Devil’s Den State Park
A landmark 1930s park combines native-stone cabins, lake, waterfall, mountain-bike routes, and trails through sandstone crevices.
Artwork inspired by Louis Freund
Devil’s Den is one of Arkansas’s most complete Civilian Conservation Corps park landscapes. Stone cabins, roads, trails, bridges, dam, and lake were fitted into a steep Lee Creek valley where weathered sandstone has produced crevices, rock shelters, and small caves. The self-guided Devil’s Den Trail makes the geology visible while longer routes extend into Boston Mountain forest and modern mountain-bike networks.
Begin at the visitor center for cave and trail status. To protect bats from white-nose syndrome, caves and crevices may be closed to entry even when the trail passes their openings; obey barriers and never assume an old guidebook is current. Rain improves the waterfall but makes rock steps slick, and remote trail intersections require an offline map. Overnight cabins deserve separate booking well in advance.
- Built landscape
- 1930s CCC craftsmanship
- Core walk
- Devil’s Den Trail
- Caves
- Entry restrictions protect bats
Quick guide
- Ask first
- Current cave + trail closures
- Notice
- Stonework fitted to ravine geology
Make the visit count
- Read closure signs
- A visible opening is not permission to enter; bat-protection rules can close caves and crevices year-round.
- Watch the masonry
- Compare retaining walls, cabins, bridges, and dam to see how CCC crews repeated local stone forms.
- Use traction
- Read wet leaves, moss, rock stairs, and polished sandstone become slippery after rain.
- Download the route
- Check longer hiking and bike networks cross many junctions beyond reliable cellular service for Devil’s Den State Park Day-use areas generally open daily.
Good to know
Cave access is a conservation issue, not a guaranteed park activity; current restrictions supersede old maps and travel posts. The valley can also lose cellular service, so save the trail map, confirm whether your route permits bicycles, and carry lights only for emergencies—not unauthorized cave entry.
Notice these
- CCC native-stone district
- Sandstone crevices
- Lee Creek valley