the center step back to the 1930s and tour the restored home and barn studio where Ernest Hemingway penned portions of "A Farewell to Arms" and other works. Original furnishings and memorabilia related to his extended visits to the childhood home of his wife, Pauline, add to the interest in this early 20th-century home in Piggott. (870) 598-1037; http://hemingway.astate.edu.

Lake Chicot -- A former main channel of the Mississippi River, Lake Chicot is Arkansas' largest natural lake and the largest oxbow lake in North America. The lake and its environs are one of the state's top-rated birding areas. Lake Chicot State Park, located on the northeastern shore of the 20-mile-long lake, offers cabins, campsites, boat rentals and barge tours of the lake for sunset and wildlife viewing. On Ark. 144, eight miles northeast of Lake Village. (870) 265-5480; www.ArkansasStateParks.com/lakechicot.

Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park -- This small state park preserves a rare headwater swamp and a granite marker denoting the initial point, designated a National Historic Landmark, from which land surveys of U.S. territory acquired from France via the 1803 Louisiana Purchase were measured. Designated a National Recreation Trail, the park's 950-foot boardwalk features panels relating the story of the purchase, the survey and the swamp. The park is located at the end of Ark. 362 two miles east from U.S. 49 about 19 miles southeast of Brinkley and about 30 miles northwest of Helena. To request a free park brochure, phone 1-888-AT-PARKS (toll-free). www.ArkansasStateParks.com/louisianapurchase.

Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie -- At the time of pioneer settlement, Arkansas' largest tall-grass prairie covered most of two counties and parts of two others. Starting in the early 20th century, it was converted into the nation's most productive rice-growing region and its waterfowl hunting became nationally renowned. The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie in Stuttgart, a town founded by German immigrants in the late 1870s, presents the heritage of the region and town. Fourth and Park Sts. (870) 673-7001; www.stuttgartmuseum.org.

St. Francis National Forest -- This small national forest (approximately 21,000 acres) is located mostly atop Crowley's Ridge, but it also is one of only two national forests below the Mississippi River's headwaters with frontage on the stream. Recreational opportunities include camping and fishing on two scenic lakes. Abundant wildlife readily seen in the forest includes whitetail deer, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, wild turkey and a wide variety of other birds. Alligators are sometimes seen on ponds and oxbows in the forest's lower terrain. Plans are underway for a Mississippi River State Park to be located within the forest. Southeast of Marianna. (870) 295-5278; www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark.

Southland Greyhound Park -- One of the largest greyhound racing facilities in the world is located in West Memphis, Ark. Features include year-round racing schedules, restaurants, a game room for children, and simulcast facilities. Interstate 40 and Interstate 55 at Ingram Blvd. 1-800-467-6182; www.southlandgreyhound.com.

White River National Wildlife Refuge -- This 160,000-acre refuge in east-central Arkansas includes the nation's largest contiguous block of bottomland hardwood forest under a single ownership. A new visitors center opened in 2003 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the nation's refuge system. Exhibits cover such topics as a historic timeline of the area, fish and wildlife, bottomland hardwood forests and forest management, soil composition, hydrology and birds and migratory flyways. The center is located off Ark. 1 about a quarter mile south of St. Charles. (870) 946-1468; http://whiteriver.fws.gov.