There are six basic areas, each providing a picnic setup, a circle for bonfires, and plenty of space for tent setup. Restrooms and garbage disposal are conveniently nearby. The place is tidy and well-maintained. However, there's no sight of the sea. A minimum of two-night reservation is required for weekend visits.

Lake Catherine was beautiful! I had a spot right on the water. I was able to see the sunrise from my bedroom window, but I also walked out on the dock (that was right outside my door) to watch the sunrise. What a great sunrise over peaceful waters with the sounds of coyotes howling and yipping in the distance. The campground is close to the town of Hot Springs and had a nice signal, which is why I chose it. After boondocking for over a week, it was nice to hook up to run the air for a bit and take a shower. The office staff were very friendly and accommodating as well!

Only reserved one night, wish we had booked more. Site 56 level, right on the lake. Beautiful views.

This is a lovely campground as people have already stated, but for us the power plant across from the campground was nosiy 24/7, even with a radio on or ear plugs to sleep at night. If you wanted to sit out, your view was the plant all lit up. Loop A is away from the lake and has updated pads. Loop B and C, whether you are on the lakeside or not, you will have a view of the lake. In Loop B, some of the pads slope down, which may be an issue for some. The sites have electrical and water. The water can be in an odd place, so be sure to have enough hose. We stayed in Loop B on the water. The sites in Loop C have water and electric and some have sewer hook ups. The pads have been refurbished and some areas are very flat and large along the lake. The bathrooms are fairly modern and clean. The water in the showers are a push button. So, you can't regulate the water temperature and will have to rehit the button to keep the water running. You are about 15 miles from the nearest gas station or grocery store, so come prepared. It's also 15 plus miles to Hot Springs National Park and about half that distance to Garvan Gardens, which are lovely. You can take a trail ride on horseback or rents boats at the marina which is located in the state park. There is a nature walk along a boardwalk and a short hike to a waterfall.

Great boating/kayaking lake. This park offers spacious camping spaces and can cater up to large rigs. Plenty of wildlife, hiking and biking on the roads (no mountain biking). Full hookup RV sites right on the water so bring your boat and you get use of a small boat dock. Tent campers choose your site carefully. At the end point of the loop the geese are quite loud, all hours of the night. Stay back off the water instead. Overall a very clean park, no wifi access provided but cell signal was usable on Verizon and we were able to pick up several TV channels via antenna.

Very pretty lake perfect for water activities...we wished we had our SUPs and Kayaks. Out spot was sloped front to back and the site was a bit odd...multi-leveled but definately usable. The lake was directly behind our spot maybe 50 feet. We found perfect trees for our hammocks. Yes the plant is across the lake, but there was very little noise and very few lights at the plant while we were there. The drive to Hot Springs NP was ~ 20 - 30 minutes. The camp hosts we extremely nice, knew the area well and provided lots of great information about the campground and the other nearby parks. Restrooms and shower were clean. We had plenty of OTA TV and our verizon was good.

This was just a stop-over stay on our trek from Texas to Virginia, though we would like to come back some time to check out everything in the area, including Hot Springs National Park. The rate reflects the 25% Senior discount. Due to unavoidable delays, we arrived just after sunset and after the Visitor Center (and campground reservation) had closed. Fortunately, they had left a list of unreserved camp sites and there were maps so -- with only one mis-step -- we navigated ourselves to site #14 in Loop B. The site was reasonably level and we simply parked with no other fussing about. Hooked up to the 30-amp electric which showed to be clean with no problems. BUT ... the socket was loose. I hadn't noticed, but the plug slipped partially out and when I returned to the RV, the A/C wouldn't come on. Checking back at the post, I noticed the lights on the surge protector were off, so I reseated the plug and carefully closed the cover hoping that would hold things together. It did and we made it through the night with no problems. I didn't attach the water hose since the faucet was on the opposite side of the RV. What with it being pitch dark and having to work with a flashlight, I decided it didn't matter. And, since this was just an overnight stop, we didn't pay a lot of attention to the amenities. There was a picnic table at the site, and I think a lantern hook. Cell reception was pretty good -- sufficient to support a web conference the next morning and hubby was happily streaming audio and video. My Verizon and AT&T phones both showed 2 bars of LTE. Hubby's phone showed 4 bars some of the time even though my phone never went that high. It rained overnight and both the RV and our toad were covered with Fall leaves. And, since it was still overcast, I didn't take any pictures at all.

We needed a one night stop over and did not want to pay $40+ for that. This is our first State Park stay and we loved being here. Some of the roads are narrow but just take your time and use consideration and then you will be fine. We stayed here on the A loop in 004. When we come back I will ask for A loop 012. A loop is FHU on 50amp. Each site is large and spacious. You do have a area for an additional tent/gazebo/or pop up shelter, there is a fire pit, grill, and it is paved. We will be back.

There was plenty of space for us and our two big dogs. Att was strong. Verizon was 1Mbps max down and 1Mbps upload max. Tmobile was no data. Swimming beach was awesome. The sewer intake was in the back corner of the site. Our trailer is 28ft with the sewer outlet in the middle. We needed 25ft of sewer hose to reach the sewer intake.

This park is very beautiful, and peaceful but as are many other parks it is so very hard to get a reservation. Guess it's time to start visiting other states.

PROS Senior discount Reserved on-line 365 days prior to arriving Site #68 allowed parking RV 12 feet from water edge which was fabulous Totally level site Asphalt campsite pad Pea gravel and grass around asphalt Good night sky viewing Squirrels ate from our hand Saw ranger patrolling campground frequently Waste containers every other campsite Metal picnic table on concrete slab One hook lantern pole Metal fire pit with cooking grate Pedestal BBQ grill Clean restroom/shower and adequate TP and hand soap. Women had 2 showers, 2 sinks, 3 toilets Weekend campground nearly filled to capacity 4 bars Verizon LTE Hike to waterfall a bit tricky, but worth the effort Hot Springs National Park 15 miles from campground; nice to watch the crowds from Superior Bathouse Brewery Free water from the springs next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center - must have your own containers to fill Enjoyed Red Oak Fillin’ Station so much we dined there twice Diamond Head 19th Hole Restaurant, open to the public and very close to park entrance CONS Damn Canadian geese crap everywhere Fire pit was filled with oversized logs and once removed there was unburned charcoal and lots of ash Unable to move picnic table Site #68 no shade what so ever No privacy from other sites Lots of speed boat and jet ski noise, even after sunset Morning train noise Power plant lights and humming noise No security gate closure overnight No WIFI

If you have an RV choose A or C. Where we were had lots of mud and angled sites. People in B were in tents or small trailers and had smoky fires going constantly. Also people were up till 1-2 AM and no rangers to be seen. We mentioned this at the visitor center and she said call the number but it said for emergencies only. Between my partner and our two pups we removed 25-30 ticks. The hikes on Friday or the rest of the weekend were jammed and not enjoyable. It rained and out site was a mud hole. It was windy so we didn’t get out on the lake. Unfortunately we booked in January and had only one site to choose from number 14. We had been here in 2017 and enjoyed ourselves but were in a different loop.

Well maintained state park on Lake Catherine across from a power plant we deemed the industrial cathedral. There is a hum, more prominent near sites 60+. Most of the campsites are lake view with FHU, and ours had a large yard and fishing pier, but marshy when it rained. And the geese… they wander the campsites and are cute at first; but the waste is everywhere. We enjoyed the moderate hiking trails, accessible from campground, and visited the small waterfall several times. The roads were hilly and not easy for (pedal) bikes. We would not stay lakeside again except for a raised site (54A) but would opt for hillside 11 or 9 - more private and no geese. We enjoyed a visit to Garvan Gardens and loved the Red Oak restaurant nearby. Good ATT service for remote working with hotspot. Overall, an enjoyable stay but not a 10.

DIRECTIONS 1- road coming in is about 20 minutes of winding, tilting, roads. GPS will tell you that you have say 4 miles left to go but you’ll start to see road closed signs in 1 mile. For example. Ignore the signs. The road ends at the entrance to the state park. So stay on it. 2- campsites are numbered on your reservation. But at the campground they have letters- camp area A, B, C - A is for sites 1-13, B is for 14-39, C is for 40-70. Match your numbers to these letters to make it easier to find where to turn. SITES- Area A (1-13), FHU, wooded, huge hill up and down to/from the sites. Beautiful and quiet. Level. Area B (14-39), W/E only, rough road through it, sites have roots bubbling up through the pavement, water post is on wrong side and at the top of the site - recommend at least a 50’ hose. Area C (40-70) FHU, on the water or water view. Level, flat sites, hookups in the right spot. The only site I would avoid is 54- has a steep ramp to the level site where it’s clear people bottom out their trailer on it as the pavement is all gouged out. Very quiet campground. Hum from utility plant across the water, not bad. End of C loop (sites 60-70) does have a machine of some sort at the end that hums loudly. Boats sometimes speed by and play loud music. But very quiet at night all around. Tons of critters out at night- don’t leave anything out and hang on to dog leashes tight. Cell on ATT and Verizon were strong- forgot to note the speeds but I could do zoom all day with no issues. Roads in camp are twisty, tilted, up and down steep. Note for those who may struggle walking. Lots of fun well marked trails. Great staff always doing maintenance and about. Definitely would stay here again

Stayed at an RV park in town with cable for 30 bucks a night. Came out here for a week. Very nice sites, large, with fire pits. On the weekends it can get noisy with lots of kids running around and bikers. No cable. We stream off cellphone hotspots but the bandwidth will get used up by the other campers. Raccoons will get in your vehicle here- be sure to empty trash and roll up windows. Showers were very good and clean. I am trying to get used to 37 dollar a night RV spots for 30 amp electric and water. There are no weekly rates and state parks in Arkansas, or at least around Hot Springs are all priced about the same. This is a nice place despite the cost.

This campground is exceptionally well maintained and it is rare to have so much space between full hook-up sites. Except for the looming power plant on the other side of the lake, I would have given it five stars. Bath house was like new and extra clean. Our site was level although it took on a lot of water in the heavy rain. We enjoyed hiking to the waterfall and walks around the campground. Spring was in full force and the dogwood trees were in full bloom. The power plant is out there across the lake but pretty far away. We could just barely hear the low hum of the turbines from the natural gas fired plant. A train goes past somewhere in the distance beyond the power plant every weekday morning about 6:15 or 6:30. Nice piers are built out along the shoreline for fishing or parking a boat - as far as my fishing rod could tell, there weren’t many fish to catch along the campground. Rent a pontoon boat at the boat house, buy some live bait, swim off the sandy beach or visit the well stocked store. We would certainly visit again as the pluses far outweigh a few minor annoyances like the sewer connection being oddly far away (bring your extension hose). In sites with water only or water/electric it looked to us like the water was often on the wrong side of the site - so bring extra hose.

A very nice state park and campground. Yes, the road in, Hwy 171, from I-30 is narrow, but very passable. Worked just fine with our 35’ MH. Check in at the visitor center first. We unhooked our toad there. You could also unhook your toad at the nature trail parking lot just inside the park boundary before the visitor center. We were in the lower part of C loop. Very level site, back-in, on the lake. Good power, water and sewer. Nice clean bathroom and showers. Good Verizon coverage. Not all sites will pick up sat tv. Roomy site with a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Some sites had elevated patios. Very helpful and nice staff. It is about 15 min into Hot Springs.

What a great place to spend some time. Wonderfully maintained, great staff, great sites, wonderful nature, good trails, easy drive to hot springs. Some reviewers made note of the road in from I-30 but unless you have a really big rig you'll be fine it's not too bad at all. Was extremely busy when we were there but the sites are well spaced and it didn't seem crowded at all. Very quiet for the most part, at times there's a gentle hum coming from the power plant across the lake and the location is very popular with families so there was constant children screaming and playing until around 10pm or so, which even still wasn't unbearable again because of the spacing. Cell service was extremely good, bathhouses were acceptable, my wife reported some standing water in the womens side but it was remedied before we left. Lots of wildlife also, we saw a number of deer and other critters. Just beware on some of the trails we did encounter a small snake but that is to be expected in this type of ecosystem. What a fantastic trip.

We arrived at Lake Catherine State Park about 5:30 so the office was already closed. Late arrivals are supposed to go to the office by 10 am the next morning to register. The park was pretty full for a Tuesday but we found a site for overnight. Our site had electric and water but you'd need extra hose to actually hook up water. They also have full hook up sites with sewer. There are a lot of lakeside sites. Most have a view of a large factory across the lake - not terrible but at some you could hear the hum of the factory. Just 15 minutes from the campground is the Garvan Woodland Gardens which is well worth a visit. The grounds are beautiful. We walked maybe 2 miles round trip thru the gardens. They had Japanese gardens, fairy houses, a cool tree house and an amazing chapel. Check their website for fees and hours. We hope to come back to Lake Catherine. Next time we'll make a reservation so we can stay longer.

We were only here for one night transitioning home, August 31st. We had to change the date by a day and they were very accommodating. It is 11 curvy miles off the Interstate, so it’s not a quick off and back on. Our spot was perfect on the lake. However, there was lots of broken glass and bottle caps in the site that had to be cleaned up prior to setting up. The water was in an odd place and on the opposite side of the site, towards the front. Make sure you have a long enough hose. It was quiet overall and we were able to enjoy the evening outdoors watching the few boaters and smacking mosquitos. The cell service was very minimal and I had to walk out on the dock to get anything. We definitely will come back since it’s not a bad weekend drive for us.

Great state park in Arkansas with full hook-ups at most of the sites. Most of the sites have a nice view of the lake. The sites are level and easy to back into. They are also very spacious with fire rings, picnic tables, and a tent pad. Most of the sites are shady. Great AT&T and Verizon data speeds. AT&T was 95 down and 10 up. Verizon was 60 down and 10 up. Streaming and video calls were smooth. Takes about 25 minutes to get to the grocery store and into town. Hiking trails are great in the park. Can be difficult to get spots on the weekends, so plan ahead.

Has sites right on the lake. Lots of space and tons of shade trees. We hiked Falls Branch trail right from the campground. Park is big and very family friendly.

Path from campground to the main trails made hiking a breeze and the waterfalls and nature was beautiful. Busy park tho. Clean bathrooms/showers and friendly staff. During warmer month’s there is a swimming beach and kayak rentals. Biking is fun as well. Close to Anthony Chapel and the children’s garden. All in all, very charming. We will visit again!