8 Best Lakeside Towns in Arkansas
Along Arkansas’ sparkling lakes and rugged mountains, you’ll find some of the state’s most inviting waterside towns. In Hot Springs, historic bathhouses line downtown just minutes from boating on Lakes Hamilton, Catherine, and Ouachita. In Heber Springs, Sugar Loaf Mountain rises from 31,500-acre Greers Ferry Lake with trails and panoramic water views. From resort lakes to Civil War history, these eight towns capture Arkansas’s mix of culture and natural calm.
Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas, is a true waterfront oasis known for its beautiful natural hot springs and bordered by three lakes, Catherine, Hamilton, and Ouachita. Originally used by Native Americans who believed in their healing powers, the springs now feed the city’s famous spas and historic bathhouses along Bathhouse Row in the heart of downtown, directly across from the iconic Arlington Hotel. The eight bathhouses, built between 1892 and 1923, showcase stunning architecture and sit among shops offering handcrafted soaps, scrubs, salts, and lotions.
History lovers will also find plenty to explore. Once a hotspot for notorious criminals, the city is home to the Gangster Museum of America, along with other attractions such as the Mountain Valley Water Museum, the Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum, the Garland County Historical Society, the Mid-America Science Museum, and the Galaxy Connection.
This lively resort town offers an endless array of outdoor recreation. Lake Catherine provides a family-friendly setting with a marina, camping, trails, and horseback riding. Lake Hamilton delivers a lively atmosphere with boating, waterfront hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Lake Ouachita, known for its undeveloped shoreline, offers rugged beauty and is a premier destination for boating, fishing, hiking, and camping.
Eureka Springs
Nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs is a charming town known for its beauty, lakeside access, vibrant downtown, and stunning views. Just south of the Missouri-Arkansas border, the town sits in a central valley, giving it an unusual layout of winding paths, slanted platforms, and connected stairways. Its scenery, freshwater springs, and caves make it a destination rich in natural wonders.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the downtown area is filled with unique shops, charming boutiques, home-style restaurants, and art galleries. Flushed with Victorian-era architecture, this central area is known for its thriving arts and music scene. When in town, be sure to visit the Grotto Cave and Springs located on Upper Spring Street. Those drawn to the supernatural often stay at the Crescent Hotel and Spa, a former hospital now rumored to be haunted.
If boating and fishing are more your style, Lake Leatherwood offers an array of outdoor fun. The 85-acre lake is an outdoor playground featuring a marina with boat rentals, a sandy-bottomed swimming area, a playground, over 25 miles of trails, lodging, cabins, and RV-friendly campsites.
Eureka Springs is also known for its clear natural springs. The Blue Spring Heritage Center has a natural spring that pours 38 gallons of water per day into a lagoon filled with trout surrounded by woodlands, meadows, and hillside views, making it the perfect nature lover's dream.
Heber Springs
Also located in the Ozark Mountains is historic and breathtaking Heber Springs. With access to Greers Ferry Lake, Heber Springs is not just full of outdoor fun and recreation; it also boasts a vibrant downtown complete with its own natural falls.
Greers Ferry Lake is a 31,500-acre man-made body of water surrounding Sugar Loaf Mountain, a 690-foot-tall, rocky mountaintop made out of eroded sandstone compiled from the Little Red River. It is accessible by boat, canoe, kayak, or the Sugar Loaf Shuttle. Several trails abound through the mountain, circling buff formations with spots carved along the way for panoramic views of the lake. Located just west of downtown is Sandy Beach, a hot spot for relaxing in the sun with pavilions, beach volleyball, a swimming area, and disc golf.
After a day spent enjoying the outdoors, why not take in the sights, sounds, and smells of this small town’s cultural district? Start by taking a walk on the Bridal Veil Falls Trail leading to a breathtaking overlook of cascading water. Then, stop by one of Heber Springs' hottest attractions, the Ruland Junction Train Museum. Designed to look like an old country depot, the two-story museum offers train memorabilia and collectables. Finally, stop in and check out some of the local shops, pick up a few munchables at the local Ozark Country Market. For more history of the town and its’ artifacts, the Cleburne Historical Society is located downtown in the old Post Office.
Arkadelphia
Next on our list is the bustling college town of Arkadelphia. Arkadelphia blends the vibrancy of a college town with the natural beauty of the Arkansas lake country. At the heart of downtown, Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University are right next to one another, surrounded by a lively downtown filled with local shops, bakeries, and mom-and-pop eateries. Historic landmarks like the 1899 Clark County Courthouse and the Captain Henderson House Bed and Breakfast take visitors back in time, while just beyond town, the Ouachita and Caddo Rivers offer easy access to canoeing, kayaking, floating, and fishing, drawing outdoor enthusiasts year-round.
Another major highlight is nearby DeGray Lake, a 13,800‑acre reservoir created in 1972 and now one of Arkansas’s premier vacation destinations. Visitors come for houseboating, sailing, camping, birdwatching, and some of the region’s best fishing. The lake is also home to Arkansas's only resort state park, DeGray Lake Resort State Park, which features hiking trails, a swim-up beach, tennis courts, an 18-hole championship golf course, a heated swimming pool, a modern conference center, camping, lodging, and a fully accessible marina.
Together, Arkadelphia’s lively downtown and its rich bodies of water create a community where college-town energy meets the outdoors.
Russellville
The quaint community of Russellville is snuggled between the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains overlooking Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River. It’s a key city along scenic Highway 7 and showcases both a world of outdoor recreation and downtown charm. Lake Dardanelle State Park is positioned right on the lake’s shoreline and features a boardwalk and fishing pier, hiking trails, campgrounds, a swimming beach, and a visitor center with an aquarium. Fishermen from all over come to Lake Dardanelle for a chance to cast a reel and catch largemouth bass. It’s also home to the Trail of Tears Historic Site. This heartbreaking story is detailed inside the visitor center overlooking the lake.
The downtown area is a blend of both boutique and modern-day shopping, art galleries, brew pubs, and diverse eateries. It’s completely accessible by foot and home to the historic Russellville Depot, formerly theMissouri-Pacific Railroad Depot, which today offers a community space for events with an outdoor stage for live music and performances. Several must-see stops include the Arkansas River Valley Arts Center, a gallery that hosts monthly exhibits and offers art classes, and the Handlebar, a "speakeasy " restaurant and bar which is a popular hot spot for locals and tourists. With its authentic ties to a sad but critical part of history, to its lake accessible natural wonders, Russellville is a magical town waiting to be discovered.
Lake Village
A small town with just 2,000 residents, Lake Village sits near the Mississippi border. Home to the pristine waters of Lake Chicot, this town is full of history. You can discover its rich heritage by enjoying an outdoor excursion on Lake Chicot or by touring the vibrant downtown district.
The downtown area is centered around the Tushek Building, which serves as offices for City Hall. Other attractions include a site marker indicating where Charles Lindbergh landed in 1923, a Depression-era mural located at the Post Office, and the historic Greenville Bridge on the Mississippi River linking Lake Village to the town of Greenville.
Lake Chicot is the largest natural oxbow lake in the nation, covering about 5,300 acres and known as a popular vacation spot for fishing and boating. On the northern Lakeshore lies Lake Chicot State Park, full of modern amenities including modern camp sites and fully equipped cabins, a marina with a store, boat rentals, covered pavilions, swimming areas, and even a functioning swimming pool. With a plethora of attractions, it’s easy to see why Lake Village is such a popular lakeside destination.
Powhatan
The small but thriving town of Powhatan, with just over 100 occupants, is located along the shores of Lake Charles. Its quick access to water makes it a popular destination for lake enthusiasts, while its historic and culturally rich downtown provides a look back in time at the steamboat era. Once a major center for steamboat commerce, Powhatan now relies on revenue generated through Powhatan Historic State Park.
Visiting this well-preserved park is like stepping into a time machine and traveling backward. It features beautifully maintained historic buildings from the 19th century, such as the courthouse built in 1849, a log house, church, school, and the 1873 jail, all with their original foundations intact. The Northeast Arkansas Regional Archives building holds various original documents such as letters, photographs, and diaries.
For a day full of waterfront activities, one can venture over to Lake Charles State Park. The park, which sits on Lake Charles, is a 645-acre reservoir. It's perfect for a day full of fishing, boating, swimming, or overnight camping. It offers swimming, picnic sites, hiking trails, playgrounds, guided kayak adventures, a launch ramp for watercrafts, and guided lake tours.
Bull Shoals
Cushioned inside the hills of the Ozarks lies a resort town known for its lake central location and the Bull Shoals Caverns. Instead of a traditional downtown centered around one main hub, Bull Shoals maintains its small shops, restaurants, boutiques, and the Bull Shoals Theatre for the Arts, along its main road, Highway 178.
With 700 miles of rugged shoreline, the lake itself is a playground for water enthusiasts, popular for boating, and other watersports such as swimming, skiing, tubing, and sailing. Home to Bull Shoals-White River State Park, there are several marinas that rent watercraft. It is also one of the top destinations for scuba diving in Arkansas and a major hot spot for anglers. The park itself features picnic tables and grills and is home to the James A. Gaston Visitor Center, which provides an overall history of the area through its interactive programs and unique exhibits.
While in Bull Shoals, it’s imperative to stop at one of the world’s oldest limestone caverns in the Ozark Mountains. The Bull Shoals Caverns are said to be approximately 350 years old and were once used by prehistoric natives, Civil War soldiers, and moonshiners. These remarkable caves with natural rock formations contain underground streams that flow throughout. While taking a guided tour, venture to the back to capture a photogenic moment of the majestic waterfall, but don’t be alarmed by any residents you might encounter, such as frogs, salamanders, camel crickets, and bats.
Explore the Magic of These Waterside Arkansas Towns
In the end, what makes these Arkansas towns so special is the way they capture the essence of nature and combine it with a central location for entertaining, exploring local history, sharing in the town’s culture, and unwinding. In these towns, you can cast a line by sunrise, stroll to a brew pub by afternoon, and end the day listening to live music or shopping at local boutiques. With these eight communities waiting to be discovered, it’s no wonder Arkansas is called the Natural State.
