White Oak Lake State Park
Encyclopedia
White Oak Lake State Park is a state park
in the southwest of the U.S. state
of Arkansas
, a few miles from Bluff City
. The reservoir
sits surrounded by tall pine trees, giving it a rich, wooded beauty. The state park offers camping facilities as well as boat and bike rentals, playground facilities and swimming areas.
Because White Oak Lake was created in a woodland area, the lake features many submerged dead trees. These serve as excellent cover for bass, crappie, and bream, all of which are reasonably abundant in the lake. Catfish
also thrive at the lake.
The park features hiking trails of easy to moderate difficulty, of which the Beech Ridge and Silver Maples trails give a good understanding of the "West Gulf Coastal Plain forest" setting. Deer and heron
sightings are common at the park, while some bald eagle
s winter there.
White Oak Lake is reasonably popular with local residents, but its location in a part of Arkansas with few tourists keeps it from undue crowding or traffic. White Oak Lake is near the Poison Spring State Park
, a Civil War
battlefield.
White Oak Lake was completed in 1961. The lake is around 18 miles from Camden, Arkansas
, and 22 miles from Prescott, Arkansas
. White Oak Lake is the second largest lake created by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, at 2776 acre (1,123.4 ha).
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the southwest of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, a few miles from Bluff City
Bluff City, Arkansas
Bluff City is a town in Nevada County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 158 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
. The reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
sits surrounded by tall pine trees, giving it a rich, wooded beauty. The state park offers camping facilities as well as boat and bike rentals, playground facilities and swimming areas.
Because White Oak Lake was created in a woodland area, the lake features many submerged dead trees. These serve as excellent cover for bass, crappie, and bream, all of which are reasonably abundant in the lake. Catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
also thrive at the lake.
The park features hiking trails of easy to moderate difficulty, of which the Beech Ridge and Silver Maples trails give a good understanding of the "West Gulf Coastal Plain forest" setting. Deer and heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
sightings are common at the park, while some bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s winter there.
White Oak Lake is reasonably popular with local residents, but its location in a part of Arkansas with few tourists keeps it from undue crowding or traffic. White Oak Lake is near the Poison Spring State Park
Poison Spring State Park
Poison Spring State Park is an Arkansas state park located southeast of Bluff City. It commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring in the American Civil War, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition....
, a Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battlefield.
White Oak Lake was completed in 1961. The lake is around 18 miles from Camden, Arkansas
Camden, Arkansas
Camden is a city in and the county seat of Ouachita County in the southern part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. Long an area of American Indians villages, the French also made a permanent settlement here because of its advantageous location above the Ouachita River. According to 2007 Census...
, and 22 miles from Prescott, Arkansas
Prescott, Arkansas
Prescott is a city and the county seat of Nevada County, Arkansas. The community had a population of 3,868 at the 2000 census. Prescott is part of the Hope Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. White Oak Lake is the second largest lake created by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, at 2776 acre (1,123.4 ha).