This past Saturday, my wife and I attended a wedding on a hillside overlooking one of my favorite places in the Natural State — Greers Ferry Lake.
I spent many summer weekends as a child and teenager camping, fishing and boating at this beautiful body of water nestled in the Ozark Mountains. Some of the fondest memories of my youth were made at Greers Ferry Lake, so it’s a very special place to me.
Greers Ferry Lake is located in Cleburne and Van Buren counties in north central Arkansas, about 60 miles north of Little Rock. The lake was formed by Greers Ferry Dam, which was built by the Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between March 1959 and December 1962 on the Little Red River, about three miles north of Heber Springs.
Both the dam and the lake take their name from Bud Greer and the ferry he ran across the Little Red near the site where the dam was built. The dam measures 1,704 feet in length and stands 245 feet above the streambed of the Little Red. It cost about $46.5 million to build, creating a 40,000-acre reservoir and 340 miles of shoreline.
President John F. Kennedy officially dedicated the dam and lake on Oct. 3, 1963, in what would be his last major public appearance before his assassination in Dallas about a month later. Also in attendance were Congressman Wilbur D. Mills and Gov. Orval Faubus.
Kennedy spoke about how the dam and lake would impact both the local area and the state of Arkansas. He also predicted the project would bring positive financial change to the area, especially for the tourism industry.
The dedication of the dam and lake marked the only time a sitting president ever visited Cleburne County. A bust of Kennedy stands near the site where he delivered his remarks overlooking Greers Ferry Dam. John F. Kennedy Park, located on the Little Red just below the dam, is named in his honor. A bust of Mills, who helped get funding for the project, is also located nearby.
The dam and lake transformed many small towns in the area. Seven towns had to be deserted once the lake bed began to fill. The original sites of Choctaw, Edgemont, Eglantine, Higden, Miller, Mudtown and Shiloh are now at the bottom of Greers Ferry Lake. The Corps of Engineers also had the tedious task of relocating 27 area cemeteries. At first, there was a great deal of outrage over the relocation of the towns, utilities, cemeteries and railroad, but local residents came to realize the benefits of the lake far outweighed those complications.
Today, the Corps of Engineers operates 18 parks along the lake with the majority of them offering camping, swimming, cliff jumping, marinas, hiking trails and other recreational opportunities. The lake is popular for water sports, boating and fishing. Completed in 1983, the William Carl Garner Visitors Center, located near the dam, features exhibits highlighting the history of the dam and lake, as well as the history of Cleburne and Van Buren counties. The center is named for the late Carl Garner, who was the lake's longtime resident engineer and was known as “the Father of Greers Ferry Lake.”
Greers Ferry Lake is ranked among one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the nation. Thousands from across the state and country visit the area each year spending millions of dollars at local shops, marinas, restaurants and other businesses. The lake is easily one of the top five tourist destinations in Arkansas.
If you ever visit and spend some time there, as my family did so many years ago, you will definitely understand why Greers Ferry Lake is truly a special place.
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