Courtesy DeGray Lake Resort State Park
DeGray Lake Resort State Park
Bismarck, Arkansas
Snorkeling may bring to mind the turquoise waters of tropical islands. But DeGray Lake Resort State Park, nestled in the foothills of Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains, is one of the region’s five Diamond Lakes, known for their crystal-clear waters, which makes DeGray ideal for snorkeling.
“There’s no development on the lake, so the water is very clear,” said Kathy Ritter, director of group sales for the park.
DeGray, which is Arkansas’ only resort state park, is about an hour’s drive southwest of Little Rock near the city of Arkadelphia. The park offers boat tours, kayaking trips and even snorkeling on the 13,800-acre lake.
Groups of up to 30 people can board a party barge for various lake cruises that are guided by park interpreters. In the winter, the trip may be an eagle-watching tour; in the summer, boat rides may focus on the area’s wildlife and history, including the dam that created the reservoir when it was completed in 1972. Brick and concrete structures of many former homesteads still stand at the bottom of the lake.
Moonlight cruises are also available on about three nights of the month because the park schedules them around the full moon, and sunset tours are another popular option, she said. Tours are available year-round with advance notice.
Kayak tours of DeGray Lake are available for groups of about 15 to 20 people with advance notice. Guides lead kayakers through the marina and along the shoreline and sometimes to a small island where the group can go swimming or snorkeling. More often, party barges take passengers to a lake island to go snorkeling, Ritter said.
The park also has a sandy beach with a dedicated swimming area at its Caddo Bend day-use area.