January Events Taking Place in the Arkansas River Valley

Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Tourism

Note to the Print and Broadcast Media: In order to better serve your needs and to keep you from getting extremely long documents from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, we have decided to break down our Travelin’ Arkansas release into regions organized by date. This way you will be able to look only at the areas you are interested in covering. The territories covered in Travelin' Arkansas adhere to the six geographical regions found in the Arkansas Tour Guide. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: [email protected] or 501-682-7606.

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Celebrate the beginning of the New Year with a new tradition, the Lake Fort Smith State Park Crunch & Munch Fete on Jan. 1. Be prepared to crunch through leaves as you hike the trail to the Shepherd Springs homestead site. This is an easy to moderate, three-mile round trip hike. Expect to be on the trail for at least three hours. Once back at the visitor center, you can enjoy munching at a potluck dinner. The event is free but you should bring a dish to pass around. Reservations must be made by Dec. 31 by calling 479-369-2469.The park is located in Mountainburg. Visit www.arkansasstateparks.com for additional information.

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For the best chance of seeing the American Bald Eagle, take the Lake Dardanelle State Park winter lake cruise on Jan. 6, 8, 11, 12, 18, 22, 26, or 29 in Russellville.

Many other spectacular birds will be in the area for viewing, including White Pelicans, Snow Geese, and Osprey. Dress very warmly as temperatures and winds are much more severe on the lake. Also, in case of inclement weather, call one hour before tour time for possible cancellations. The eagle tour is free. Call 479-967-5516 for details.

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“Soup Du Jour” is the topic of the Jan. 8 and 22 Saturday Chef’s Series at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton. Chef Jason Neidhardt of Boulevard Bread Company teaches how to correctly prepare base stocks from fish and shellfish, vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, and beef. You learn how to prepare weather-appropriate soups using seasonal ingredients. Call 501-727-5435 for program details and reservations or visit www.uawri.org/educational-programs/culinary-arts/saturday-chefs-series.

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Eagle Awareness Weekend at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton is set for Jan. 15-16. Planned programs include field trips to nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge to look for wintering Eagles and other birds. Contact the park at 501-727-5441 for a detailed schedule.