Lake Ouachita State Park

Lake Ouachita is about 40,000 acres and, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas says, the largest lake entirely within Arkansas. It stretches from Garland County into Montgomery County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acquired the land in 1951 for the lake project, finished the lake in 1952 and opened it to the public in 1955, once the nearby power plant was done. That year the Corps leased 360 acres, including a set of springs, to Arkansas State Parks.

The springs are the older story. In 1875 a homesteader named John McFadden claimed that three springs nearby had healing properties, and the name Three Sisters reportedly came from his three daughters. W. M. Cecil and partners bought the property in 1907 and developed it as a resort, and by the mid-1930s it had cottages, a springhouse and a bottling plant. The historic Three Sisters' Springs sit inside the park today.

The park has a visitor center with exhibits and a gift shop, a marina, eight full-service cabins, 93 campsites and two short trails, Caddo Bend and Dogwood. The marina closes from November to February. Eagle tours run from November 1 to March 1, and boat tours operate year round. Scuba diving is among the lake's activities.