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Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area

Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area
20201 East Highway 12
479-789-5000

Arkansas's largest state park in land area, Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (HSPCA) covers a 12,056-acre tract of diverse Ozark landscape along the southern shore of 28,370-acre Beaver Lake. Twenty-two of the park’s 60 miles of border stretch along the shores of Beaver Lake. The park lies between Beaver Lake to the north and War Eagle Creek to the south with acreage stretching across a part of Benton County southeast of Beaver Lake and extending into Madison and Carroll counties.
 
This park's landscape consists of plateaus, ridges, valleys, and streams featuring an upland forest of oak, hickory and pine. Many water features including disappearing streams, springs and seeps have carved the many hollows in this fragile limestone landscape and created cave-related features including numerous sinkholes.

HSPCA is managed jointly by Arkansas State Parks, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The park is 10 miles east of Rogers on Ark. 12, which bisects the park property.
 
The park's 17,531-square-foot visitor center opened in May 2009. This $4.5 million, state-of-the-art facility features Ozark focused exhibits including interactive kiosks, classroom space, a retail sales area, and the park's administrative offices. Wi-Fi wireless Internet access is available here. The visitor center is on Ark. 12 near the junction with War Eagle Road. Details about the visitor center are listed in this news release.
 
Park interpreters offer a wide diversity of programs and workshops throughout the year.
 
The park includes a wide variety of trails. The Historic Van Winkle Trail is a half-mile trail that leads hikers through a tunnel under Ark. 12 to the site of the historic Van Winkle lumber mill and home in Van Winkle Hollow on the West Fork of Little Clifty Creek. View the remnants of a sawmill and an antebellum garden owned by Peter Van Winkle during the 19th century. Beginning in the 1840s and continuing throughout his life, Van Winkle acquired approximately 17,000 acres of land throughout Washington, Benton, Madison, and Carroll counties by filing for land patents and purchasing foreclosed land. The tunnel and associated walkways were designed to provide barrier-free access to the historic site. Wayside interpretive panels along the trail provide hikers with information about this historic area. The trailhead features a parking lot large enough to accommodate three school buses or recreational vehicles and 18 automobiles. Water fountains and a composting toilet are located adjacent to the parking area.


Recent News

Follow the Yellow Brick Road at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area with Living Forest: The Wizard of Hobbs

Rogers, AR - Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area will host its annual Living Forest event on Saturday, Oct. 25, with sessions from 10 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. This year’s theme, The Wizard of Hobbs, invites families to experience the…

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Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area Brings Dr. J.D. Wilson to Talk About Terrific Arkansas Turtles

ROGERS, AR - At 2 p.m., Sunday, September 21, 2025, Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area brings Dr. J.D. Wilson from the University of Arkansas to speak about our Arkansas turtles, and who doesn’t like these shelled critters found all over our…

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Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area September Weekend Programs

Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area, September, 2024 Event Schedule: Most programs/events are free and will meet at the Visitor Center unless otherwise noted. Call the park office at 479.789.5000 or visit the Friends of Hobbs State Park…

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Wonders of Winter Wildlife (WOWW) at Hobbs State Park

Special Event: W.O.W.W.! (Wonders of Winter Wildlife): Cure your cabin fever with this special event at the Hobbs Visitor Center! Everyone is welcome to partake in a hot beverage and make s’more at the pavilion. Event sponsors: Bluebird Shed…

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