SPONSOR CONTENT
City of Alma:
Family-friendly, award-winning fun!
The City of Alma is a family-friendly city, home to around 6,000 citizens, located within the Arkansas River Valley. However, our reach is well beyond that, with excellent access to booming Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith, Chaffee Crossing, and many other places.
The city has several places of interest that draw visitors from all around. One of those places is Alma Aquatic Park, nestled within Alma City Park. Albeit seasonal, it packs as much fun into each day as possible to make every visit worthwhile. Though smaller than our neighboring waterparks, Alma Aquatic Park has been awardwinning the past several years, winning Best of River Valley awards in direct competition with the larger parks in our area in both 2021 and 2022. Its size is actually preferred to many because it offers six large slides, a diving board, and a climbing wall for patrons looking for extra fun.
The Aquatic Park also features a main pool going from 3 feet to 11 feet deep, a beach-style pool with entry going from zero to 3 feet deep, a covered wading pool with a mushroom waterfall and a large turtle that young kids will enjoy, and a splash pad play area that is as much fun for mom and dad as it is for kids.
Enjoy the fast and furious spin and plunge of the toilet bowl slide, race a friend down the red / blue slide, swim laps in the large pool or enjoy a rest in one of the loungers on the deck. Once you have worked up an appetite with all that fun, it can be satisfied at the Aquatic Snack Shack with pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, pretzels, and much more. Quench your thirst with a delicious Pepsi product or an ice cold slushie. Don’ t miss out on a delicious cream ice or Johnny Freeze Italian Ice – the snack shack has many flavors and one is bound to become your favorite.
If you prefer something a little drier, be sure to visit one of the city’ s walking / hiking trails, the largest being right near the Aquatic Park surrounding Lake Alma at 3.8 miles. This trail is alongside a newly completed bike trail that draws bike enthusiasts from around the United States. A trail guide and reviews can be
found at mtbproject. com and trailforks. com. Printable maps as well as an interactive map can be found online at almaarkansas. gov / trails.
McWater Falls is located on the walking / hiking trail and is a short hike to natural beauty. Another point of interest on the trail is the 19th century homesite. Downtown, near the City of Alma Main Street, is a beautiful little park featuring our very own bronze Popeye statue and water fountain. A local garden club keeps it beautiful and blooming each year. Popeye Park provides a perfect family photo opportunity or a relaxing gazebo sitting area.
Alma was once the Spinach Capital of the World. We love that part of our history – it created and kept Popeye a proud part of our parks and our past.
Alma has several franchised and locally owned food establishments that are sure to please just about any craving, but if you find you want a little more excitement than what we have to offer, Interstate 40, Highway 71 and Highway 64 provide quick access to Northwest Arkansas, Dallas, Tulsa, Little Rock, and many more fantastic locations with small and large attractions.
Whether you travel east on I-40 toward Memphis or west toward Albuquerque, you are bound to pass through the City of Alma. We invite you to stop and soak in the outdoor options of our parks, featuring biking, hiking and all-around play. There are also three golf courses within close proximity to Alma, with the premier Eagle Crest Golf Course within the city limits. We hope that you find what you are looking for in Alma.
18 • 2025 ALMA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GUIDE