Craighead Forest Park

Crowley's Ridge is one of the most unusual landforms in the country, a narrow band of hills rising up to two hundred feet above the flat Delta and running for well over a hundred miles from southeast Missouri down through northeast Arkansas. It is capped by a thick layer of loess, a fine wind-blown soil deposited during the ice ages, which gives the ridge its distinctive rolling shape.

Because it stands high and dry above the surrounding lowlands, the ridge supports forests and plant communities more like those farther east than like the Delta around it. Craighead Forest Park sits squarely on this ridge, and its wooded hills are a direct product of that odd geology, an island of upland forest in a sea of farm fields.

The park was developed as a public forest and recreation ground to serve the growing city of Jonesboro, preserving a large tract of ridge woodland close to town. Over the decades it gained a lake, trails, pavilions, and playgrounds, becoming the region's most popular park and a fixture of local life.

It fills the role every good city needs, a big, accessible green space where people come to walk, fish, picnic, and simply be outdoors. Families hold reunions in its pavilions, cyclists loop its lake, and runners and walkers use its trails year round, all within a few minutes of downtown Jonesboro.

At the center of the park lies a scenic lake, ringed by a paved trail that draws walkers, runners, and cyclists throughout the day. Anglers fish its banks and launch small boats and kayaks, and the water reflects the surrounding hardwoods in a way that makes the whole park feel restful.

Beyond the lake loop, trails wind up into the wooded ridge, offering longer walks and rides through the shade. The mix of easy lakeside strolling and hillier forest paths suits everyone from families with strollers to cyclists looking for a workout, all under the canopy of the ridge.

The ridge forest brings wildlife close, with songbirds in the canopy, waterfowl on the lake, squirrels and deer in the woods, and turtles and fish in the water. Spring fills the woods with blossom and birdsong, and fall turns the hardwoods gold and red, a display all the more striking against the surrounding flat farmland.

Summer is hot and humid, best enjoyed in the shade or on the water, while spring and fall are ideal for the trails. The park pairs naturally with Jonesboro's other attractions, the wide-ranging university museum and the Crowley's Ridge nature center nearby, making the city a rewarding stop on a Delta or ridge journey.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Craighead Forest Park, in Jonesboro in northeastern Arkansas, is a beloved and expansive city park set in a forest on the slopes of Crowley's Ridge, offering a scenic lake and a wealth of outdoor recreation. The large park features a pretty lake for fishing, paddling, and swimming, along with wooded hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, a beach, camping, and beautiful forest scenery on the unusual ridge landscape. A wonderful green retreat and recreation destination for the Jonesboro area, it delights families and outdoor lovers. With its lake and forest, Craighead Forest Park offers a delightful destination in Arkansas.

You can fish, paddle, and swim at the lake, hike and bike the wooded trails, relax at the beach, picnic, let children enjoy the playgrounds, camp, and take in the forest scenery on Crowley's Ridge. The lake recreation, the wooded trails, the beach and playgrounds, and the beautiful forest setting are the draws, making it a versatile and family-friendly park. Its variety of activities suits many interests. With its lake and trails, Craighead Forest Park offers a rewarding experience in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

The warm months of late spring through early fall are ideal for lake recreation, swimming, and the beach, with summer the peak season, while spring and fall offer pleasant weather for the trails and picnicking, and fall brings beautiful foliage to the wooded ridge. For lake and beach recreation choose the warm season, or visit in spring or fall for the trails and pleasant weather, at Craighead Forest Park in Arkansas.

Yes, Craighead Forest Park is a wonderful family destination, with a lake for swimming and paddling, a beach, playgrounds, wooded trails, picnic areas, and camping that delight children and adults alike. Families enjoy the lake, the beach, the playgrounds, and the outdoor recreation in the scenic forest setting, making it a favorite outing in the Jonesboro area. Bringing sun protection and picnic supplies helps in the warm months. With its lake, beach, and trails, Craighead Forest Park makes an excellent family destination in Arkansas.

Craighead Forest Park is in Jonesboro in northeastern Arkansas, within reach of the Arkansas State University Museum, the Forrest L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center, Crowley's Ridge State Park, and the northeastern Arkansas region. That makes Craighead Forest Park a delightful stop to combine with the Crowley's Ridge attractions and the other sights of the Jonesboro area on a visit to Arkansas.