Lake Catherine State Park

 May 10, 2021

We were invited again this Spring to join Donna's cousin Jeanean and her husband Gene at Lake Catherine State Park with mutual friends David and Jane. We were able to get site 57 just across the street from their sites 54 and 54A. Sites 54 and 54A are two of the best sites in the campground. They both are backed up to the lake with a wooden boat dock between them. Site 57 was an okay spot but not much of a view and little shade.

Our first day we had rain after arrival and more during the second night. The weather was cool each night getting down into the upper 40s and 50s. Daytime temperatures were also pretty cool for May in Arkansas. 

Chillin' Inside During the Rain with Mother's Day Flowers on the Table

Below are a few pictures from around the campsites. We tended to hangout on the other side of the road in the lake side campsites.

Dock With Lake Catherine Power Plant in the Background

Thursday morning I took a hike up the Dam Mountain Trail. The trail passes over the swinging bridge that had been recently rebuilt after ice damaged trees knocked it down.  

The trail continues to the Falls Creek Falls where the Dam Mountain Trail begins its 4.5 mile loop to the top of the mountain above Remmel Dam. The trail is considered moderate difficulty with an estimated duration of 2.5 to 3 hours. Top of the mountain is about 300' above Lake Catherine.

From the trail I didn't find an overlook of Remmel dam. I guess you would have to bushwhack your way off the trail to be able to see the dam. I did get a few good pictures of the lake and the power plant from the top of the mountain.

Evidently, the racoons had a party during the night. I initially thought that Donna had left an empty Coke bottle at the back steps to the trailer.  Later I realized that there was one more bottle behind the trailer and a third under the trailer. All of the bottles had been removed from the ice chest and had teeth / claw holes where they sucked out the Coke. I'm just glad that they didn't have bottle openers for the beer.

Thursday lunch was at our trailer. We found a little shade to the far side of the site from our camper.

We hiked as a group down to Falls Creek Falls on Thursday afternoon.

Gene had to try out his new magic campfire flame coloring sticks, two one foot long pieces of 3/4" copper pipe with vent holes filled PVC garden hose.  He placed them in the campfire and after a few minutes they made green to blue flames.  I think they work a lot better than the store bought packets I have used in the past and they are reusable as long as you have garden hose. Here is a short video of the coloring sticks.

Friday morning we were on the road by 10:00 to head back to Russellville to shower, dress and transfer luggage to the Highlander for Addie's high school graduation Friday night in Heber Springs.

Waveland Park

 April 12, 2021

Donna and I took a mid-week trip to Waveland Park on Blue Mountain Lake. We stayed three nights in site #39. This site is along the lower road nearest the lake. We have never stayed in any site along this road as they all appeared to have minimal shade and minimal shade was exactly what we got with no trees on the site. I would definitely avoid these sites in the hot summer. This particular site had the picnic table and fire pit to the driver's side. It was a double wide drive so we stepped out our doors onto pavement but we had to walk all the way around the trailer to access the table and fire pit. Although described as a 39' site you can only use the back 30' (the overall length of our trailer) due to the steep grade into the site. We could not walk directly behind the trailer because it hung out over a 4' tall retaining wall.  All this said it was a clean site that may have been recently rebuilt due to flooding in 2020. We had a great view out the back window of the lake and lots of space between adjacent campsites. It was just odd that from our picnic table area we were looking directly at our neighbor about 50' away.

Once parked and setup it was time for some Cowboy Caviar and a cold cerveza provided by brother John from Trader Joes.

From the campsite you can see swim beach and boat launch area with a clear view to the far side of the lake. This time of year most of the campers are here for crappie fishing. With the the forecast rain and thunder storms several of our neighbors packed up and left. 

Pollen Season

Campsites on the opposite side of the lower road are more secluded and wooded than the lake side. 

Photo from the Intake Area - Our Campsite is in the Cypress Trees Across the Lake

Drive Down to Intake Building

We took a day trip to Mount Magazine for lunch at the lodge while the sun was shining. Made a few stops along the way up and down the mountain. From the overlooks you can see the area around Waveland Park on Blue Mountain Lake below.