Prairie Grove is recognized nationally as one of America's most intact Civil War battlefields. The park protects the battle site and interprets the Battle of Prairie Grove, where on December 7, 1862, the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi clashed with the Union Army of the Frontier resulting in about 2,700 casualties in a day of fierce fighting.

Walk along the ridge and into the valley where the heaviest fighting took place. See wayside exhibits on the 1-mile Battlefield Trail, or travel the park's 6 1/2-mile Driving Tour.

Exhibits, tours and other programs describe the battle and its local effect. The park hosts Arkansas's largest battle reenactment on the first weekend of December on even-numbered years.