Summer is here and it’s starting to get hot outside. People are excited to get outside, relax and beat the heat. Arkansas State Parks offers affordable and family-friendly programs for all ages. Lake Charles offers programing, hiking trails, fishing opportunities, wildlife viewing, self-guided kayak and canoe tours, swimming, and a Nature Center. If your family is looking to spend a few days, we offer camp sites, a Rental RV, and a Rental Yurt which can all be reserved in advance by calling the park office at (870) 878-6595.
Lake Charles State Park Program Schedule – June 21st -30th, 2013
Friday, June 21st
1:30p.m. – Aerial Assassins – Join a park interpreter at the picnic table across from Campground C to discover what makes Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons such deadly aerial predators.
Saturday, June 22nd
1:30p.m. – Heat Seekers – Join a park interpreter in the nature center to learn about some of the snakes in Arkansas that use heat to hunt.
3:30p.m. – Kayak Tour – Join a park interpreter for a guided lake tour via kayak. We’ll tour the lake and see wildlife that lives near the water. It should last about 1.5 hours. Seating is limited so sign up at Visitor Center. $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12, and under 6 is free when riding with an adult.
Friday, June 21st – Saturday, June 22nd
1-3p.m. Nature Center – Come down to the Nature Center and see the 30+ species of wildlife we have on display for the summer. A park interpreter will be on hand to answer any questions.
Friday, June 28th
1:30p.m. – Why so Tall? – Join a park interpreter at the nature center for a wading bird program. We will take a look at some large birds you’re likely to see around the lake and what they use those long legs and necks for.
3:30p.m. – How Do You Compare? – Join a park interpreter right outside the nature center to see how you measure up to some of Arkansas’ more cunning and athletic animals.
Saturday June 29th
8a.m. –Reptile Hunt – Walk with a Park Interpreter along the Cedar Trail to see how many reptiles and amphibians we can find along the water’s edge. We will look for snakes, turtles, frogs, and lizards.
10a.m. – Kayak Tour – Join a park interpreter for a guided lake tour via kayak. We’ll tour the lake and see wildlife that lives near the water. It should last about 1.5 hours. Seating is limited so sign up at Visitor Center. $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12, and under 6 is free when riding with an adult.
12:30p.m. – Catch & Feed – Join a park interpreter near the Nature Center to learn how to throw a cast net. We’ll try out this bait catching technique and then feed what we catch to the animals in the nature center.
Sunday, June 30th
8a.m. – Bird Watching Hike – Join a park interpreter for a hike along the Butterflies & Blooms Trail to do some bird watching, please bring along binoculars and bird guides if you have any, but they are not needed.
Friday, June 28th to Sunday, June 30th
1p.m.-3p.m. – Nature Center – Come down to the Nature Center and see the 30+ species of wildlife we have on display for the summer. A park interpreter will be on hand to answer any questions.
Lake Charles State Park is one of the 52 state parks administered by the State Parks Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. The park offers camping, boat launch ramp, a standard pavilion, picnic sites, swim beach, nature center, playground, restrooms and 3 bathhouses on 645-acre Lake Charles. Along with the visitor center and gift shop, the park offers three nature trails and year-round interpretive programs. For more information about park events contact the park at (870) 878-6595 or visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com.