Burke Crowley's Ridge Preserve

Why You Should Visit
The preserve is an excellent example of the upland forest habitat of Crowley's Ridge, a narrow ridge that extends nearly 200 miles from Helena, Arkansas, to Commerce, Missouri. It stands as much as 250 feet above the flat, floodplain forests and wetlands that dominate the rest of the Delta.

Location
Phillips County

Size
97 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
There are no marked trails. The preserve contains some moderately steep slopes.

Sturdy hiking shoes, long pants (to protect against occasional patches of poison ivy and briars), and insect repellent are recommended. Carry plenty of drinking water.

Directions

• From downtown West Helena, take Highway 49 Business west to its intersection with Highway 242
• Turn right (north) onto Hwy 242
• Within approximately one mile, Hwy 242 will bend sharply to the left (west)
• Within this bend, turn right (north) onto County Road 210
• Stay on CR 210 for approximately 1.25 miles
• The preserve is on the right side of the road (it is not yet signed).

What to See: Plants
This tract features a mixed oak-hickory-shortleaf pine forest that is characteristic of the southern end of Crowley's Ridge. It also includes wet forests that typically harbor other plant species including beech (Carpinus caroliniana), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and the climbing magnolia (Schisandra glabra), a vine found in only four counties in Arkansas.

List of plants here

What to See: Animals
One might catch a glimpse of a red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) soaring overhead, a wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) rustling through the underbrush, or a pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) hammering on a tree. Other animals commonly found here include rabbits, deer, opossums, and box turtles.

List of animals here

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Crowley's Ridge was isolated through the actions of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; as a result, its forests of hardwoods and shortleaf pine differ dramatically from the surrounding Delta bottomlands. The Burke Crowley's Ridge Preserve is adjacent to the St. Francis National Forest, an important conservation area in the Delta. 

In 2002, The Nature Conservancy received this tract as a gift. Part of the Burke family for several generations, it was donated by Aubrey and Patsy Burke.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy will manage the land as a nature preserve for the animals, plants and ecological communities that occur here. Plant and animal inventories are ongoing.