Trail: Wildlife Lane Trail
Hike Location: Millwood State Park
Geographic Location: east of Ashdown, AR (33.68450, -93.98141)
Length: 4.2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2025
Overview: A flat, winding loop through wet forest on the west shore of Millwood Lake.
Park Information:
https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/millwood-state-park
Hike Route Map:
https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=979782Photo Highlight:
Hike Video: (coming February 13, 2026)
Directions to the trailhead: From Ashdown, take SR 32 east 8.8 miles to the signed entrance for Millwood State Park on the left; you reach the park entrance just before crossing Millwood Dam. Turn left to enter the park, and drive the main park road 0.3 miles to the signed trailhead parking on the left. There is room for 4-6 cars in this small parking lot. Additional parking is available near the park entrance if the trailhead parking lot is full.
The hike: Located in southwest Arkansas north of Texarkana, Millwood Lake was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built an earthen dam near the confluence of the Saline and Little Rivers. The dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946 and completed in 1966, and it is the main structure responsible for flood control along the Red River below Lake Texoma. The lake's name speaks to this area's logging and sawmill industry, and much of the lake is unnavigable by boat due to submerged timber. In fact, the name Millwood was used for a river landing in this area as early as 1845.
Perched on the west shore of its namesake lake, Millwood State Park consists of 824 acres leased by the State of Arkansas from the Corps of Engineers. The park is best known for its fishing; the submerged timber makes for great bass, crappie, and catfish habitat. The park also offers a 45-site developed campground, a marina on Millwood Lake, some picnic areas, and 2 hiking trails: the 4 mile Wildlife Lane Trail and the 1.5 mile Waterfowl Way Trail. The 2 trails start from a common trailhead, so you could hike either or both of them. This blog entry features the longer Wildlife Lane Trail, and I would like to return to this park some time to hike the shorter Waterfowl Way Trail.
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| Main trailhead |
From the small parking lot, walk around the metal vehicle gate and past the colorful trail information board to begin walking northwest on a dirt road. This road provides access to an old picnic area that has seen its better days, hence the reason for the locked vehicle gate. After walking through the picnic area, follow the wooden sign that says "trailhead" and walk across a metal bridge to begin the common entrance trail, which is marked by white paint blazes.
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| Common entrance trail |
At 0.3 miles, you reach the signed trail intersection where the Waterfowl Way and Wildlife Lane Trails part ways. As directed by the sign, turn left to begin the Wildlife Lane Trail, which is marked with yellow paint blazes. The Wildlife Lane Trail starts in a fairly dry area with lots of pine trees, but this entire area is a seasonal wetland. The wetness will find you eventually in all but the driest of times, but going counterclockwise around the loop will save the wettest areas for last, thus delaying getting your feet wet for as long as possible.
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| Starting the Wildlife Lane Trail |
You may be surprised when you pass the wooden "1 Mile Point" sign without having seen the lake. This trail winds as much as a mountain bike trail, but the wet areas and some downed trees make biking on this trail a difficult proposition. True to the trail's name, I did see quite a bit of wildlife that included some deer and common woodland birds.
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| 1 Mile Point |
1.6 miles into the hike, you reach Alligator Lookout, which provides your first clear view of Millwood Lake. Some bald cypress trees grow near the damp lakeshore. Alligators are a common sight in this area, but I did not see much wildlife here on the cold, damp, February morning when I came here. A bench provides a good opportunity to rest, rehydrate, and observe the lake.
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| Millwood Lake at Alligator Lookout |
The trail stays close to the lake for 0.2 miles before curving left and heading back inland. Near the 2 Mile Point sign, a signed but faint short-cut trail exits left. The short-cut shortens the hike by nearly a mile, but this hike continues straight to tour the full Wildlife Lane Trail. Next you head around the northern portion of the loop. Another short segment takes you back to the lake's edge for a second and final time. Another bench with another lakeside view sits in this area. |
| Hiking south along the west boundary |
At 2.6 miles, the trail curves left to leave the lake for good. The balance of the hike heads (very) roughly south along the park's west boundary. The trail remains winding, and some parts are harder to discern on the ground. Be sure to watch for the numerous yellow paint blazes to stay on the right track. |
| A moderately wet area |
Near 3.7 miles, you pass through the wettest area of the hike, where you will almost surely get your feet wet. At 3.9 miles, you close the loop. Turn right and hike the common entrance trail back through the run-down picnic area to the small parking lot to complete the hike, or add the Waterfowl Way Trail if you want more wetland hiking with more lake views.
