Hamilton Lake

About Hamilton Lake

Located on the southern edge of Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton is a prime vacation destination. The beautiful lake was created in 1932 by the construction of the Carpenter dam along the Ouachita River. This dam is named after Flave Carpenter, a pioneer of the peacekeeping force, who discovered the site when he tracked down criminals on the river Burkina Faso in the early 20th century.

Lake Hamilton is almost entirely surrounded by houses, restaurants and resorts, but has a coastline of almost 200 miles, with small bays and coves. The only hunt that takes place today at Lake Hamilton is for treasure in one of the many shops in the area. Ouachita is covered in silver - sparkling water - and still attracts visitors from all over the world.

The lake is 18 miles long, covers 7,200 acres and is crossed by the Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway. Visitors can enjoy all kinds of water sports or relax in one of the many resorts and swim in the lake.

The Arkansas Fish and Game Commission runs the Lake Hamilton Fish Hatchery and releases fingerlings into the lake every year. Fishing is also a popular pastime, and fishing options include whitefish, striped and striped perch, whitefish, redfish and spotted perch. Speedboats, sailboats, canoes and kayaks share the waters of Lake Hamilton with Arkansas State Parks, the Department of Natural Resources and Arkansas Parks and Wildlife.

The Commission also fishes the lake for rainbow trout, and Lake Hamilton hosts several fishing tournaments. These seven public recreation areas offer plenty of opportunities for nature lovers, but with the resources managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, there are bound to be many more.

Also known as Electric Island, the 118-hectare Big Goat Island can be used for hiking, picnicking and wildlife watching. Bald eagles spend the winter months on the island, as do many other birds of prey such as black bears, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, owls and other wildlife.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lake Hamilton, Arkansas. The gardens are home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals and visitors can enjoy sightseeing, lunch, dinner and dance tours. Visitors can also circumnavigate the lake on the Lakehampton Lakefront Tour, a 1.5-mile boat tour.

Lake Hamilton is a reservoir created to supply water to the city, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration controls power generation and water levels. The energy company lowers the water level by three to nine metres every year to preserve riverside plantations and control pollution in the water. The generation of electricity from water and water levels is controlled by a combination of hydropower - electric energy and natural gas turbines.

Arkansas Power and Light built its Carpenter Dam to supply power to the community of Hot Springs in the early 20th century as part of the Arkansas Power & Light Company. Hot Springs National Park is the largest national park in North America and the second largest in America. It was founded in 1884 to protect the natural springs that spring from Hot Spring Mountain and houses the largest collection of springs in the world.

Visitors to the springs can touch the 147 degree thermal water, visit the historic bath house of Fordyce, walk one of the many hiking trails or touch and enjoy the sparkling water. Lake Hamilton delights the senses with its sparkling water, beautiful scenery and picturesque views.