Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Cozy cabins coming
More lodging at Devil’s Den
Cabins are in high demand at Devil’s Den State Park, so more cabins are being built at the scenic park west of Winslow.
Six camper cabins are under construction on the other side of Lee Creek from the original cabins built decades ago by Civilian Conservation Corps workers. Camper cabins are small cabins with bunk beds, a table and chairs and a small front porch, said Tim Scott, assistant superintendent.
The camper cabins will have electricity, heating and air conditioning, but no bathroom, kitchen or fireplace.. There’s an outside fire ring for a campfire and grill that can be used for cooking.
The cute wood cabins are built around a common and shower and restroom building to be shared by the cabin camper guests.
“Camper cabins are kind of in-between. It’s not quite (full facility) cabins, but it’s not quite camping,” Scott said. The cabins are situated in a group on the north side of Lee Creek, or, the West
Fork side of the park, as some call it.
Cabins are a single room about the size of a garage with a small front porch. All are the same size and will sleep up to four guests. They’ll be available for rent year-round, Scott said.
A big demand for the original full facility CCC cabins is one reason Devil’s Den staff decided to build the camper cabins, Scott said. They’ll rent for about $65 per night. Scott expects them to open sometime between Memorial Day and Fourth of July.
Another note from the Den comes from the popular Yellow Rock Trail in the heart of the park. Turns out the path isn’t just popular for hiking. Yoga classes come to the park regularly and hike up to the overlook to do their exercises, Scott said.
It’s no wonder, with such a beautiful and inspirational view from the overlook. Gazing up and down the Lee Creek valley from this lofty height is relaxing and calming. The overlook is about a mile from the trailhead in Campground A. To get there, hike up the trail about one-half mile to a fork in the path. Go right and hike another half mile to the overlook. Elevation gain to the overlook is 300 feet.
Yoga students or anyone can hike the same route down, or, better yet, hike the whole Yellow Rock Trail. It’s a loop of three miles.
On pretty weekends, 500 or more people visit the overlook, Scott said. Once a hiker takes in the view, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Flip Putthoff can be reached at fputthoff@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAFlip