Lake Fort Smith State Park — Attraction in Alma

We have been having a family reunion at Lake Fort Smith for several years and do love this park. We have booked the Kingfisher Lodge, Cabins, and RV sights. Getting the Lodge has become next to impossible to get so we work our reunion around available dates . Sadly, this year ,due to a mixup with the staff, we were booked in the wrong Lodge. Upon arrival , I was told the Kingfisher was vacant on the days we were there and they could see the mixup but they would still not change our Lodge due to having another group coming in the day we were checking out and since the cabins were all occupied ,they would not have enough staff to turn over the Kingfisher if we used it . I was stunned. Our family travels in from different states to gather here as the Kingfisher works perfect for us as we have several couples. They would not budge. Sadly we had to find an AirBnB 15 miles away to accommodate several of our couples. They did discount the pet friendly cabin we have but no other cabins have been occupied the days we have been here so no staff had to turn them over on the day we would be leaving. To make matters worse, we got all the kiddos loaded to go to the pool on Monday only to find they now close the pool on Monday and Tuesday, 2 of the 3 days we are here . The website states the pool is open Saturday through Sunday but the staff said the website is wrong . The pool is the main outside entertainment for the kiddos so we were left with very disappointed families. We definitely would have never booked the dates we did if we had had any idea the main source of entertainment was unavailable. We also reserved a boat ahead , which offered 6 hours for the large pontoon . The reservation went through but upon arrival were told the website was wrong and they no longer rented for 6 hours AND the large pontoon wasn't available so we would have to take the small one . That meant much less time on the lake and splitting everyone into groups . Needless to say, as the Grandparents who organize this annual Family Reunion , we were so dissatisfied with how everything happened this trip . We would have never booked LFS this year if we had known how much trouble we would have had . We had to scramble to make this work and it cost us much more to entertain and to accommodate our family. All of the problems were totally unnecessary and could have been easily fixed . We do love LFS and our kiddos have loved all the traditions we have established here but this years experience was such an unnecessary disaster that we hope to find somewhere that cares more about families using the park than LFS...

The legend of the Lake Fort Smith Monster is a lesser-known but chilling tale from the Ozarks. Locals whisper of a bizarre creature lurking in the woods and waters around Lake Fort Smith, a beast that defies logic—a monstrous hybrid of a wild hog and a bobcat.

Origins of the Legend

Stories of the creature date back to the early settlers, who claimed to hear eerie, guttural squeals mixed with the yowling of a bobcat echoing through the hills at night. Hunters spoke of strange tracks in the mud—too large for a bobcat, yet bearing the hoofprints of a hog. Some claimed they had glimpsed its shadowy form darting through the trees, its glowing eyes peering at them from the darkness.

Description of the Beast

The Lake Fort Smith Monster is said to have the muscular, thick body of a feral hog but with the razor-sharp claws and agility of a bobcat. Its bristled back bristles in aggression when threatened, and its powerful legs allow it to pounce like a predator. The most terrifying feature, however, is its sound—a guttural mix of a hog’s grunts and the piercing scream of a bobcat.

Encounters & Sightings • Fishermen’s Fear: Some who have fished the lake claim they’ve seen an unnatural shape moving through the underbrush or felt something watching them from the shoreline. A few even tell of losing their catch in mysterious circumstances, as if something massive lurked beneath the water. • Lost Hunters: A legend tells of a hunter who followed strange tracks deep into the woods, only to never return. His camp was found torn apart, claw marks raked across the trees. • Car Attack: In the 1970s, a couple driving near the lake reported something crashing into their car, leaving deep gouges in the metal. They swore they saw a shadowy form slink back into the woods, too fast for them to identify.

Is It Still Out There?

Though sightings are rare in modern times, some still claim to hear its chilling cries at night. Whether it’s just an old folktale or something truly lurking in the Ozark wilderness, the Lake Fort Smith Monster remains a mystery that keeps people looking over their shoulders when night falls near the lake.

Would you dare to go...

Another park on my quest to visit all 52 Arkansas state parks! Looking back through old photos, I realized that 10 years ago we had stopped here on a drive through the Ozarks and I thought it was so beautiful...then unknowingly came back to camp here a decade later! Loved the RV campground. Lots of trees & shade, huge boulders off to the side of each campsite. Nice for basking in the sun! There are a couple of pull-through sites but our back-in site was easy to park and set up. Bathhouses were very clean, and the only problem we had with them the whole visit was a swarm of wasps outside the one on the lower campground sites.

Several trails for hiking, some of which are entirely shaded, and you can hike part of the Ozark Highlands trail here. I hate that you can't swim in the lake, but since it's a public water supply, it's understandable. There's a great pool though, plenty big with slides. There's also both a kids pool and a splash pad, so there's no shortage of water fun for hot days. Visitor center is quite nice with a little necessities/gift shop and a STELLAR view from the porch, even better if you stroll down to the overlook.

Warning: your insect repellent is VERY IMPORTANT here. There are a million ticks, and you don't necessarily even have to go on one of the hiking trails to pick them up.

Definitely get your groceries on the way in, or at least be prepared to drive half an hour for groceries, as the Walmart in Alma is the closest place. On the whole, it feels like a very off-the-grid place; like a hidden gem in the state park system, especially in comparison to DeGray Lake, which was a bit more crowded & less private. It was very relaxing & I highly...