Dates of Visit: 22-23 March 2024
Jersey, AR
54º~rain first day, full sun second, light wind
Moro Bay State Park (#28) completed my trifecta of parks all located in or near El Dorado. Given the disappointment of the Natural Resources park, I was glad this was the way my trip ended and not the other way around. On the park sign you see the juncture where Moro Bay and Raymond Lake meet the Ouachita River (the standout geologic feature of this park). Also in the picture, the orange ferry, no longer in use but once the only way to cross before the highway 63 bridge was built in 1992 (yes, 1992!). Like many of the lake parks, this one calls to the fishing folx and features some super cool cabins built to withstand the periodic flooding. Only caveat for anyone with kids: there’s no beach. They do rent kayaks if you want to get up close and personal with the shorelines. Alas, March had turned back into February when I was there so I stuck with the group tour on the big pontoon boat.
I planned my trip around two park-sponsored events. First, a Friday afternoon gathering in the visitor center called “Meet the Alligator.” I mean, come on? Who doesn’t want the chance to get up close and personal with an American alligator. While it rained outside, I joined a handful of families with small kids to learn more about gators. And, we all got a chance to pet Maurice (funnily, named after the lemur in the Madagascar movie). For those concerned with animal treatment, Maurice has a great big aquarium. The park never traps or uses wild alligators, as that is definitely against the law. They purchase a baby from an alligator farm in Louisiana and keep it until it is about 3, as alligators grow about 1 foot per year and at 3 feet they become unmanageable as an educational specimen.
Paul, our park ranger, talked for about 30 minutes and I learned so much. Example: Moro Bay is about as far north as alligators get in AR and their range matches that of mayhaw bushes. So, if local people are making mayhaw jelly, there’s bound to be a gator around. Biggest fact: alligators win the contest for strongest jaws in the animal kingdom, far outstripping even lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! The only problem is that their jaws only go up and down, not side to side. They can’t chew! That’s why they roll their prey; they’re trying to wrench off a manageable piece to swallow whole, oh my! Final takeaway, it is illegal to feed or harass an American alligator. Just don’t.
The second event I signed up for brought me back on Saturday morning, with the sun in full swing. Too bad the temperatures didn’t respond in kind. They stayed in the low 50s as a small group of us boarded the park’s pontoon boat for a water tour with Paul. A bit bulkier than normal, my park wear (long workout pants, a heavy sweatshirt over a T, a medium snuggly jacket, and gloves) got weighed down a bit more with my life jacket and binoculars, but the layers definitely helped me stay comfy as the cold wind came up off the water. We cruised around the bay, down into the lake a bit, and checked out the river by sight (the water was running high and fast). As we meandered on the water, I took a zillion pics of the bald cypress trees living the high life in the high water. I don’t think my fascination with them will ever end. Again, Paul taught us a lot, this time about the history of river traffic in the area, the state’s response to flooding (a topic covered at many of the parks near rivers & lakes), and where to find the best fishing spots.
I ended my time at the park with a picnic and then walked a bit on one of the lakeside trails, although recent heavy rain meant I couldn’t complete either of the official trail hikes. Even with not ideal weather, I enjoyed the visit and left with a lot of imagery floating around in my head for the future poem.
Next up: Cane Creek