Russellville, Arkansas Campgrounds and RV Parks

Russellville, Arkansas

Located about halfway between Fort Smith and Little Rock, Russellville is positioned advantageously near to a number of entertainment opportunities. It is the county seat of Pope County, with a population of about 28,000. During Pope County Fair, at summer's end, visitors swell this number by about 50,000. The historic downtown area of Russellville, rebuilt after a massive fire in 1906, is a tourist draw, as are the local music and art scenes, which are celebrated monthly during the Art Walk.

A few miles west of Russellville is the site of Arkansas's only nuclear power plant, named Arkansas Nuclear One, operated by Entergy Corporation. The first unit went online in May 1974 and a second in September 1978. Both reactors have an output of over 90% which puts them among the world's highest-ranked for capacity utilization. The cooling tower, visible for miles around, is served by the waters of the Dardanelle Reservoir.

The building of the railway in 1870 was an event which brought growth to the Russellville area. The railway permitted the transportation of timber, the second most important industry after farming during this time. The resultant prosperity paved the way for the development of schools and a coal-mining industry also sprang up. In the early twentieth century, cotton was harvested but these industries are gone now. The current industrial base of Russellville is very diverse, with 48 different manufacturing plants employing 83,000 people.

Lake Dardanelle State Park
Mount Magazine State Park
Art Walk, first Friday night of each month
Arkansas Candle Factory Outlet
Freedom Fest, July
Bona Dea Trails and Sanctuary