Lake Ouachita State Park to host Kayak Campout event May 4-5
Kayaking and camping are on the agenda at Lake Ouachita State Park as the semiannual Kayak Campout returns May 4-5.
The event, which started in 2001 under now-Superintendent James Wilborn, returned last April after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is limited to 20 participants.
“We provide three (meals), and we’ll provide snacks, drinking water, that kind of thing,” Emily Stubblefield, an interpreter at the state park, said.
“But we encourage folks (to bring) sunglasses, sunscreen, bring lots of different layers.
“Weather is kind of unpredictable in May, and sometimes we have some really crisp spring mornings, and then sometimes you’re in shorts all day. We never know what we’re going to get, so layers are really important,” she said.
Lunch and dinner on Saturday will be provided along with breakfast on Sunday morning and there will also be interpretive programs on Saturday.
“We kayak the whole time with you, and last year, we saw bald eagles as we kayaked fly right over us a couple of times,” Stubblefield said. “As we kayaked, we pointed them out. When we were having our snack breaks, we talked about eagles, and then in the evenings we normally do campfire programs.
“They can kind of vary, but we’ve done astronomy programs if the stars are out. We have a boat there; after we eat, sometimes we’ll go on a sunset cruise and watch the sunset before we head back to camp. Every program is a little bit different, but we jump on whatever we can see and what works. If stars are out, we’ll do astronomy tours. If birds are out, we’ll talk about birds, but we’re right there paddling beside you the whole way.”
Participants will not be required to kayak with their camping gear, she said. A barge will be following the group, and it will carry camping food, drinks and gear and be available in case of severe weather.
“Last April, when we did it, we had a little bit of a pop
up shower, but it wasn’t — no thunder, lightning — and we were already set up at camp at that point, too,” she said.
“So we just zipped the tent up, took an hour nap and then came out, and we’re good to go. But yes, if it’s thundering and lightning — if it’s a chance of severe weather, it’s probably not going to happen. And with the tour boat aspect, if we were to get caught in something, we can all put our gear on that boat — people and kayaks included — and use that boat to transport us if we’re unable to paddle. So that gives us one more option to get to where we need to go.”
Stubblefield said basic camping gear — tent, camp chair, some kind of sleeping pad — will be needed.
“If you don’t have an official camping sleeping pad, (people have) used a yoga mat a time or two,” she said. “I’ll need you to bring two full sets of clothes, one set being an emergency set. In case you get wet during your paddling, we need to get you completely changed. That’s what one of the sets will be for as kind of a preventive to have on hand, in case you need it set.”
She noted the water “isn’t super warm yet, so if you get wet, then you can get cold. Sometimes folks only bring one set and then their pajamas, and I’ll need folks to bring a complete paddling set again because they might not want to paddle the rest of the day in their pajamas.”
While there is not a set limit on gear, Stubblefield encourages participants to “not bring the whole kitchen sink.”
“Bug spray, flashlights are important,” she said. “I really advocate for a waterproof bag if you’re going to bring your phone with you on the kayak. Carabiners are worth their weight in gold in your kayak because it connects whatever you have to either you or the boat.
“Good shoes — we’re going to be pulling up on the shoreline of Lake Ouachita, so flip-flops are probably not the best footwear of choice for the main part of the trip. But bring a pair of camp shoes, which flip-flops would be fine for, something you can get wet but still be sturdy enough being active that day. And then some comfy pajamas and campfire clothes, and you should be good to go.”
The main focus of the weekend is to “leave no trace,” Stubblefield said.
“Throughout the whole two days you’re with us, we’ll be talking about leaving no trace, and we’ll be practicing those principles along the trip as well,” she said. “So that will be the main point because we want to we want to make a lifetime memory, but we want to leave nothing that ripples behind. And that’s kind of the message of the weekend.”
Registration is $150 per person with a $25 discount per person for groups up to four people, which includes a $50 nonrefundable deposit, but if the state park cancels the event, it will be refunded.
“It’s cheaper with your own gear,” she said. “You can rent kayaks and camping supplies with us. If you bring a group, so let’s say I brought a friend — anywhere from two to four persons is my group limit — I’ll give your group $25 off. So it would be $125 per person per group.”
Participation is limited to people ages 6 and older, but Stubblefield said children 12 and younger will be required to ride tandem with an adult. The deadline to register is Wednesday, and the event is capped at 20 people.
For more information, call Stubblefield at 501-293-3375 or email emily.stubblefield@arkansas.gov.