Lake Catherine State Park can be found near Hot Springs. 

As one of Arkansas’ lake state parks, a big draw is Lake Catherine, where one can swim, boat, kayak, fish or just enjoy the calm beauty of the lake itself.  

Along with this, the park has hiking, a marina, cabins to stay at, history tied to the Civilian Conservation Corp,camping and more. Horseback riding can also be done seasonally here via a horseback riding service.

The park has a new marina and boats can be rented there including party barges and fishing boats. There is also a free launch site near the marina if you have your own boat and kayaks are also available to rent via a kiosk near it. The park also has the distinction of having the only full-service marina on Lake Catherine. 

Lake Catherine State Park became a state park in the 1930s, making it one of Arkansas’ earliest state parks. 

If you are wanting to overnight, cabins, camping, and also a Rent-A-Yurt, are available. Many of these options have lake views. 

Hiking is also available at the park. Slunger Creek Trail has a paved path to enjoy and learn more about the surrounding landscape and creek. Interpretive signs can be found along the short trail and offer information on a variety of topics including novaculite, which is found in the Ouachita Mountains, and the Ouachita streambed salamander. The trailhead for this route can be found near the entrance of the park.

The park’s other trails are accessed via another trailhead, which can be found near the campgrounds, and they offer different experiences too. The Horseshoe Mountain Trail leads to the highest point at the park. The Falls Branch Trail is a trail where you can see the park’s seasonal waterfall. The Dam Mountain Trail has a view of Remmel Dam, which was Arkansas’ first hydroelectric dam. 

The Civilian Conservation Corp, CCC, helped build many structures at the park, some of which are still there. This includes the park’s Nature Cabin, which is near the swimming beach and Visitor Center. The Nature Cabin hosts interpretive programs and more and inside it are panels that further share the history of the park. The CCC helped build other state parks in Arkansas too. You can learn more about these at this park page. Along with CCC history, the park also has ties to Harvey Couch. He donated some of his land along Lake Catherine, which is named after his daughter, to the state. This land became Lake Catherine State Park. 

There are many day trip options that can be had from Lake Catherine State Park too, including to Hot Springs National Park.  More details about Lake Catherine State Park can be found at arkansasstateparks.com/parks/lake-catherine-state-park.