Phillips County: Rivers, Music and History

Several notable waterfront locations lie within Phillips County at Mississippi River State Park: the Storm Creek Lake Recreation Area, access points to Hornor Neck Lake and the St. Francis River, and the confluence of the St. Francis River and the Mississippi. The park also provides access to St. Francis National Forest. The landscape brings together the Mississippi, Crowley’s Ridge, and the Arkansas Delta.

Park Landscapes and Rivers

These locations offer different points of interest: a recreation area at Storm Creek Lake, access to a lake and river, and, finally, the confluence of two major rivers. If you’re especially interested in waterfront landscapes while planning your trip, you can use these places as a guide when choosing destinations. Battery C Park offers a different perspective: from Crowley’s Ridge, the view extends over downtown Helena and the Mississippi.

Music and History in Helena

In historic downtown Helena, the Delta Cultural Center tells the story of the Arkansas Delta. Its musical heritage includes King Biscuit Time: the show first aired on KFFA-AM on November 21, 1941. It is broadcast from the Delta Cultural Center Monday through Friday, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. If you’d like to include the broadcast in your day’s plans, check the current schedule in advance.

In the Delta Sounds exhibition area, listening stations introduce visitors to the musical heritage of the Arkansas Delta. The exhibits focus on influential figures in gospel, rockabilly, and blues. The center offers a way to explore the region’s music history, while King Biscuit Time puts its ongoing broadcast in the spotlight.

History is also told at specific sites. Freedom Park is located on the grounds of a former Civil War camp for formerly enslaved people who had escaped, and presents their experiences in five exhibits. Reconstructed Fort Curtis is a three-quarter-scale replica of the original fort and can be explored on a self-guided visit. Centennial Baptist Church is nationally significant for its connection to Dr. Elias Camp Morris. Morris served as pastor there from 1879 until his death in 1922.

The Helena Museum of Phillips County features early paintings, a Thomas Edison collection, materials about Indigenous peoples, and letters from General Lafayette and General Robert E. Lee. Its collections also include Civil War objects, a diorama of the Battle of Helena, and a bronze statue of General Patrick Cleburne. Delta Dirt Distillery in downtown Helena offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillation process. The Williams family behind the distillery has farmed land in Phillips County for four generations.

Biking, Kayaking, and Trail Sections

Delta Heritage Trail State Park offers different ways to plan an active trip. The Pedal & Paddle tour includes a bike ride from Barton to Lake View, followed by kayaking on Old Town Lake. It’s worth checking the dates for this program before making plans.

So far, 74.1 miles of trail have been completed in the park. The northern section from Lake View to Elaine is separate: it is an 8.4-mile rail trail surfaced with finely crushed gravel. The bike-and-kayak tour combines two activities, while the trail section described here offers a specific route and stated length. This can help you decide how to fit the kind of outing you want into your travel plans.

Planning Your Hotel Around the Day’s Activities

The weekday broadcast schedule may also factor into your plans. Organize your daily destinations around these interests, then look for a hotel that suits your travel plans.

Explore more destinations: West Helena, Arkansas County, Chicot County, Conway County, Hempstead County, Drew, St. Francis County, Carroll County.

For the broader travel overview: Arkansas.