Siloam Springs Kayak Park : recreational oasis | By Rachel Bevill-Cottrell Special to Siloam Springs Commuity Guide
The Siloam Springs Kayak Park was established in 2014 at Fishers Ford in Siloam Springs . Originally funded by the Walton Foundation , the park was intended to be a gateway into watersports activities for the Siloam Springs community .
The two engineered , Class I and Class II rapids were anticipated to primarily attract kayakers . However , because of its location in Northwest Arkansas , the beautiful surrounding scenery and unparalleled swimming holes , the community began to utilize the park for more than just kayaking . This spot of communal recreation has become a popular oasis for the last decade , almost to a fault . What was intended to be a park capable of hosting a few hundred visitors turned into thousands of excited park-goers overflowing the parking lot and lining nearby roads .
Travis Chaney , the director of Siloam Springs Parks and Recreation , speaking on the intended size of the park and the actual visitor foot traffic said , “ In fact , it had become so popular that it was getting ‘ loved to death .’ In 2022 , we had over 6,000 people at the park on the Fourth of July alone . There are only 100 parking spaces and that number is deliberate . The park was not designed to accommodate 6,000 people in a day .”
When first constructed , the Kayak Park hosted thick vegetation under the trees along the bank of the stream , but due to heavy foot traffic most of the vegetation was flattened and destroyed . While parkgoers weren ’ t intentionally damaging the vegetation , the unprecedented amount of visitors was causing almost irrevocable damage .
“ Without ground level vegetation , there was nothing to hold the soil in place , and the regular floods we get on the Illinois River were washing all of that soil away . Erosion was threatening to destabilize the banks , topple the trees and change the character of the park ,” Chaney said .
Seeking ways to restore and stabilize the vegetation and the riverbanks , the city sought grants from the Illinois River Watershed Partnership ( IRWP ) and the Walton Family Foundation . These grants provided funding to revegetate the land and preserve the riverbanks .
Continuing the revitalization project , Chaney said that “ the city ’ s partnership with the IRWP set limited weekend and summer capacity regulations to manage visitor capacity in order to protect the recent investments into the park ’ s infrastructure and improve visitor experience .”
Now , the 100-car parking lot is capped at just that 100 cars . There is no longer parking available on private or public roads , and once the lot is full no other visitors can enter the park until another car leaves . Additionally , there is a $ 10 per car parking fee .
“ The city allowed the Illinois River Watershed Partnership to lease the park on the weekends this summer ( 2023 ) and help educate visitors on the importance of this shared water resource ,” Chaney said . “ After observing how the park felt under this new management model , I would say that if you get more than 350 people in the park at any given time , visitor experience tends to diminish . It ’ s just too crowded . For that reason , we do not currently have plans to expand parking .”
These implementations on parking and visitor capacity are not intended to stop visitors from having fun , they are actually doing quite the opposite . Consider how it feels when you go on vacation to see a natural wonder like the Grand Canyon . If there are too many people , you lose sight of the view and the visitors
unintentionally begin to damage the wildlife and vegetation . Limiting capacity is just the first step in preserving the Kayak Park .
In addition to the revitalization of the park , other improvements are being made , as well .
“ As a part of this project , parks maintenance staff also constructed more picnic areas , built new sidewalks , installed additional signage and added a dedicated access lane for commercial outfitters . I would say the most successful initiative this summer was the new life jacket loaner station , made possible by a grant from IRWP and the Evan Thomas Foundation . IRWP kept the life jacket loaner station stocked every day of the week , which led to a significant increase in life jacket wearing , particularly amongst the children ,” Chaney said .
He noted that they are constantly seeking ways to improve visitor experience and preserve the historic site .
“ Over the winter , we will work to tweak our management model based on what we learned this summer to get ready for the huge influx of families and paddlers before Memorial Day weekend .”
Chaney ’ s favorite part about the Siloam Springs Kayak Park is the way that it “ showcases just how important of a recreational
Marc Hayot / Herald-Leader Kayakers paddle about the Siloam Springs Kayak Park . With more visitors than the kayak park can handle , the city is turning to IRWP to help manage the kayak park . resource the Illinois River is .” He went on to explain that most of the water that falls as rain or goes down the drain in Northwest Arkansas will eventually make its way to the Kayak Park .
“ If Siloam Springs and its partners are successful at fostering a conservation-minded recreation culture on this river , I believe we will be much more likely to build the kinds of communities upstream of the Kayak Park that will work to preserve the integrity of the Illinois River for generations to come .”
When visitors seek the open air and the beautiful , natural water sources in Northwest Arkansas to enjoy fishing , kayaking , swimming and the scenery , conservation should be at the forefront of their minds . Enjoying nature can come with a price , but the Siloam Springs Kayak Park is working to mitigate those risks and create an enjoyable experience for everyone .
SILOAM SPRINGS COMMUNITY GUIDE 2024 • 21