Discover Monroe County: Nature, Waterways and History

Explore Monroe County through its striking contrasts: natural areas with shallow waters, swamps and forests sit alongside places connected to the history of surveying, railroads and education. These themes offer different ways to shape your travel plans.

Waterways and Wetlands

Robe Bayou is typically a shallow-water paddling destination. Along Bayou DeView, the Benson Creek Natural Area WMA encompasses 610 acres of swamp habitat with bald cypress and tupelo trees. The area is suitable for canoeing and birdwatching. Parking and a boat access point are available south of the bridge.

The Sheffield Nelson Dagmar WMA is a floodplain with hardwood forests and numerous lakes, ponds, swamps and bayous. You can fish here for crappie, bass, bream and catfish. There are also 14 primitive campsites and five concrete boat ramps. The 400-acre Apple Lake Waterfowl Rest Area is used by numerous ducks and wading birds.

A December 2021 AGFC report described a boat access point at Maddox Bay to an oxbow of the White River in Monroe County. The report also notes that the access point opens up part of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge. The project included a 250-foot-long concrete ramp. Check current access conditions before planning your trip.

Surveying and Landscape at Louisiana Purchase State Park

An elevated boardwalk leads to a granite monument at Louisiana Purchase State Park. The monument marks the starting point from which surveying began for all the lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The park is designated a National Historic Landmark. It offers information about the lowlands and native flora and fauna. The Louisiana Purchase Boardwalk is designated a National Recreation Trail. The park is a day-use park; restrooms are located at the trailhead.

Schools, Museums and Historic Roads

The Fargo Training School Historic District covers about 15 acres in Greenfield Township, Monroe County. Its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places describes it as significant at the state level for its association with ethnic heritage and African American education. The Fargo Agricultural School, part of the Monroe County Loop, was founded in 1919 to educate African American students. The Brown-Fargo Agricultural School Museum was established in 1960.

The Central Delta Depot Museum is housed in a restored 1912 railroad depot listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum explores the natural, social, agricultural and cultural history of the Arkansas Delta. Exhibits include a permanent display about Louis Jordan, as well as displays on the 1815 Louisiana Purchase survey and the region's railroads.

Another historic landmark is the section of the Memphis-to-Little-Rock Road along Henard Cemetery Road. This 650-meter-long remnant of an early 19th-century road is about 24 feet wide and surfaced with gravel. Because of its association with the Cherokee Removal and earlier relocations of the Choctaw, Creek and Chickasaw, the section is considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places at the national level.

Routes and Local History

The Monroe County Loop is an official route off the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. It includes the Louisiana Purchase State Park Monument and the Fargo Agricultural School, and passes through historic railroad and river towns. Brinkley grew with the construction of the railroad lines between Memphis and Little Rock. After the Civil War, Clarendon resumed its role as an important industrial port for cotton and other goods.

Discover more destinations: Brinkley, Crittenden, Grant County, Conway County, Scott County, Washington, Marion County, Ashley County.

For the broader travel overview: Arkansas.