Campground: Lake Oauchita State Park
Location: Mountain Pine, AR
Site: 43
Hookups: 50 amp electric / water / sewer
Cost: $44/night
Cell Coverage: Little to none with AT&T
Overall Rating by Adults: A-
Overall Rating by Kids: A-
Our weekend trip to Lake Oauchita State Park had a rocky start. Storms rolled through just as we were leaving Little Rock and our windshield wiper broke. Sam was able to come up with a temporary solution, but it delayed our arrival. While we prefer to arrive before dark, we pulled up just in time to catch a glimpse of the sunset and discovered someone was already occupying our reserved site. This was definitely a first for us! We knocked on their door, but no one answered. The Visitor's Center was just a short walk away, but was already closed. The only other thing I could think to do was to call the after hours emergency line, but we did not have any cell service. After walking around I was able to find a spot with just enough service to get a call out. A ranger was able to meet us and in the meantime the occupants of the site arrived. They claimed they too had the site booked, although they did not have a reservation confirmation and we did. Moral of the story: When booking be sure you receive a confirmation and if not call the campground to verify that you are booked. I have had times when I thought I booked a site before, only to find out later that something did not go through. Thankfully, I have always caught these things ahead of time, but I can sympathize with the occupants that thought they had a site. The ranger was able to work things out and get them a different site, but by the time we were all set up it was well after bedtime.
Site 43 was well worth the wait. It is a full hookup, lakeside site with one of the best views of the lake. The sites in general are pretty close together (some of the closest we have seen at a state park). I'm sure they wanted to pack as many lakefront sites in as possible. However, site 43 is on the end and our door opened up to the swim beach and volleyball court. Not only did this make our site seem much larger than it actually was, but the kids could launch their kayaks, play with their RC Motorboats, or play volleyball all while I watched from the comfort of my own rocking chair. The only thing that could have made it better were if there were a place on the site to hang hammocks.
The swim beach adjacent to us wasn't much of a swim beach since the water level of the lake was so low. It was an extra large sand pit with some seaweed filled, shallow water coming up to it. Perhaps it has potential when the lake is higher, but I definitely do not see how you could do any swimming in the area this time of year. However, the children did love playing in the sand and playing volleyball on the beach court. We did discover another swim beach at the other end of the campground that looked much better and actually had some children swimming and playing in the swim area.
The marina is located just on the other side of the swim beach, making it easily accessible from our site. Most of our kids have their own kayaks, but we rented a tandem kayak and canoe so that all ten of us could go out exploring together. The cost of rental was very reasonable ($40 for the day, $25 for a half day). At 44,000 acres, one could spend an entire weekend exploring the lake on kayak and never even come close to seeing it all. We spent four hours paddling and covered barely a dot on the map! The wind was pretty strong, which did slow us down quite a bit. Thankfully, as you turn into some of the coves you are protected from the wind. The water is crystal clear, so it appears as if you are looking down into an aquarium.
The kids enjoyed pulling ashore and exploring several areas. We came across a campfire someone had left burning along the shoreline, and remembering Smokey the Bear and all the fire safety lessons we have taught them, they went to work to put the fire out. They didn't have a bucket, but our problem solving son suggested taking apart the kayak paddles and filling them up with water to dump. While slow going, it worked great and they were proud of their good deed.
Some of our kids enjoyed climbing on different rock formations, some enjoyed skipping rocks, and some just enjoyed rock hunting. Quartz crystals can be found in abundance along the shorelines and trails, along with some other rocks and gemstones. Regardless of their interests, there was plenty to see and do and explore along the shore.
Since it was our son's birthday weekend, he requested to celebrate with cotton candy. After paddling all morning, it was the perfect time to take a break and enjoy a yummy treat. We love our cotton candy machine, but I'm not a fan of sticky, candy floss blowing around inside our house so it is reserved as a treat for camping (or at least outside).
After paddling 4 miles on Saturday, we decided we should hike 4 miles on Sunday (total mileage from the campsite ended up being 5 miles). When looking at the map, I thought Caddo Bend trail would be an easy, leisurely walk around the peninsula. Well, the trail was not at all like I was expecting! There is way more elevation change than I would have ever imagined. Up and down, up and down you go through boulder gardens! It's not a difficult hike by any means, but was not easy either. It is, however, an absolutely beautiful hike with stunning views of the lake. We saw a small, brown snake and some birds. One of the gentleman we passed said he saw a baby fawn and mama deer, but we did not.
I didn't pack any snacks (again, thinking it was going to be a quick, easy, flat hike), but God provided ripe muscadine grapes we foraged along the trail.
We took some of the side trails down to the lake shore and decided that the next time we do this hike we will bring bathing suits and fishing poles and swim and fish our way around the trail.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and a fun way to celebrate our son's birthday. There were plenty of recreational opportunities and places to explore. The ratings from the kids varied from B- to A. My husband and I also wavered back and forth between a B and an A and settled on A-. Our teenagers definitely did not appreciate not having cell phone service, and it would not be a good location for my husband to work remotely from. The visitor's center does have WiFi you can sometimes connect to from the campsite. Some kids were also disappointed in the swim beach, and I really missed being able to relax in my hammock. However, it is one of the best campgrounds for kayaking. The lake is quieter than some, and there are so many coves to explore. You can't fish from the the campsite, but there are plenty of great fishing spots we were able to reach in the canoe. With water activities, hiking, volleyball, and rock hunting, there was plenty to keep our kids busy and there are still some things we would like to come back and do more of. It's definitely a park I would recommend visiting at least once.
For more of our Travel Adventures, visit the Travel page and follow us on Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures. And be sure to pick up a souvenir from Amazon or a fishing keychain from our Etsy shop to commemorate your trip.
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