Village Creek State Park encompasses nearly 7,000 acres of beautiful forested hills and clear streams to create an environment found nowhere else in Arkansas. There are 33 miles of multi-use trails, campgrounds with bathhouses, an equestrian campground with stable facilities (includes class B campsites), 10 cabins, two lakes, a day-use area with pavilions and picnic sites, outdoor and indoor theaters, a small museum, and a visitor center with a gift shop. Interpretive programs are available year-round. You can walk on a segment of the Trail of Tears as part of the trails.
The park features an Andy Dye-designed 27-hole championship golf course, the Ridges at Village Creek. This public course features MiniVerde Bermuda greens and Tiff 419 Bermuda tees and fairways. Three distinct nines offer outstanding golfing with water coming into play on 12 holes. The Ridges at Village Creek has been rated the #1 golf course you can play in Arkansas 2018 by Golfweek Magazine. Open daily, facilities include a full-service clubhouse with pro shop, snack bar, and full driving range. Golf carts are included with greens fee.
Camping
There are 96 campsites near Lake Dunn. Included are 24 Premium A sites, five Standard A sites, and 67 Standard B sites (equestrian camp features all Standard B sites.) Each offers dual voltage electrical outlets, freeze-proof water hookups, a table, and grill. Five modern bathhouses, two sanitary trailer stations, a swimming beach, playground, boat dock, and launch ramp are in or near the campgrounds.
Fishing and Boating
Village Creek contains Lake Dunn and Lake Austell. Lake Dunn has a bait shop and dock where fishing boats, electric motors, kayaks, and pedal boats can be rented. Boat rentals are available on weekends in April and May, and Tuesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Both lakes offer swim beaches and are stocked with bass, bream, crappie, and channel catfish. (Note: The lakes are restricted to electric motors.)
Day Use Facilities
Spacious picnic areas with tables, grills, water, and modern bathhouses are featured in the Lake Austell Day Use Area. A playground and swimming beach overlook the lake. There are four rental pavilions in the picnic area. Call or come by the visitor center to reserve these popular facilities.
Visitor Center
The visitor center includes an A/V theater, store, gift shop, and offices. The adjacent Discovery Room features exhibits on the geologic and cultural history, as well as some of the common wildlife, of Crowley's Ridge. There is also a display on the four Indian nations forced move to land in Oklahoma, making their trek along the Memphis to Little Rock Road. This became the Bell Route of the Trail of Tears, a portion of which is preserved in the park. An auditorium next to the Discovery Room is used for musical performances and special events. It is also available for rent.
Golf
The Ridges at Village Creek, the park's Andy Dye signature golf course, features the rolling terrain of Crowley's Ridge, dramatic elevation changes, and the backdrop of the surrounding hardwood forest. The 27-hole course offers challenging championship play. Call the pro shop for tee times: (870) 238-5226.
Other Facilities
Hospitals, motels, restaurants, and other facilities are nearby in Wynne and Forrest City.
Trails
The Big Ben Nature Trail meanders ne-half mile along Village Creek. A self-guided trail information brochure is available at the visitor center.
The Austell Hiking Trail extends over one mile from the visitor center to the picnic area through lush forest and some of the park’s most rugged and scenic terrain Five more miles of hiking trails, in addition to 25 miles of multi-use (horseback, mountain biking, and hiking) trails, lead through the park’s natural areas offering opportunities to view white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and many varieties of small game and birds.
Military Road Trail, a part of the Congressionallydesignated Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Between 1831 and 1840, this was a major route of removal for thosands of Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and the 'Bell detachment' of Cherokee. This historic route has been called a remarkably preserved remnant of the Trail of Tears in existence today
