Envisioning the future for most communities means anticipating growth.  As populations expand, land will be developed more extensively, and the opportunities for preserving our natural wonders will gradually disappear. Lake Leatherwood City Park, one of the largest city parks in the nation, has a magical beauty and aura about it that is uniquely special. Guests are delighted to have found our "hidden jewel" in the woods.   

The mission statement of the Parks and Recreation Commission is to preserve, protect, and enhance the park assets of the greater community of Eureka Springs and to manage them in ways that maximize their benefits to present and future generations.  Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation, the commission, and our local community are the stewards to creating balance between recreation, education, and preservation within our park.   

Our vision is to one day host a "Learning Center" to help instill a love of nature in our guests, which will help create more of a relationship with our park, our community, and the environment as a whole. We would also like to provide a venue/location for research by the academic and scientific communities. The Learning Center will be a home to displays of our natural flora, fauna, insects, mammals, birds, rocks, CCC era artifacts, and more. We hope to have a few park interpreters to lead educational workshops and hikes.

Aldo Leopold once said, "Without knowledge there is no appreciation. Without appreciation, there is no preservation."  We want to provide the public with educational opportunities to help foster the appreciation of all living things and to help create generations that will care and act to protect the environment.