Louisiana Purchase State Park
A unique park in the middle of a swamp
Check out the pictures, videos, and information below.
This unique park is located in the middle of a swamp, but it should be interesting to many people especially REALTORS, civil engineers, history buffs or just the curious person. You can reach this place off Hwy 49 out of Brinkley or Marvell, Arkansas by taking AR 362 just 2 miles to a cul-de-sac parking area. The hike back to the granite monument is the place where the initial monument for the survey of the Louisiana Purchase Territory placed, but this is not far. There is a nice boardwalk with self-guided signs to explain the history of this event and explanation of the flora and fauna in this area. For more than 100 years after a marker point was placed in 1815 by Robbins and Brown, the marker point went unnoticed. It was relocated in 1921 during a survey for of a boundary of two of the counties. The L’Anguille Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Marianna placed the marker at the initial point in 1926, and in 1961 the Arkansas General Assembly dedicated this 37.5-acres to become a state park.
If you are visiting Helena, Arkansas or traveling along I-40, you may want to take a side trip to this park. If camping at the Mississippi River State Park, this makes a nice day outing.
For more information, check the following links:
This sign marks the beginning of the trail to the monument.
This granite monument was placed at the place the initial point was marked for surveying this land.
This display is located at the Delta Heritage Trail State Park, which serves as visitor center for this park.
This 5 minute video done by Robert Burnett has an excellent tour of the trail that leads to the granite monument that marks where the surveying began for the Louisiana Purchase Territory. The music is a bit annoying so you may want to mute it, but after the first 1 1/2 minutes of aerials, the views you see will be as if you are there taking the walk along the boardwalk to the monument.