Watchable Wildlife
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The Wild Is Calling
Arkansas is home to some of nature’s greatest hits: bald eagles, elk and enough critters to make any birdwatcher or thrill-seeker happy.
If wildlife watching is on your list, Arkansas delivers. From bald eagles to red-cockaded woodpeckers, the state is a paradise for bird lovers. Beyond birds, Arkansas’ parks, conservation areas and wildlife refuges are home to a diverse range of animals, from creatures that crawl and roam to those that fly and flutter across the landscape.
Twenty-five state parks are part of the Arkansas Watchable Wildlife program, giving you a solid guide to the best viewing spots, and many parks offer checklists to help you know what you’re looking at. Head out, explore and discover the amazing wildlife that makes the state so natural.
Wildlife Areas, Trails & Refuges
Wildlife Observation Blind Trail
This short and easily traversed graveled trail leads visitors to a wildlife observation blind. Whitetail deer, gray squirrels, armadillos, numerous bird species, and other wildlife may be observed from the blind
Wildlife Lane Nature Trail
This trail is a four mile path meandering through several hundred acres of land set aside as a wildlife sanctuary. Wildlife Lane is a multi-use trail and is designed to accommodate both hikers and bicyclers. Ride and walk with respect of others in mind.
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
Home to a diverse array of exotic and native animals, Turpentine Creek offers educational daily tours and unique annual events like the "Art with an Altitude" Kite Festival in March.
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge
Refuge visitor actives include hunting, fishing, photography, trails, environmental education, wildlife viewing, and a self-guided auto tour.
Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
The lake is shallow with an average depth of three feet and is bordered by a virgin cypress-tupelo swamp. It offers excellent nature watching year-round and annually winters several species of waterfowl.
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge
Lying within Mississippi River’s alluvial plain in SE Arkansas, the refuge is nearly 160,000 acres in size. It is home to Arkansas' only native population of black bears, and it is designated as a Wetland of International Importance.
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
Wapanocca NWR hosts wintering waterfowl, serves as a migratory stopover point for neotropical birds, and provides breeding habitat for forest songbirds.
Trip Ideas
Bird Watching Tips
The sight of majestic Bald Eagles found in winter on the state's larger lakes and rivers is Arkansas' most well-known birding attraction. Among avid birders, the state had also been known as a place where the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker could be added to one's life list.
Birding & Watchable Wildlife in Arkansas
The beauty and diversity of Arkansas make it an exciting place for wildlife-watching throughout the year. From songbird migration in spring to summer butterflies, from bugling elk in fall to vast winter flocks of waterfowl, there’s always something to see in The Natural State.
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