Surfs Up

Your Guide To Catching Waves in Siloam’s Springs.

Story and Photography by David Lewis

There’s plenty to see and do outdoors in Siloam Springs. But this Northwest Arkansas college town of 18,000 on the Oklahoma border about 30 miles from Bentonville has one attraction no other can touch: its own year-round whitewater kayaking park. Add to that a new and considerably bigger whitewater park, WOKA, a few minutes away just across the border into Oklahoma, and the region now serves as a mecca for paddling enthusiasts from hundreds of miles around.

Siloam Springs Kayak Park

Well before there was a Siloam Springs Kayak Park (SSKP), there was Fishers Ford, known to locals as a great spot to boat, swim and fish. Then in 2014, with a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the city of Siloam Springs turned Fishers Ford into SSKP, which included reshaping the riverbed.

Get ready to “play” in the park by surfing or standing on one of the many waves in the river. Point the kayak upstream, paddle into the wave and finesse the forces of currents. Then do some tricks, if you dare. Those who are good at surfing make it look easy. Beginners find out quickly that it’s not. 

Access to SSKP is free on weekdays, but to address overcrowding issues, the city now charges $10 per vehicle on holidays and weekends Memorial Day to Labor Day. When the parking lot is full, new arrivals will be turned away.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset during free parking days. On summer weekends, the park is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are no concessions or equipment rentals at SSKP, but there are some loaner life jackets available. Wearing one is strongly recommended.

While there’s virtually never too little water, there are times when there’s too much. The park is closed for safety reasons when flow reaches 1,000 cubic feet per second.

For more information visit siloamspringskayakpark.com.

WOKA

Just three miles south of Siloam Springs near Watts, Oklahoma, one will find WOKA, short for “Waters of Oklahoma and Arkansas,” which opened in September of 2023.

WOKA’s roots, however, go back to the construction of a dam on the Illinois River in 1931, creating Lake Francis, followed by a flood-related breach of that dam in 1990. Two decades later, visionaries from Siloam Springs and Oklahoma, among others, developed the plans to capitalize on how the water flowed through the broken dam, secured the funding and made it happen.

WOKA developers dug a 100-foot-wide channel that diverts water from the river and sends it through eight drops over a 1,200-foot course.

The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset seven days a week. Visitors can bring their own gear or rent inflatable kayaks, surf boards, stand-up paddleboards, tubes, helmets and life jackets from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For general information visit the WOKA website at visitwoka.com.

Favorites

Talk a Walk in a Park: Stop by City Lake Park for biking, including a pump track, disc golf and fishing during your visit. There’s also Bob Henry Park, Memorial Park and Twin Springs Park.

Drinks on the Square: Ivory Bill Tap Company and Creekside Tap Room are not far from the square. Don’t miss Ash & Ember, the local cigar bar. If caffeine is your drug of choice, Poor John’s Coffee Shop can hook you up.

Bite Into Bliss: Restaurants are abundant, ranging from the standard chain establishments on the highway to the homegrown offerings of Fratelli’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria, Café on Broadway and the Park House Bar and Kitchen, which offers a full menu and frequent live music on the lawn. Park House also has rooms upstairs to rent.

Trying to decide which whitewater park to visit? Rob Moody, owner of Arkansas Outdoor Outfitters, offers this tip: “Think of Siloam Springs Kayak Park as beginner-level and WOKA as intermediate to advanced.” Moody teaches kayaking, canoeing and river safety and rescue for those looking to delve further into water sport technique in The Natural State. He reminds everyone on any body of water in Arkansas this summer, but especially rivers, to keep safety in mind. “People with life jackets on almost never drown,” he said.