Lake Catherine

Lake Catherine State Part is a 2,180-acre state park nestled in the natural beauty of the Ouachita Mountains.

Lake Catherine is one of the four popular Diamond Lakes in the Hot Springs area. Visitors and residents alike utilize the 1,940-acre lake for its water sports, including boating and swimming. Anglers are known to try their luck at landing largemouth, striped and spotted bass, walleye, crappie, bream, catfish and, below Remmel Dam, even rainbow trout!

The park features waterfalls, hiking trails and picnic areas, as well as 18 fully-equipped cabins with kitchens, 68 campsites and 2 Rent-A-Camp sites, playgrounds, a marina, boat launch and swimming area.

The Polly Crews Cabin, was designed in detail to serve the needs of visitors with disabilities. The cabin also includes its own private and fully-accessible fishing pier and boat dock. The 1,160-square-foot cabin is a design inspired by the rustic architectural designs of five other cabins in the park. An accessible parking space and path provide barrier-free access to the cabin. The two-bedroom cabin includes a bathroom offering both a spa tub and a roll-in shower. Just outside the cabin's screened porch overlooking the lake is a large flagstone patio with a picnic table and pedestal grill.

Two of the park's campgrounds just reopened following a total renovation. It encompassed 32 campsites in Camping Area “C,” an area that stretches along the shore of Lake Catherine and includes many lakeside sites. In Camping Area “A,” located on a hillside nearby, a total of 12 campsites were renovated. Campground improvements include new roads, utility distribution systems and the parking pads and utilities at each campsite. Most of the parking pads are now 60 feet long or longer. Now classified as Class AAA sites, each one is a pull-in or back-in campsite featuring water and sewer hookups plus combined electrical for 20 amp, 30 amp, and 50 amp connections. Each site includes a picnic table, grill, lantern hanger and tent pad. Additional vehicle parking is scattered throughout the camping areas. Campground improvements include two barrier-free campsites that are located adjacent to the two existing bathhouses. Both bathhouses now offer barrier-free access for visitors with disabilities.

The park's marina, open in summer only, sells bait and fuel. Rental boats are available throughout the year. The park features a launch ramp, standard pavilion, picnic sites, playgrounds, laundry and trails. Gifts, groceries, snacks and ice are available for sale daily at the visitor center that overlooks the swimming area and nature center (open during the summer only).

Park interpreters offer guided hikes, boat tours and programs during summer, or by advance request in other seasons. Guided horseback trail rides are available during the summer months.

Just up Catherine Park Road (Ark. 171) from Lake Catherine State Park, Diamondhead, a private resort community also located on Lake Catherine, offers a golf course, snack bar, restaurant and Olympic-size swimming pool that park visitors are welcome to enjoy, too. Diamondhead's golf course is an 18-hole, par 72 championship course with a pro shop, snack bar, cart rentals and a driving range.

The lake is nestled in the narrow valleys of the Ouachita Mountains, just minutes south of Hot Springs.

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Lake DeGray

Situated among the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains and located adjacent to the National Scenic 7 Byway, just north of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Lake DeGray Resort State Park includes more than 31,000 acres of land and water!

Spanning 208 miles of shoreline and 13,400 acres, Lake DeGray offers a myriad of recreational opportunities. A veritable water sports paradise, activities such as fishing, swimming, sailing, scuba diving, and houseboating are popular on the 13,400-acre lake, which boasts largemouth and hybrid bass and other game fish.

The park features picnic sites, hiking trails, more than 700 developed campsites (full-hookup to primitive), 15 boat launches, a swimming beach, a 96-room lodge, conference center, 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts and a marina. Fourteen thousand acres of the park is open to the public for hunting. It is the Arkansas' only resort state park.

Lake DeGray was completed in 1972. The earthen dam backs up the waters of the Caddo River some 27 miles creating Lake DeGray. The history of the Caddo River goes back hundreds of years to the first settlers in the area – the Caddo Indians.

With over 13,400 acres of water surface alone, there is plenty of room to enjoy the many recreational activities Lake DeGray has to offer. You are invited to come see for yourself and explore the beauty of Lake DeGray and the facilities of the Lake DeGray Resort State Park.

The lake and resort are approximately 21 miles south of Hot Springs on Scenic Byway 7.

Lake Hamilton

Lake Hamilton sits on the south and western edge of Hot Springs, and is one of the state's most popular lakes for recreation ... and living!

Much of the 7,200-acre lake's shoreline is ringed with homes, condos, resorts, motels and restaurants, and popular activities on the lake include skiing, parasailing, boating and fishing. There are many places to launch boats on the lake.

Lake Ouachita

Due west of Hot Springs lies Lake Ouachita, a 40,100-acre lake renowned for its scenic beauty and clear water.

The lake is surrounded by the Ouachita National forest and has a wilderness shoreline of some 970 miles. Its length (40 miles) makes it a favorite destination of sailors as well as recreational boaters and skiers, and its clarity attracts many a scuba diver. Other recreational opportunities include swimming, horseback riding, camping and hiking, and fishing opportunities on the lake (nationally known for its largemouth and hybrid striped bass) abound. Some 20,000 acres of land at the project are open to public hunting.

The lake's more than 100 uninhabited islands are open and ideal for primitive camping. The area features 21 recreation areas with 150 picnic sites, more than 1,000 campsites, 24 boat ramps and 13 swimming beaches.

The park is located approximately 13 miles west of Hot Springs on U.S. Highway 270, and north on Highway 227.

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