It took several years and $8 million, but there’s a new place for RVers along the Arkansas River. The new Fort Smith, Arkansas, RV resort called Riverfront RV Resort opened last week.
Cost rockets up in three years
The 27-acre facility was originally pitched in 2021. At that time it was estimated to cost about $2.5 million to develop. The developers already owned the land. A year later, in April 2022, cost estimates had doubled. When a building permit for work on the park was issued by the City of Fort Smith, it listed the cost of the park at $5 million.
Now one of the owners, Rick Griffin, says the total investment in the Fort Smith, Arkansas, RV resort has reached nearly $8 million. “We hope to make money on it,” Griffin said during the dedication ceremony, “but we know it will be good for our town.” Development studies suggest the resort could generate about $2.2 million in economic impact on Fort Smith, especially downtown Fort Smith, per year. The resort, which has been open only one week and has not advertised its opening, has already had 30 campers, Phil White, Griffin’s partner, said last Thursday at the resort’s official kickoff.
Located near other Fort Smith, Arkansas, draws
Located about a half mile from the recently opened U.S. Marshals Museum, the Fort Smith, Arkansas, resort has a park-like setting. An on-site manager lives in an apartment. The park also developed office and retail space. It is located just south of 330 acres the city purchased from Kansas City Southern Railroad Company for soft surface trails. There are 100 RV sites of varying sizes and 10 tent campsites. Space rental varies from $50 to $80.
“Not an RV park”
“This is a resort, not an RV park. A lot of people think of an RV park as a trailer park where people can set up their RVs and live. This isn’t that. There are no permanent spots. It’s a resort,” White has said of the property.
The resort also features a gated entry, which opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. You’ll find handicap-accessible bathrooms and showers, and wi-fi service. It also boasts an outdoor playground and exercise area, a swimming pool, dog park playground, coin laundry facility and a general store. Other amenities include a horseshoe pit, pickleball courts, a porch-swing conversation area with a fire ring, and a large pavilion with a fireplace and grills.
The park features a private boat ramp with access to the Arkansas River and boat parking area. There’s also a boat dock and fish cleaning station.
For more information, visit the resort’s web page.
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Thank you, Russ and Tina! Sites are sites, so should help alleviate some campground crowding, but I guess we’ll see. A floor of $50/night is a pretty high floor for nightly “camping.”
I think more camp grounds and camping sites are usually a good thing!