Expedition Series: Devil's Den State Park Guide

In this series, we will take a deeper dive into some of Northwest Arkansas's favorite parks and nature areas. These guides will cover everything from our favorite routes and trails to different trail ratings, and other outdoor recreation opportunities at these locations. In today's guide, we will be covering Devil's Den State Park in West Fork, Arkansas. Be sure to also check out our other Expedition Series blogs.

Devil's Den State Park

Nestled in the Lee Creek Valley of the Ozark Mountains is the iconic Devil's Den State Park. Located only 25 minutes from the University of Arkansas, this 2,500-acre state park is known for its stunning landscape with sandstone and limestone bluffs, caves, and crevices. In the 1930's, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the state park and built the pavilions, mapped a lot of the trails, and built all the other recreational facilities. Devil's Den State Park takes pride in these facilities and is on the National Register of Historic Places for being the country's most preserved and well-kept Civilian Conservation Corps site. Devil's Den State Park is also known for its world-class outdoor recreation opportunities that include cabins for rent, miles and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, a 15-mile long biking trail system, a seasonal cafe and pool, and so many other great ways for you to enjoy the great outdoors!

Mountain Bike Trails/Ratings

The 15-mile-long Monument trail system in Devil's Den State Park consists of eight different trails that run through the park giving riders the ability to tailor their trip to their skill level and experience. The first trail of the monument system is the Fossil Flats Trail which is special because it was the first mountain bike trail built in an Arkansas State Park. The opening of the trail also started the state's first mountain bike festival called the Ozark Mountain Bike Festival, which still is hosted at the park every spring. If you want to brush up on your mountain bike slang and talk before continuing we have a Mountain Bike Terminology blog that will cover the language and ratings mentioned below. 

Fossil Flats (Intermediate): Fossil Flats is the first mountain bike trail in an Arkansas State Park and is one of the first mountain bike trails in the whole state too. Making this an iconic and premier trail for anyone looking to mountain bike at Devil's Den State Park. The trail starts near Campground A and follows an old service road, from there the trail winds along Lee Creek and allows riders to see the flat limestone and scenery. The trail overall is very flowy and great for experienced mountain bikers. According to MTB Project, one of the special features of the trail is Racers Hill. Which is steep switchbacks to the top of a hill then a fast drop-off on the downhill. This is a very popular trail so we recommend riding it in the early morning or weekdays as on the weekends it can get busy with hikers and trail runners so be extra cautious and careful. The trail is around 6 miles long and is rated as intermediate. 

All You Can Eat (Intermediate): All You Can Eat is another great trail at Devil's Den State Park but is a connecting trail, meaning, to access it you'll have to ride either Racer's Hill or the Fossil Flats trail to get to it. The trail is a 1-mile single-track cross-country trail that winds through the forest and along the sandstone and limestone formations. It is also rated intermediate and a popular trail runner and hiker trail.

Devil's Racetrack (Intermediate/Difficult): This 3.7-mile cross-country trail is rated as intermediate/difficult. It earns that rating because of the multiple alternative lines that take riders over jumps and other features. The highlight of this trail is that it winds along the bluffs and even under waterfalls depending on what time of year you are at the park. The most common way to access the trail is off of Lee Creek Road and then ride Northeast towards Fossil Flats. A good map of the trail and where to access is available on the mtb project. 

Gold Brick (Easy/Intermediate): If you are looking for a good warm-up trail or something short and easy then we recommend taking the Gold Brick Trail. This quarter-mile easy-going connector trail is very popular and busy. The trail is the main connecter between Fossil Flats and Devil's Racetrack.

Dollar-A-Day (Intermediate): The Dollar-A-Day trail is a 1.3-mile single-track intermediate trail that runs along the western side of the Fossil Flats trail. It is an alternate route to Fossil Flats meaning the only way to get on this trail is through Fossil Flats. The trail does feature some jumps and obstacle features which is why it earned an intermediate rating. This trail is less popular than Fossil Flats but is still a popular hiking trail so be sure to watch for people when riding. 

We Can Take It (Intermediate): The We Can Take It trail is a great intermediate trail east of the Fossil Flats trail and connects to Orville and Sparky. This trail is highly recommended because it traverses the eastern side of Devil's Den and riders will wind along creek crossings and bluffs. The 2.5 mile long trail provides a great view of Lee Creek and the valley making it one of the more scenic routes on this list. 

Sparky (Intermediate): Sparky is a downhill-style trail that allows riders to traverse steep and rocky lines with lots of alternative routes riders can take to tailor their experience. The trail is short and is just under a mile but due to obstacles and technical skills required it still has an intermediate rating. The only way to access this trail is from We Can Take It and ride it down to Fossil Flats as it is a downhill-only trail. A trail map of Sparky can be found here. The trail is for mountain bikers only so it is usually less busy than other tails in the area. 

Orville (Difficult): Orville is the hardest trail in the park and has a reputation for being a challenging and technical trail that only experienced riders should embark on. This downhill, bike-only trail is also 1 mile long but riders can expect to encounter rock gardens, jumps and drops, and sharp switchbacks. This trail is great for experienced mountain bikers and according to the Arkansas State Parks it "offers the best of modern trail building".

Hiking & Horseback Riding Trails

While we love mountain biking and enjoy all the multi-use trails at the park, there are some hiking trails that you can't miss! These trails provide some of the most scenic views, and best nature experiences Northwest Arkansas has to offer. While there are dozens of trails in varying lengths we chose some that are good for day hikes, dog friendly, and easy to moderate in difficulty. 

Yellow Rock Trail: The Yellow Rock Trail is the park's most popular and iconic hiking trail. The Yellow Rock was one of the first trails built in the park in the 1930s and has been well-maintained ever since.  The trail also has a great overlook across the Lee Creek Valley which makes this a great trail to view the stunning colors as the leaves change in the fall. It can get busy on weekends and parking is limited at the Lee Creek Camping area so be sure to start early in the morning. 

• Time to complete: Expect this hike to take around 1.5 hours to complete
• Length: The trail is a 2.7-mile long loop.
• Horseback and dog friendly

Devil's Den Trail: Another popular and favorite trail at the park is Devil's Den Trail. This trail has a lot of cool natural features and is relatively easy to complete. Despite its short length it still makes our list as a must-visit hike. The trail winds through the woods, past bluffs, and even caves like Devil's Den Cave and Devil's Icebox (the caves are closed to protect critical bat habitat). This trail is great to visit year round but the season we recommend visiting is in the Spring because the 50-foot-high Twin Falls will be roaring down the hillside.

• Time to complete: Expect this hike to take around 30 minutes to complete.
• Length: The trail is a little over a mile long.
• Dog-friendly but must stay on a leash

Lee Creek Trail: The Lee Creek trail as its name suggests runs along Lee Creek and really showcases the beauty of the park. The trail has many cool geological features and allows hikers to explore the limestone formations that contain Fossils! We think this trail is the best in the summer and fall because about half of the trail is wooded and the other half runs along the creek allowing hikers to wade in the water and cool off on hot summer days (wading in the creek in the spring can be dangerous and should not be attempted). 

• Time to complete: Expect this hike to take about 30 minutes to complete
• Length: The trail is a 1.3-mile loop
• Dog and horseback friendly

Water Activities

Devil's Den is also a great place to get out on the water and enjoy a variety of activities, whether that's swimming, kayaking, or even fishing. 

Swimming: Devil's Den is unique because it offers natural swimming holes and a public swimming pool. For swimming holes, most visitors will wade into Lee Creek on the Lee Creek Trail. The water is usually a safe temperature from June through early to mid-September. However, be sure to follow all regulations and signage at the park before entering the water. The water can be closed to swimming and when closed, it is for your safety! The other option for swimming is the public pool. The pool is open seasonally (Memorial through Labor Day) and is free to those staying at the cabins and is $6 for all other visitors. 

Kayaking & More: On Devil's Lake, you will see several types of watercraft in the summer months which will mostly be Kayaks, Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPs), Canoes, and paddle boats. Devil's Den is a great place to kayak and spend the day out on the water for families and all other visitors alike. Most people bring their own vessels but there are rentals available at the park.

Fishing: If you are spending a few days at the park or even just taking a day trip a great way to spend the day out on the lake is fishing. There is several species of Bass, Channel Catfish, and Trout in Devil's Den Lake. 

Camping and Lodging

With so much to explore at Devil's Den State Park, many people want to stay multiple nights so they experience the entire park. There are no hotels or fancy lodges at the park but there are cabins and campsites available. These amenities fill up quick and are often booked out months if not seasons ahead. 

Camping: There are over 135 campsites at Devil's Den State Park with several different types. Some of these include hookups for RVs and campers, while others are hike-ins only. Based on how you want to camp and explore the park is up to you and availability and more on the campsites can be found here. 

Lodging:  At the park, there are 17 cabins with kitchens and 6 camper cabins available for rental. All of the cabins have free access to the swimming pool as well as are in a great location to get on the trails and explore the park. 

Amenities: The park has so much to offer we could never fit it all in this guide but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still check it out. We wanted to also highlight some other great amenities at the park, including a seasonal cafe, pavilions, meeting rooms, and events. The park has events year-round, but most happen in the summer; these include activities like astronomy, hikes with park guides, and so much more. A full list of events can be found on the Arkansas State Parks event page.