As a life long resident of Arkansas, I love to visit all the treasures of our state parks. I’ve known of Queen Wilhelmina for several years, but it’s location just kept pushing it down the list of places to visit. I have mixed feelings about the state park. On the one hand there are several beautiful vistas and scenic spots surrounding the park. On the other hand the camping is a little on the limited side.

The offset to that is that Queen Wilhelmina State Park offers a lodge and has a restaurant: Queen’s Restaurant! I could totally see stopping here on an adventure to have a relaxing night in a lodge and be surrounded with a beautiful view. A 4 to 5 night trip that spans the Ouachita’s would be a nice break!

Not gonna lie, the view is awesome! You’ll probably notice that little train track in the foreground. Well. that my friends is an actual train track for the smaller version train that they run at, what I am guessing is, every 30 minutes or so. While I would imagine that the train is a blast for railway enthusiasts and kids, it’s hilariously annoying for people camping out. The train whistle blows at every road crossing and I would estimate there are 4 or 5. Just not my thing.

I would highly recommend hitting the Rich Mountain Country Store while in the area! That place is a wonderful throw back in time. The owner is wonderful to talk to and it really has the charm of a country store from a bygone era. This is a popular stop for hikers on the Ouachita National Recreation Trail. There is also the Black Form Mountain Trail near by which is worth seeing.

Again, I love our Arkansas State Parks and I am sure there are people who love Queen Wilhelmina. It’s a good park, but it’s just not my favorite. If I lived closer to it I could see visiting it often! I’ll probably be back to stop in at the lodge for a cozy night’s stay.