Greers Ferry Damsite Offers Fun Activities Without Fees
July 27, 1999
Greers Ferry Damsite Offers
Fun Activities Without Fees
*****
By Craig Ogilvie, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
HEBER SPRINGS -- Whether it's for a brief stop or a full day's outing, public facilities around Greers Ferry Dam provide a host of recreational and learning opportunities for visitors. And, most can be enjoyed without fees or admissions.
It is highly recommended that travelers make their first stop at the William Carl Garner U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visitors Center at the western end of Greers Ferry Dam, along State Hwy. 5-25. The 6,000 square foot stone and redwood A-frame structure houses an information section, museum/exhibit hall, multi-media theater, offices and public restrooms.
Opened in 1983, the center utilizes several energy-saving advances, including solar power, and serves as a headquarters for all Corps of Engineer public programs. The 96-seat theater features a 20-minute film presentation entitled "The Saga of the Little Red River: A Tale of Two Centuries," which relates the history of the region prior to, and through the construction of the dam in the early 1960s. It also chronicles President John F. Kennedy's dedication of the project on October 3, 1963 -- just 49 days before his assassination in Dallas.
The exhibit hall includes displays on the geological history of the region, early natives and explorers, pioneer days, towns and transportation, plus an intriguing demonstration on how electricity is generated by the dam. Another area demonstrates the massive size of the project, noting that the 856,000 cubic yards of concrete used in the dam would make a five-foot wide sidewalk some 2,652 miles long. Visitor center staff members are always on duty to answer questions; and area brochures, plus lake project materials, are available in the center's entryway to assist travelers.
"The lake project has an important story to tell," say Operations Manager Tommy Park, "and we welcome everyone interested in its past, present, or future."
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, free guided tours of Greers Ferry Dam and Power Plant are offered Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The walk through the dam requires almost an hour and includes narrow passageways and some 200 stair-steps. Tours are limited to 20 persons each, and reservations are requested for groups.
Entertainment and learning programs are also presented every Saturday night throughout the spring and summer months at the visitors' center. Topics range from eagle awareness to folk music and fishing clinics. Special exhibits and demonstrations are also scheduled each month. Evening programs start at 7 p.m.
The visitors' center is open daily April through October, plus Saturdays and Sundays in March. It is closed during December, January and February. All programs and exhibits at the center are free and open to the public.
Hikers and nature lovers are free to enjoy two award-winning National Nature Trails located near the visitors' center. Mossy Bluff begins at the center and extends along a tree-covered bluff overlooking the Little Red River, immediately below the dam. It ends almost one-mile away at a rustic shelter, which offers a panoramic view of the river and dam. Nearby is Buckeye Trail, a short barrier-free, paved pathway designed for the physically challenged. Guide maps for both trails are available at the center.
Another free tour is offered at the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery, located below the dam. Built in 1965, the hatchery produces about one million rainbow and brook trout yearly for restocking the Little Red and other Arkansas streams. The visitors area houses aquariums with examples of many native fish and the raceway areas hold thousands of fish in various growing stages. The hatchery is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. There is no admission charge.
John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, at the eastern end of the dam and near the hatchery road, preserves the site where the president dedicated the 40,000-acre lake project in 1963. An overlook provides views of the lake, dam and river.
The lake project, now approaching its 40th year, has been honored numerous times for its cleanliness and environmental awareness programs. It was the model for the Great Arkansas Cleanup and the National Public Lands Day. The 30th annual Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup will be held September 11, with festivities following at the Narrows Public Use Area.
Corps of Engineers Public Use Areas are available below the dam and at two locations on the lake near the dam. No charge is made for the day use of picnic sites, which are very limited in number, and playgrounds facilities. However, seasonal or year-round camping, group pavilion, boat ramp, and swimming fees are assessed at all 15 parks around the project.
For more information, call the visitors' center at (501) 362-9067, or the Corps' Project Office at (501) 362-2416.
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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Greers Ferry Damsite Offers
Fun Activities Without Fees
*****
By Craig Ogilvie, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
HEBER SPRINGS -- Whether it's for a brief stop or a full day's outing, public facilities around Greers Ferry Dam provide a host of recreational and learning opportunities for visitors. And, most can be enjoyed without fees or admissions.
It is highly recommended that travelers make their first stop at the William Carl Garner U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Visitors Center at the western end of Greers Ferry Dam, along State Hwy. 5-25. The 6,000 square foot stone and redwood A-frame structure houses an information section, museum/exhibit hall, multi-media theater, offices and public restrooms.
Opened in 1983, the center utilizes several energy-saving advances, including solar power, and serves as a headquarters for all Corps of Engineer public programs. The 96-seat theater features a 20-minute film presentation entitled "The Saga of the Little Red River: A Tale of Two Centuries," which relates the history of the region prior to, and through the construction of the dam in the early 1960s. It also chronicles President John F. Kennedy's dedication of the project on October 3, 1963 -- just 49 days before his assassination in Dallas.
The exhibit hall includes displays on the geological history of the region, early natives and explorers, pioneer days, towns and transportation, plus an intriguing demonstration on how electricity is generated by the dam. Another area demonstrates the massive size of the project, noting that the 856,000 cubic yards of concrete used in the dam would make a five-foot wide sidewalk some 2,652 miles long. Visitor center staff members are always on duty to answer questions; and area brochures, plus lake project materials, are available in the center's entryway to assist travelers.
"The lake project has an important story to tell," say Operations Manager Tommy Park, "and we welcome everyone interested in its past, present, or future."
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, free guided tours of Greers Ferry Dam and Power Plant are offered Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The walk through the dam requires almost an hour and includes narrow passageways and some 200 stair-steps. Tours are limited to 20 persons each, and reservations are requested for groups.
Entertainment and learning programs are also presented every Saturday night throughout the spring and summer months at the visitors' center. Topics range from eagle awareness to folk music and fishing clinics. Special exhibits and demonstrations are also scheduled each month. Evening programs start at 7 p.m.
The visitors' center is open daily April through October, plus Saturdays and Sundays in March. It is closed during December, January and February. All programs and exhibits at the center are free and open to the public.
Hikers and nature lovers are free to enjoy two award-winning National Nature Trails located near the visitors' center. Mossy Bluff begins at the center and extends along a tree-covered bluff overlooking the Little Red River, immediately below the dam. It ends almost one-mile away at a rustic shelter, which offers a panoramic view of the river and dam. Nearby is Buckeye Trail, a short barrier-free, paved pathway designed for the physically challenged. Guide maps for both trails are available at the center.
Another free tour is offered at the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery, located below the dam. Built in 1965, the hatchery produces about one million rainbow and brook trout yearly for restocking the Little Red and other Arkansas streams. The visitors area houses aquariums with examples of many native fish and the raceway areas hold thousands of fish in various growing stages. The hatchery is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. There is no admission charge.
John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, at the eastern end of the dam and near the hatchery road, preserves the site where the president dedicated the 40,000-acre lake project in 1963. An overlook provides views of the lake, dam and river.
The lake project, now approaching its 40th year, has been honored numerous times for its cleanliness and environmental awareness programs. It was the model for the Great Arkansas Cleanup and the National Public Lands Day. The 30th annual Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup will be held September 11, with festivities following at the Narrows Public Use Area.
Corps of Engineers Public Use Areas are available below the dam and at two locations on the lake near the dam. No charge is made for the day use of picnic sites, which are very limited in number, and playgrounds facilities. However, seasonal or year-round camping, group pavilion, boat ramp, and swimming fees are assessed at all 15 parks around the project.
For more information, call the visitors' center at (501) 362-9067, or the Corps' Project Office at (501) 362-2416.
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"