Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Announces Limits on Camping at State Parks
For more information, contact Melissa Whitfield, (501) 324-9611 or Melissa.whitfiel
LITTLE ROCK—Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT), today announced ADPHT is limiting use of campgrounds to RVs with self-contained bathrooms. Primitive camping areas for backpackers are available at Cane Creek State Park, Hobbs State Park-Conservatio
Cabins at Arkansas State Parks remain available for rental, and access to trails are open. Day use of the parks is still available for walking, hiking, biking, fishing and other outdoor activities.
“We are making this difficult decision to further limit use of our State Parks in order to help slow the spread of the coronavirus,” said Hurst. “Cabin rentals and day use of our State Parks remain open and available to the public. We ask that our visitors follow the CDC and Governor’s directives to not gather in groups of more than 10 people.”
Any deposits to the parks will be refunded and any fees will be waived. Questions about reservation cancellation should be made to the parks directly.
Closings previously announced:
Welcome Centers – Lobbies of the 13 Welcome Centers located around the state, which serve the traveling public, are closed until further notice.
Heritage Museums and Archives – The Division of Arkansas Heritage’s Little Rock museums are closed to the public until further notice. This includes Delta Cultural Center, Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and Old State House Museum. The State Archives locations at Little Rock, Old Washington and Powhatan are closed
Arkansas State Parks – Access to certain park facilities will be limited, effective March 20. Below is an overview; for detailed information visit ArkansasStatePar
- Lodges are closed at DeGray Lake Resort State Park, Mount Magazine State Park, Petit Jean State Park and Queen Wilhelmina State Park
- Park visitor centers are accessible for cabin check-in and trail access, but exhibits and gift shops will be closed.
- The diamond search area at Crater of Diamonds State Park is closed.
- Cabins and RV camp sites remain open. Daily housekeeping will not be provided. After a stay is over, the room will be cleaned and sanitized for the next guest, using Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
- Restaurants are open for carry-out only.
- Trails, picnic areas, and outdoor pavilions remain open.
- Groups holding reservations should contact the park. Group size, meeting location, etc., will affect the ability for events to proceed.
- Museum parks with trails restricted to trail access only. Museum parks without trails will provide limited access to exhibits. Gift shops are closed.
- Playgrounds are closed.
- Marinas and boat ramps remain open with availability of rental equipment that will be sanitized following each use. Gift shops will be closed.
- DeGray Lake Resort State Park golf course remains open. The pro shop is open to accept golf fees only. Gift shop and club rentals are closed. Cart rentals continue and are cleaned and sanitized between rentals.
- All interpretive programming, events and workshops are canceled until further notice.
ADPHT has three major divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism. Arkansas State Parks manages 52 state parks and promotes Arkansas as a tourist destination for people around the country. Arkansas Heritage preserves and promotes Arkansas’s natural and cultural history and heritage through four historic museums and four cultural preservation agencies. Arkansas Tourism improves the state’s economy by generating travel and enhancing the image of the state.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.