Page 3 - RVO Spirit of Russellville

RECREATION
RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • SPIRIT OF RUSSELLVILLE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
3V V
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Left: During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built the 10 original wood-and-stone cabins that still house overnight guests at Mount Nebo State Park in Dardanelle. Right: Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville offers a variety of educational programs. Kristen Davis holds up a fish she caught during a beginner’s fishing workshop.
High
and low
MOUNT NEBO, LAKE DARDANELLE STATE PARKS OFFER OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
By Sarah DeClerk
SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
On clear days, visitors to Mount Nebo State Park in Dardanelle can breathe in
fresh air and gaze over the Arkansas RiverValley and miles of countryside.
The majestic river cuts through the sea of greenery, reminding all who see it why Arkansas is nicknamed The Natural State.
Jeremiah Donahou said. “Most of our guests that stay with us are really, really happy about the fan- tastic views that we have.”
It is a scene that people have enjoyed for gener- ations, ever since they first settled on the mountain in the mid-1800s, he added. Toward the end of the 19th century, two resort hotels — Summit Park Hotel and Blevins Hotel — brought droves of tourists to the mountain, but fires at the ho- tels, followed by the Great Depression, ended the resort era, he said.
Mount Nebo became a state park in 1927, and the Civilian Conservation Corps made a
“Our views are spectacular,” park interpreter
See PARKS, page 4VV