We stayed at Lake Catherine for 6 days and 5 nights. We had site #70…read more This site was plenty big, had a fishing dock (although the water was low) we still fished and enjoyed it. Only caught 1 small fish. Lake Catherine is about 15- 20 minutes to Hot Springs. We drove around section C looking for good spots and found several. We never went into section A or B. But this was a great, clean and quiet area. We will be back.

Clean and comfortable - natural beauty sitting just around the bend and over the next hill and…read moreunder the placid water of Lake Catherine! It's fun and easy to reach/enjoy with family friendly opportunities for hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, grilling, camping (cabins available too) - very close to Hot Springs which has a lot of beauty from the National Park in downtown to the lookout tower atop the highest point in downtown - including the natural hot springs which makes this place famous for America's first off season professional baseball camps and the likes of gangsters and movie stars all mingled alongside the everyday persons enjoying the same or hanging out at the horse races. It's a cool place to visit and you'll have a super time at the park - with other states parks and lakes and rivers/hiking and nature all around!

Fun urban walk with historical businesses and there is enough nature to walk and see from above I…read more The tower as well

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six-week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and experience it beyond simply driving by. Hot Springs National Park was one of the most unique parks on our journey because it is unlike any other national park we have visited. Rather than protecting vast wilderness, this park preserves the history and natural thermal springs that gave birth to the city of Hot Springs. For centuries, people believed the mineral-rich waters had healing properties, and during the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area became one of America's premier spa destinations. The beautifully preserved Bathhouse Row is a reminder of that era, with historic buildings that still define the character of the park today. The park itself blends seamlessly into the city, making it feel less like a traditional national park and more like a living historic district. Personally, I see it as being closer to a national monument than the expansive wilderness parks most people picture when they think of the National Park System. But that doesn't diminish its value, it is simply a very different experience. I spent quite a bit of time hiking the surrounding trails, which were peaceful, scenic, and offered beautiful views over the town and the Ouachita Mountains. It was a pleasant surprise to discover how much nature surrounds the historic district once you begin climbing into the hills. The town itself is charming, full of history, unique architecture, good restaurants, and an easy pace that invites you to slow down. Between exploring the bathhouses, learning about the fascinating history of hydrotherapy in America, and enjoying the trails, we found there was plenty to fill a full day. Overall, Hot Springs National Park is beautiful in its own way. It may not offer towering mountains or dramatic wilderness, but it preserves an important chapter of American history while still providing opportunities to enjoy nature. It is certainly worth visiting with an open mind and an appreciation for both history and the outdoors.

It was a beautiful morning, perfect for exploring trails along the state park. We drove :30, 2…read moremiles out of Hot Springs. We started in the visitor center with Wi-Fi, maps, and a small gift shop. We followed the trails down to the marina. We passed campsite's & pullouts. Kayaks, paddle boats, pontoon boats are all available. There was a small beach with two people sitting on chairs.

We drove through part of Lake Ouachita State Park in late July 2025…read more Entrance was free. The lake looked clean everywhere we went. I was impressed. Many boaters, some swimmers (with designated areas and beaches even), some fishermen, and hikers scattered this area of Arkansas just outside of Hot Springs. It was fairly hot when we went, but still good fun and beautiful scenery. If time had permitted, I would have liked to take my daughters to Three Sisters Springs and other places. We instead stayed at Echo Canyon which is not technically part of the state park, but exists on Lake Ouachita.

This was one of the highlights of our Arkansas trip while visiting family from our Florida home…read morebase. For anyone unfamiliar, this is the only diamond mine in the world open to the public where you can actually keep what you find. Some surprisingly large diamonds have been discovered here over the years, so there's always that tiny bit of hope that keeps you searching. What surprised me most was the layout. For some reason I expected caves or mining tunnels, but it's actually a huge open field where visitors search, dig, sift, and surface hunt. We paid $45 total admission for 3 people and thankfully already had equipment provided by our rental house (checkout Punkin's place in Murfreesboro, Arkansas on Airbnb) because you can absolutely spend extra renting tools onsite if needed. We started with wet sifting before moving into dry and surface searching. There were a few muddy sections from recent rain, but overall the conditions were great during our May visit. Slightly overcast skies with an occasional drizzle made the weather perfect for being outside. I honestly can't imagine doing this in the middle of a blazing hot summer afternoon. I had read reviews from people saying they left exhausted, but we approached it a little differently due to some back and shoulder limitations. We worked smart, paced ourselves, and still had a fantastic time. We didn't find diamonds that day, but we did leave with some beautiful rocks and a really fun experience. We would absolutely do this again!

Walking into crater of diamond state park my nieces, sister and I did not know what to expect. I…read morehave to say it was a great experience and everyone was so nice and other diamond searchers were extremely nice as well! If you have a chance come to CDSP!

The wilder, more spacious segment of HSNP. These are some long, windy, and wooded trails that you…read morecan explore here. If you're not into the mountain top observatory, this is probably the best overlook in town. Be sure to use pano mode on your phone.

LOVE Riverview Cabins & Canoes!…read more Hubby & I do a weekend get away to the Arkansas mountains at least once a year & this last time we decided to stay here! We have stayed many places & we usually stay at Petit Jean but we decided to check out Riverview Cabins & Canoes & it turned out to be the best trip to the Arkansas mountains we have ever had. We rented the small cabin for 2 with the hot tub. It was so adorable! The bed was super comfy & the hot tub was amazballs. It was perfect for 2, very romantic & had everything we needed. The first night it rained & we hung out & made veal meatballs. So yummy! We loved the little gas stove & the giant shower. There was also a cute little fireplace & bear rug! So adorable. The hiking in the woods was cool, the canoeing & river was beautiful & the riding stables were well kept. The whole property was very nice. All the Cabins were picture perfect. There are a couple different canoeing trips you can take & you can hike & ride the trails. There is a little town near by you can go have lunch too, we checked that out, it was very cool with some very cool old buildings & a couple fun lunch spots. It is out in BFE, Walmart, grocery stores & liquor stores are like an hours drive away so bring everything you need b4 you get there. The lady that works the check in was very sweet & very kind to us. The clocks sprang forward (daylight saving time) & we overslept the last day bc our bed was that comfy! I called her & she was very cool about it & gave us an extra hour to check out. That was almost 3 months ago & we are still talking about what a great time we had there :)) We can't wait to go back! Highly highly recommend.

Great place to take a large group. We chose the bunkhouse for our Trail Life summer camp and stayed…read morefor five days. We rented kayaks and canoes from them and they dropped us off and picked us up. Went hiking at the nearby Brushy Creek recreation area. There is a pool on site.

Wolf Pen Gap has over 40 miles of dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle trails through the Quachita…read moreNational Forest. The looping trails vary in difficulty- from easy to more rugged and challenging. There are 3 trailheads. Hubby and my two sons have ridden dirt bikes here for over a decade and report the scenery on the trails can't be beat. Check out the website: fs.usda.gov for maps, details and further information.

Pinnacle Mountain State Park is a nice place to to spend your day doing hiking and it's only about…read more20 minutes from downtown Little Rock. I spent a few hours hiking on one of the more difficult hiking trails and it was a great experience! The trail was clean and well labeled, but the only difficult part was locating the same trail markers going down the mountain, especially since there are so many rocks and boulders throughout the entire terrain so it was very easy to miss several trail markers on the way down. I love that the state park offers a variety of trails and difficulty levels, so whether you are a beginner hiker or a more experienced hiker, you are bound to have a good time. I enjoyed the trail and the experience of doing some rock climbing, and if I'm ever in the area again I will definitely come back!

1. The new visitors center is STUNNING and has beautifully clean bathrooms, as well as concessions…read morethat might be open occasionally? Love the free AR state park "passports" you can get as well - so many high-quality details!! 2. This was a challenging but well-marked hiking path. For context, we were told there is a "hard" side or an "extra hard" side to hike LOL. We chose the "hard" side. You do need some moderate physical fitness - a good portion of the "trail" was just spray-painted yellow marks on large rocks and boulders you have to climb. But we did it all in under 2 hours? Great views from the top, and there is a wonderful playground in the middle of the parking lot too! What a unique and fun experience. Honorable mention: we saw a raccoon in a Christmas sweater.

Fantastic, 1.7mi end-to-end running/hiking trail. Various terrain - paved cement, smooth asphalt,…read morebroken asphalt, packed gravel, rocky trail. Beautiful path along a creek. Some traffic noise and one street crossing.

howdy folks, to…read morebegin i want the reader to know that you will not regret the trip to this lake to fish bass with scott. we are from texas and had some work in the area so i thought i would use yelp to search for a guide to show us around. scott answered my call and we booked the trip, about a week later we meet up and hit the water, scott is a very laid back guy and also a family man, my co workers and i have kids as well. so we spent the afternoon hanging out shooting the bull and catching fish! the experience was worth every penny! do yourself a favor and if you want a good time on a beautiful lake let scott take you out. thanks again scott from your moving buddies down in texas! m webster

From the owner: Specializing in first class fishing trips and sharing my passion in the pursuit of catching trophy…read morestriped bass on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, AR.