Lake Catherine: A Water lover’s Paradise Near Hot Springs

A few years back I was looking for something to do with Nevaeh on the way to Tennessee to pick her sister up. I stumbled upon Lake Catherine State Park, which is about ten miles off exit 97 on I-30, perfect!

I did a little research and knew there was a waterfall- even better. We hiked, saw deer, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I was planning this trip to Chicago and back. My original thought was that I wanted to explore Eureka Springs, Arkansas but the idea of driving seven hours up there to drive six hours to my mom’s house the next day did not appeal to either me or Breanna.

Lake Catherine it is! I went on their website to book either a campsite or a cabin, only to find out they have a yurt that was available. A yurt, y’all, a freaking yurt! Here’s what you need to know about Lake Catherine State Park in Arkansas:

Yurt Life

When we got there, it was 6:30 and the visitor center was closed. We were worried about getting into our room. On a whim I told Bre to try the last four digits of my phone number and BOOM we were in.

The room had three bunk beds and plenty of space for two more people to set up a cot or a baby bed, if needed. In the middle of the room was a table with four chairs. Above it a light with a fan. Fan turned on with a switch by the door, the light by a cord hanging down.

There were four outlets spaced out well in the building and one outside. Water access right off the deck.

In check-in online they state that you should not cook inside, so they leave a little table up for cooking. It was the perfect size for our Coleman two burner stove and a place to sit our other items.

The view was ah-inspiring, with the trees sprinkling in over our view of the lake. It made Bre and I both pause to watch the sunrise and sunset. I honestly wish we could have stayed longer.

Water Activities

Swimming: The swimming area is located behind the visitor center. Many people also swim in the area where the waterfall is. If you want to do this with a bit more seclusion, I recommend getting there either later in the evening or early in the morning. Breanna and I basically had the waterfall to ourselves (a grandfather and his two grandchildren were there as well) but on our way back, we passed a solid six families coming out to enjoy the waterfall area.

Kayaking/Canoeing/Stand Up Paddle boarding: You can do all of these things on the lake. Don’t have a kayak or canoe? Contact the state park and they will give you more details about renting one.

Boats/Jet Skis: You can do these activities as well, there is a boat ramp in the state park. While you cannot rent these items there, you can checkout sites such as Lake Boat Rentals nearby.

Misc.: I know there are a lot of questions about if there are alligators in Lake Catherine and I will say that I have not seen any nor have I found any information on that upon researching it. If you’ve heard/seen any- let us know.

Also, the average depth of the lake is nine feet, with the deepest part being twenty-four feet.

Hiking and Other Activities

Hiking

Both times that I went, we hiked the red trail, which is a two mile trail that leads to the waterfall. It has a decent amount of incline. If you’re in a hurry though, there is a sign at the beginning of the trails that says “waterfall” with an arrow pointing to the left.

I just wanted to go to the waterfall but we struggled to find it. Here’s the secret: when you get to where the path veers off and there is a gravel road that leads to an electrical center for the campground enclosed by a fenced in area, walk towards it. Shortly after it, the path will continue, go over the bridge, and around a few areas and you’re there. This hike is about half a mile.

If you want to do the two mile walk, it’s not super hard. The worst of it is going up the incline about half way through but man, oh man, are there some beautiful views. The creek you walk beside is minuscule from up top.

There are two other paths, a white path that is the longest at 4.5 miles and looks like there is a fairly large incline early on, and a yellow one. which is 3.5 miles. I haven’t done either of these because, from what I can tell, they don’t lead to the waterfall and… I’m a sucker for waterfalls.

Other Activities

In addition to hiking and water activities, they have a horse guided trail. It costs $50 and is open at 10 AM daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weekends from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. It’s located closer to the entrance to the park at the stables.

Wrapping It Up

If you’re looking to do more outdoor activities and stay somewhere cheaper while in Hot Springs, be sure to check out Lake Catherine State Park. It will be a regular stop for us from now on!

What’s Nearby? Hot Springs, Arkansas