Arkansas State Park of the Year Awards
LITTLE ROCK — Lake Ouachita, Woolly Hollow, Village Creek, Logoly and Petit Jean state parks were named Park of the Year in each of the five regions of the state parks system during the annual Superintendents Conference, a news release said.
“The way the awards work is that each park presents their yearly report to all their peers,” said Arkansas State Parks Director Grady Spann in the release. “The selection of the POY is by other superintendents and not by central office just looking at numbers on a page. It’s really very much a recognition of a leader among their peers.”
The Region 1 winner is Lake Ouachita State Park in Mountain Pine. Superintendent Lee Howard noted several aspects of the park’s operations that make 2017 a genuine standout.
“Now that our campground renovations are completed we set a new revenue record,” said Howard. “We brought in $1.3 million, which is 8 percent higher than anticipated.”
Howard also noted that Lake Ouachita’s Bird Island continues to be a favorite among guests. It is home to purple martins and during the roosting season, tours of the island drew in guests from throughout the state. Also, other unique events continued to lure in visitors.
“If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly goes to say that it takes just about everyone in the park to make sure that each Kayak Campout is a success,” said Howard.
The Region 2 winner is Woolly Hollow State Park in Greenbrier. Superintendent Steven Wilson said despite an unusual rain event in April, when 9 inches fell in five hours, the park overcame this unexpected occurrence and went on to have a great year.
The Region 3 winner is Village Creek State Park in Wynne. Superintendent Vicki Trimble says they’ve seen a 60- percent increase in visitation compared to last year.
The Region 4 winner is Logoly State Park in McNeil. Superintendent Jim Gann says having the new state of the art visitor center open last spring has made a big difference. Visitation has increased by more than 40 percent and gift shop revenue doubled.
The Region 5 winner is Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton. Superintendent Joe Buckley says he’s humbled by his peers giving this park the award and credits his staff and volunteers for their hard work.
“We look forward to Park of the Year Awards every year,” said Spann. “It’s a little friendly competition that usually brings out the best in people.”