Garvan Woodland Gardens

I awoke and was rearranging the car for the trip south to Louisiana and found a brochure for Garvan Woodland Gardens. I was debating whether to spend many hours touring the Garvan Woodland Gardens and getting in late to Chicot State Park or leaving early and getting in relatively early at the park. In the end the famous architecture won the debate.

The 10 minute trip took 30 and I parked in overflow parking away from the other cars. There were many more people than I expected. There was a line for tickets and I heard many different languages being spoken (Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, and an eastern European language). We were told to visit the chapel first if we wanted to see it because there would be a wedding at 1:00 pm and the area would be closed for hours.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

Garvan Woodland Gardens is a 210-acre botanical garden located on the shore of Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States. The land was originally owned by Verna Cook Garvan, who purchased the property in the 1920s as a summer retreat.

Mrs. Garvan had a deep appreciation for nature and began planting gardens on the property in the 1950s. Over the years, she collected and planted a variety of exotic and native plants, creating a unique and diverse collection of flora. She also added several structures to the property, including a stone bridge, a chapel, and a folly.

In 1991, Mrs. Garvan donated the property to the University of Arkansas, which established Garvan Woodland Gardens as a public garden. The university expanded the gardens and added several new features, including the Anthony Chapel, a glass-walled chapel set in the woods, and the Evans Children's Adventure Garden, which features interactive exhibits and educational activities for children. The gardens continue to be maintained and expanded by the University of Arkansas, and new features are regularly added to enhance visitors' experiences.

A map of the grounds was provided with numbers matching markers on the paths. It was comical how useless the map was at times. I either asked or was asked by others where various points were located. There are so many connecting little paths, that it is easy to miss a marker and lose your direction.

Anthony Chapel

The Anthony Chapel is the most iconic point in the gardens tour. This architectural masterpiece appears in the middle of a wooded area with jutting wood and glass structures that create a sense of being in the outdoor. The building was built in 2006 from the designs of architects Maurice Jennings and David McKee. Apparently, the chappel is one of the most sought after wedding venues in the state.

The Gardens

The gardens cover over 200 acres of botanical gardens and woodland. The property consists of many manmade waterfalls and small ponds. I couldn’t determine where the water came from and asked one of the groundskeepers if the water was pumped from the lake below. He told me they have three large 75-hp engines that feed all the waterfalls from the lake.

At this time of year there were only a few flowers starting to bloom (daffodils and violets). The grass was still dormant and the trees didn’t have any leaves. In other words, probably not the best time of year to visit.

The Tree House

The Evans Tree House, added by the University of Arkansas, is a remarkable structure located on the grounds. It’s linked to a play area by ramps. The tree house is constructed of a medal frame with a wooden slatted exterior that gives it its structure. The shape almost reminds me of a home from a Star Wars set. It would be fun to be a kid and get to crawl through this playland.

The play area below is filled with stones to crawl over and bronze animal sculptures to bring the area to life.

The Pavilion

I wasn’t clear what the purpose of the entire area was. There didn’t seem to be a home located on the property. I read that the creator, Verna Cook Garvan was an avid gardener and she laid out all the paths and saw the area as a possible future homesite. She never did build a home here. The grounds have a very modern pavilion which would be nice for a family events. It wasn’t clear if Garvan or the University built the structure.

Prairie Bayou Cemetery

After leaving garvan, I headed south towards Chicot State Park in Louisiana. Not far outside of Garvan, I came across the Prairie Bayou Cemetery in DeRoche, Arkansas. I’ve never seen grave sites covered in white stones like this. I stopped to take a few photographs.

I couldn’t find a campground that took reservations the same day near Chicot State Park. It turns out that Chicot has a camp ground but doesn’t use Reserve America. I drove to a Walmart nearby and bought groceries. While there, I noticed some large metal structures in the parking lot designed to prevent tractor trailers from entering, which could also limit access for larger RVs.

Across the street was Nickys Mexican Restaurant in Shreveport, LA. I order chilli rellenos a salad and a bean soup that was so salty I couldn’t eat it. The Cracker Barrel was beside the mexican restaurant and I pulled in to sleep there for the night. It was relatively quiet and there were two RVs parked near me.