Friends of Hobbs State Park

Turn your backyard into a firefly habitat! ✨
Learn all about these sparkling, glittery fun insects and how they may be disappearing. Join us on July 26 at 1 PM to learn how you can build firefly habitats!

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/event/the-great-firefly-mystery-2/

Travel back to 1800 with Park Interpreter Chris! The wooded hills at Hobbs State Park were one of the last strongholds for the now-extinct passenger pigeon. Hear the history of how pigeons disappeared and also discuss what we can do to prevent other species from disappearing!

Get the details and browse other programs on our event calendar: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/event/meeting-martha-the-last-passenger-pigeon-2/

Join us in helping to revitalize Hobbs State Park-Convservation Area after the tornado. Our organization directly supports programming and projects at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. You can give or volunteer today.

💲 Give: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/give/

💚 Volunteer Signup: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/volunteer/

Your generosity means the 🌎 world to us!

Buzz on over to Hobbs State Park on July 13! We'll be having a day full of insect-related programming.
🐞 Insect Olympics 10:30am
🪲 Incredible Edible Insects 2pm
🐜 Insect Crafts available 11:30am-2pm

Let's build a bee bath! 🐝🛁
These high temps are getting to everybody and everything! Even the butterflies and the bees need more water in this heat. To help them out in these drier times, come build a butterfly and bee watering station - or bath - with us out of clay and glass. This will be a fun craft, a great addition to your garden, and a little oasis for our pollinator friends. 🦋 Join us on July 12 at 1 PM!

Grab a spot by calling 479-789-5000 to register and pay the $30 fee. This is a great program to do with your 10-year-old and older!

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/event/butterfly-bee-watering-station-workshop/

Ready to rock caterpillar style?! 🤘🏼🐛
This month's reading rocker will be all about these little guys that turn into 🦋 butterflies. We'll start with a story, as always, go on a caterpillar 🔎 hunt in the front garden, and then make a caterpillar stuffy for you to take home!

Let the games begin with Arkansas Wildlife 🎤 Jeopardy on July 6!
Your host will be Park Interpreter Steve, and high scorers will win a prize!! What a fun game to take the kids on this holiday weekend.

We're changing our program schedule this weekend, so please keep reading for updates. We unfortunately have to cancel Saturday's "Do You Know Your Arkansas Symbols" and Sunday's "The Lorax" and "I Bet You Ate Sunshine for Breakfast." We'll miss seeing you all, but please come see these next time they're on the schedule!

Programs still scheduled this weekend:
Saturday, June 29th, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
🎭 Reader’s Theater: This is a brand new program starting tomorrow! It's a reader’s theater-style program where you – the audience members – help tell the interesting story of this place and how it came to be a state park. This program will be both educational and fun, but you must be willing to participate!

Saturday, June 29th, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
🐍 Reptile Rap: Be ready for an up-close encounter with a live turtle and a snake, and we’ll wrap up with the reptile rap!

Thanks for understanding, and we'll see you at Hobbs!

Let's get these trails cleared! 🌳 We need volunteers next Tuesday and Thursday to get our trails back open. Be sure to get in contact with Dillon (contact info below) or fill out a volunteer application on our site.

Park Interpreter Trish will be leading the work days to repair the trails, volunteers will not be using power equipment. Volunteers will be moving large logs, tree branches, and storm debris off of the trail. Volunteers should come prepared with sturdy shoes, long pants, work gloves, sunblock, and bug spray. We will start early to avoid the heat, with a briefing at the visitor center at 7 AM and working until 12PM. Drinks and lunch will be provided on both days.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact Dillon Sutton by emailing [email protected] or calling 479-789-5009.

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/volunteer/

Mark Bowers, a master naturalist, will lead the next edition of our speaker series! 🍄‍🟫 He has a special gift of identifying fungi and slime molds common to our area. He's also very talented in photography and he will show us some of his gorgeous photos that showcase the mushrooms of the Ozarks as he tells us about the ecological roles that fungi play in the forest ecosystem. 🌳

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/event/friends-of-hobbs-speaker-series-you-cant-see-the-forest-for-the-fungi/

Trail Update: The Ozark Plateau Trail is now open to visitors!
This means you may now hike the Ozark Plateau Trail, Sinking Stream Trail, Van Winkle Trail, and Shaddox Hollow Trail.
A few things to keep in mind when visiting Hobbs State Park:
✅ Remember to check in at the Visitor Center when you arrive for the current facility status.
🚧 Please heed all trail signage and do not enter any trails marked closed.
💚 Finally, thank you for your patience with our progress as we clean up our trails and keep our visitors safe!

If you would like to volunteer, fill out an application and get the Volgistic app to get started: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/volunteer/

Get outside for Great American Campout Day on June 22! 🏕️

We have an entire day planned for you to learn outdoor survival skills. You can learn how to build a 🔥 fire, construct a temporary ⛺️ shelter, and even how to find 🫛 edible plants in the forest. Learn more about the line up, and come out to see us on June 22!

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/event/great-american-campout-day/

We are thankful for enthusiastic supporters of Hobbs State Park but we need to ask visitors to heed the trail signage. It is paramount for your safety! There were an estimated 2,500 trees down throughout the park after the May 26 tornado that devastated our area. Please do not enter any trails that are marked off! ⚠️

When visiting our park, be sure to check in at the Visitor Center for the current facility status. We also work to keep the Friends of Hobbs website up to date. Currently open trails include: Ozark Plateau Trail, Sinking Stream Trail, Van Winkle Trail, and Shaddox Hollow Trail.

https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/

Wow, we are humbled by the support we've been receiving. The amount of support and willingness to volunteer to get our trails cleared has been incredible. Since our park was so badly hit, we do need the volunteers, but safety will always be first and foremost. With that in mind, we are limiting the number of volunteers per day. To sign up to volunteer, we're now using Volgistic, or VicNet, for you to sign up for time and so park staff knows who will be coming to help for what activity.

👉 If you've never volunteered with us before, be sure to head here to fill out the volunteer form: https://www.volgistics.com/appform/650461975

Once you've filled out the form, download the Volgistics app and create an account. Here you can view the schedule, what volunteer activities we need help with, where, and what times.
📲 Android app store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.volgistics.vicnet&pcampaignid=web_share&pli=1
📲 Apple App store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vicnet-volunteer-portal/id1660644087

Instructions for creating an account:https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/How-to-Make-a-New-Account.pdf

For any questions about volunteering, you can direct them to our Volunteer Coordinator, Dillon, by emailing [email protected] or calling 479-789-5009.

Aaaand, we're back! We missed this!! Programming and activities will be in full swing starting June 14th! Be sure to visit our monthly calendar for all of the fun, educational programming available for all ages.

We have a speaker series event about 🍄 fungi, a full day of activities themed around 🏕️ camping out, and a fun 🐝 pollinator craft to celebrate National Pollinator Week.

Make plans to attend a Hobbs State Park program this summer: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/events/

Please note the number of trails open to the public is still limited, so be patient and stay off of all trails marked closed.

Our organization is proud to help fund projects like the Education Pavilion! This space gets utilized frequently for programming year-round. In fact, raise a hand in the comments if you've attended a program here! 🖐️ 🖐️ 🖐️
We're also working toward a nature-focused play area! You can be a part of improving Hobbs State Park when you become a Friends of Hobbs member.

Become a member today: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/give/

All members are welcome and encouraged to attend the general meeting for Friends of Hobbs! You may attend in person at the Visitor Center or via Zoom with the link below.

The purpose of the meeting is to consider the purchase of approximately 111 acres of property for the purpose of donating it to Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area. The property is located on Golden Acres Road, Rogers, Arkansas, and is contiguous to the park.

At our February 2024 meeting, the Board of Directors authorized the officers of the organization to negotiate for the purchase of the property contingent on approval by the membership.

We hope to see you at the meeting on Saturday so we can make a formal agreement on this purchase!

Here is the Zoom link for Saturday's meeting. Click here and join us to attend virtually: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89874697342?pwd=WlRsQlZBd0cybHFtZG51RDZQWXhFUT09

CURRENTLY OPEN FACILITIES UPDATE
The following Hobbs State Park facilities are open: Visitor Center, shooting range, Sinking Stream Trail, Van Winkle Trail, and Shaddox Hollow Trail.

⚠️ Please check in at the Visitor Center first before exploring the park for current facility status or at the FOH FB page for updates. Other sites and trail apps may not have the most current updates.
💦 The boil water order has ended so you can fill water bottles at the Visitor Center again.
🥾 Even though the trails are open, it is still important to be aware of your surroundings when hiking in these areas. Debris piles make great hiding places for snakes and other wildlife and should be left alone.
⛔️ If a trail is marked closed do NOT go out on the trail. We have some 2,500 trees down throughout the park. These trails are dangerous. Please do not enter! Your safety is paramount. Thank you for your patience.

The shooting range will reopen again on Tuesday, June 4th.

The shooting range is closed again due to a new tree that fell after the storms. We will open it again as soon as possible and post that here. Thanks for your patience.

Here's a boost of positivity after this week! Let's all congratulate the 5 Eastside Elementary 5th-grade winners of our Earth 🌎 Day Poster Contest! They all won gift cards they can use at any Arkansas State Park!

A big thanks to their art teacher, Steven Wise, for helping make this contest possible.

The winners from left to right: Emily Dice, Alexis Soto, Ulises Rodriguez, Grayson Lowrie, and Titan Hobbs

Congratulate them with 🎉 in the comments!!

All of our programs through June 9th have been canceled since interpretive staff are assisting in getting the trails in the park opened again. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate the next steps to reclaim and revive our wonderful park.

We now have the following facilities and trails open to the public: visitor center, shooting range, Van Winkle trail, Sinking Stream trail, Shaddox Hollow trail.

The rest of the trails remain closed. We are still under a boil order throughout the park so you must bring your own potable water for consumption. We continue to work clearing the other trails and will announce those as they are safe to reopen.

If the gate at a parking area is closed or caution tape is across the trailhead, you should NOT be there and our law enforcement staff can write you a ticket. We continue to see folks on trails that are not cleared.

Progress Update for 🌳 Hobbs:
Thank you to all of our volunteers over the past few days! It is thanks to them that we are past the immediate emergencies from the tornado on Sunday and are now focusing on clearing our trail system. It will be a long time of recovery, but we're very grateful for all of the support and help we've had in our community so far.

🚨 We are assessing the damage, and the trails will be open as soon as possible. We will update you soon about when the Visitor Center will reopen.

☝️ If you're interested in volunteering, please call the Visitor Center at 479-789-5000 or email Dillon Sutton, our Volunteer Coordinator, at [email protected].

A letter from Hobbs State Park Volunteer Coordinator, Dillon:

I hope this message finds you safe and well. I regret to inform you that the roads, residences, and trails have suffered significant damage due to the tornado on May 25th. 𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝.
Our dedicated maintenance team has been working tirelessly over the past two days, clearing fallen trees and assisting in getting residents out of their homes.
I will be your main point of contact if you wish to help clear the damage. Given the lack of power, running water, and internet, I will be organizing efforts offsite. You can reach me on my cell phone at 479-418-9694. Please call or text me if you need assistance or if you are able to volunteer your help.
To report any damage, please use this link: https://report-ar-benton.orioncentral.com/...
Additionally, here is a live map of roads in Northwest Arkansas that are currently inaccessible: https://gis.bentoncountyar.gov/roadclosures/index.html
If you are looking to volunteer, these areas are in the most urgent need. You can sign up with Sheepdog here: https://sheepdogia.org/get-involved/volunteer/
For those in need of food, several local businesses are offering free meals:
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟕
- Bienvenue Restaurant, The Grove, and GOAT LAB Brewery are offering free burgers, hotdogs, and water at the Arkansas Arts Academy parking lot starting around noon.
- GOAT LAB Brewery is also providing support at their 722 Bloomington St. location starting at 5:30 p.m., offering free food, water, electricity, and AC.
- Bentonville Community Church will open its food pantry and offer groceries and a hot meal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Tyson Foods will distribute hot meals at the Walmart parking lot (922 W. Walnut St., Rogers, AR) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- New Life Church will serve meals in the 10 Box parking lot (103 N. Dixieland Road, Rogers, AR) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6-7 p.m.
- CARE Community Center in Rogers (2510 N 17th St #202, Rogers, AR 72756) is offering hot dogs, a full trailer of water, and a place for people to get out of the heat.
𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟖
- Happy Egg Co. will serve breakfast at the Salvation Army Corps in Rogers (504 N Dixieland Rd) from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Rogers High School (2300 S Dixieland Rd) is offering free breakfast and lunch, along with shower facilities and a place to stay, in the morning and afternoon.
- Operation BBQ Relief is providing hot meals to those affected and can be contacted for mass feeding needs at [email protected].
I will continue to stay updated on resources available for shelter, food, and water. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any help.
Thank you for your support and dedication during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Dillon Sutton
Volunteer Coordinator
[email protected]
p: 479.789.5009 | f: 479.789.2151

The storm last night has devastated the park. All trails and the Visitor Center will remain closed as we assess the damage and will reopen as soon as possible. The important thing is all staff are ok and no major damage found as yet to most buildings. The main thing now is just getting roads open for emergency vehicles. We will update here as possible, including when the Visitor Center will reopen. But it will take quite some time to clear the trails.

We've got educational programs happening on Saturday and Sunday this weekend!

Head to our site to make your plans: https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/events/

There are educational opportunities all around at Hobbs State Park! 🧐 You can scan the QR Code markers near the Visitors Center to learn more about the various native species planted there.

Trail closures happening tomorrow through Monday!
Please plan your visit accordingly.

🚨 Scheduled trail closures will occur over the next few weeks.
Please plan accordingly, and happy trails!

We apologize for any inconvenience!

This weekend, December 9 & 10, we have Reading Rocker on Animals and Winter, the 8 "ates" Hike, and so much more happening! Learn more about our forest friends, how they make it through winter, and how to respect nature while you're taking in its beauty. 🐿🌳

Plan out the programs you don't want to miss!
https://friendsofhobbsstatepark.com/events/month/2023-12/