US EditionGov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Announces New Arkansas State Park
Officials signed a memorandum to jointly manage Blanchard Springs Caverns, boosting tourism and conservation as Arkansas’ 53rd state park, attracting 70,000 annual visitors.
- On Dec. 8, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service to begin redesignating Blanchard Springs Cavern Complex as Arkansas's 53rd state park.
- As part of the `Natural State Initiative`, launched in 2023, the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism aims to preserve cultural and environmental legacy while creating tourism and jobs, officials said.
- The complex draws around 70,000 visitors annually and is Arkansas's second-largest cavern system, spanning eight-and-a-half miles with the state's only Forest Service Major Visitor Center plus campground, swim beach, picnic areas and trails.
- The memorandum will establish joint management between Arkansas State Parks and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, with officials saying proximity to the Ozark Folk Center should boost local tourism.
- State data show vast tourism scale for Arkansas in 2023 with more than 50.7 million visitors generating $9.9 billion and over 100,000 jobs, while geologists and Osage Nation raise conservation and sacred-site concerns.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Arkansas Officials Move to Designate Blanchard Springs Caverns as State Park
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis have signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service that begins the process of designating The Blanchard Springs Caverns Complex as Arkansas’ 53rd state park. The document lays the groundwork for a new joint management model between Arkansas State Parks and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests to enhance visitor services, stre…
North Arkansas' Blanchard Springs Caverns set to become state park
From left: Deputy Regional Forester Mary Moore of the U.S. Forest Service; Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis; and state Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, announce the effort to designate Blanchard Springs Caverns as a state park on Dec. 8, 2025. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)North Arkansas’ Blanchard Springs Caverns is in the process of becoming Arkansas’ 53rd state park, Gov. Sarah …
Arkansas seeks to make Blanchard Springs Caverns a state park | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas has formally started the process of making the Blanchard Springs Caverns Complex into the Natural State's 53rd state park, state officials announced Monday.
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