Lake Leatherwood City Park is a place of natural serenity encompassing 1,610 acres which includes an 85-acre spring-fed lake. The lake is formed by one of the largest hand-cut native limestone dams in the country. The dam, the historic diving platform and pavilion, and several other park structures were built in the early 1940’s by the WPA. Lake Leatherwood City Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

The park offers a variety of recreational opportunities. For hiking and biking enthusiasts, the park maintains over 25 miles of trails with varying terrains that are closed to motorized vehicles. Hikers and bicyclists will enjoy solitude, wildlife, cool springs, an intermittent creek, historic stone walls and bridges, unusual rock formations and the beauty of nature. The seven gravity trails are mountain bikers' favorites in this area of northwest Arkansas. Families enjoy using the playground that overlooks the lake.

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Fishing and boating fans will be glad to know that the park provides a paved boat ramp and a handicapped-accessible kayak and canoe launch at no charge (donations area always appreciated!). The waters of Lake Leatherwood are home to blue gill, crappie, bream, largemouth bass and channel catfish. Forgot your fishing pole? No worries, the well-stocked Bait Shop has fishing poles, bait, tackle and a surprising assortment of sundries for sale. Kayaks, canoes, row boats and paddle boats are available for rent.

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Birders will be thrilled to know that the park is home to over 120 different bird species including heron, duck, geese, bald eagles and wild turkey. The woodlands surrounding the lake support many species of wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, bobcat, raccoons, and snakes.

 

Lodging at this lake includes cabins, camping and RV sites that are available to rent throughout the year.

 

Come and visit Lake Leatherwood City Park located 1303 CR 204 (off of Route 62 West), Eureka Springs, Arkansas! For more information and to book your stay, click here or please call 479-253-7921.​

Welcome to Black Bass Lake City Park, a facility completed by the Eureka Springs Park and Recreation Commission. From humble beginnings as a lumber source and spring water gathering location this area has long contributed to Eureka’s progress and well-being.

 

Black Bass Lake was created as a fire protection and drinking water reservoir from the abundant, pure springs in the upper reaches of Old Spring Gulch, including Sycamore, Standing Rock, and Arsenic Springs. The earthen and cut stone dam dates to 1894 and is one of the oldest dams still standing in the Ozarks. The city now receives water from Beaver Lake via the Carroll Boone Water District, but water is still pumped to a 100′ tall water tower on Hwy 62, as it has been for over a century.

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This park is located down Oil Springs Road off of W Van Buren/62 W, just below town in the headwaters of the West Leatherwood Creek valley. On the way down you'll pass by historic Oil and Johnson Springs and a wonderful example of a cavernous overhanging ledge on the way to the park as well as the Oil Springs Trail. Note that the dam, the area below the dam, and the spillway area are NO access areas. General parking is by the kiosk and across the bridge. There are no facilities at Black Bass Lake. You can enjoy hiking, biking, and fishing at this hidden gem of a park!

Basin Spring, which now lies beneath the park, was the famous healing spring that drew visitors from all over the world at the turn of the 20th century.

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Basin Spring Park is the legendary Indian healing spring known to Native Americans and early pioneer settlers and has been used for hundreds of years. It IS the heart of Eureka Springs. The Native Americans camped in this valley, hunted the bountiful game, and drank the spring waters.

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The first crowds of health seekers encamped here in 1879. Drawn by the promise of miraculous cures, the city was named on this site on July 4, 1879. The first governing body, the Committee of Twelve, was elected here in August 1879. The first town site survey was platted with the spring and surrounding reservation of protected land as its centerpiece. A plan of lots, blocks and streets, extending in all directions, encompassed many other nearby springs. In 1890, the Eureka Springs Board of Public Affairs created a formal setting for the spring with limestone walls, fountains and walkways.

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Around 1921, the original wood gazebo was replaced with the band shell still regularly used for public performances. Following World War 1, the “Doughboy” statue was placed as a memorial to local men who served their country.

 

Basin Spring Park continues to be a picture-perfect resting place for busy shoppers. Residents and visitors enjoy live music performed in the historic bandshell, along with drumming circles, dancing in the park, and many other events here. Walk up the steps above the bandshell to enjoy the spring and overlook the park gardens, and people watch. It's a favorite place to visit and the perfect place to view the many parades that Eureka Springs is known for!

Harmon Park is located at 532 Spring Street, Eureka Springs, Arkansas and is home of the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission main office which is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The park has 6.45 acres and contains a playground, Skate Park, restrooms, Dog Park and recently constructed Arvest Bank platform for performances.

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It was in 1924 that the Harmon Foundation presented a certified check to the Mayor Claude A. Fuller in the amount of $500 toward the purchase price of land that had recently been acquired by the City of Eureka Springs for a park known on the official city map as “Interstate Summer Normal and Educational Assembly Grounds”, in order to clear the title of encumbrances.

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In 2004, the Harmon Foundation presented a charitable grant donation of $5,000 and again in 2005 in the amount of $4,000 (totaling $9,000), to the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission, as a contribution to the community’s effort in providing the youth with a skate park, ADA accessible playground, and trails for walking and hiking.

The Eureka Springs Bark Park began with the love of a dog, Percy, a husky-beagle mix from an animal control facility in Michigan. Percy’s mom moved to Eureka Springs the year after Percy’s death in 2012, and shortly thereafter joined the Parks Commission to collaborate with the community and the Commission to build a dog park.

 

In September of that year, she founded a small grassroots committee consisting of other residents who shared the same vision of encouraging everyone to spend more time outdoors with their dogs. This type of park was in Eureka Springs Parks Department’s Master Plan for Harmon Park but needed people to step up to the challenge.

 

Upon the creation of the new dog park committee, the Eureka Springs Parks Department agreed to allow the unused hillside of Harmon Park to become what is now the Bark Park.

 

The Eureka Springs Bark Park is unique in that the materials were funded completely by the generosity of the community and local businesses and built by dedicated volunteers. The park is located at 532 Spring Street behind Parks and Recreation headquarters.