In the 1800s steamboats made Jacksonport a thriving river port, and Confederate and Union forces both occupied the town during the Civil War because it stands where the White and Black rivers meet. Jacksonport became the county seat in 1852, and the restored courthouse is now a museum. The park also has 20 Class A campsites (50 amp), a swimming beach, a pavilion, picnic sites, a playground, a boat ramp and the half-mile Tunstall trail. The visitor center is open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March through November.