Plan Outdoor Adventure Vacations at Self Creek

When you come to Self Creek, we invite you to “come outside and play” on beautiful Lake Greeson and in the stunning Ouachita National forest! You can find plenty of fun things to see and do while you’re visiting us at Self Creek Lodge and Marina. Mother Nature changes her colorful cloak each spring, summer, fall, and winter season offering something different year-round. Here are just a few ideas for things to do in and around our area.

At Self Creek Lodge & Marina

  • Boating  — Explore Lake Greeson with one of our rental party barges. We have skis, tubes, and other equipment to make your day on the lake complete. For details contact Self Creek Lodge and Marina at 870-398-5000 or visit the Marina page.
  • Hawg Wild Water Toys — Hawg Wild Water Toys offers a variety of rentals. Rental options include Houseboat, Jet Skis, Canoes, Kayaks, and Stand up Paddle Boards. For pricing details and reservations, call 870-398-4120 or please visit www.hawgwildwatertoys.com.
  • Fishing — You can tell BIG fish stories at Self Creek. The lake abounds with crappie, bass, walleye, and trout. Lake Greeson is actually one of the top 50 lakes for catching crappie in the country! Contact our professional guide Ryan Hicks with Lake Greeson Guide Service at 870-828-0913, or visit his website at www.lakegreesonguide.com.
  • Swimming — Enjoy swimming in our clean lake at one of the designated campground swimming areas near the resort or just jump in from your boat! Just a few minutes away are recreational areas with good, old-fashioned “swimming holes,” fed by cool clear underground springs.
  • Star Gazing — In our rural setting, the celestial sky is spectacular! Take a moonlight boat ride to view the stars as you have never seen them before.

Just Down the Road are More Activities for Outdoor Adventure Vacations

  • Daisy State Park  — Located on Lake Greeson, Daisy State Park is an ideal base camp for enjoying many outdoor recreational opportunities at the lake. Facilities include campsites, picnic areas, a pavilion, launching ramps, and trails for hikers, bikers and ATVs. Visit www.arkansasstateparks.com/daisy.

  • Tube, Kayak or Canoe —Arkansas has over 2,000 miles of rivers and streams— and some of the best are just down the road from Self Creek Lodge & Marina, perfect for outdoor adventure vacations. If you have never floated a river, the Caddo River is the perfect place for beginners and Caddo River Camping and Canoe Rental at www.caddoriver.com can outfit you for the day. The Little Missouri River is breathtaking and challenging with its cascading waterfalls. Find a detailed route to the Little Missouri Falls at www.arkansas.com/outdoors/waterfalls/. For those wanting even more challenge try out the Cossatot River, known as the “River for All Seasons.” Learn more about the Cossatot River at the visitor’s center at the 5,484 Acre Cossatot State Park with its interpretive exhibits focusing on the river’s ecology. To learn more about all of our rivers go to www.arkansasstateparks.com

  • Diamond Hunting — It’s finder’s keepers at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, just a 20 minute drive from Self Creek. The only public diamond mine in the world, Crater of Diamonds offers you a one-of-a-kind adventure and the opportunity to hunt for real diamonds and to keep any you find. You’ll search over a 37-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, gem-bearing volcanic pipe. Since diamonds were first discovered on the site in 1906 over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed. Visit www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com.

  • Backpacking, Hiking and Mountain Biking — The Ouachita National Forest covers 1.8 million acres of land in central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma and features over 700 miles of trails. Self Creek Lodge and Marina is just a few miles from some of our State’s most scenic trails for hiking and mountain biking. The Albert Pike Recreation Area, known for its “old swimming hole charm” features a natural pool in the Little Missouri River and is a starting point for the Little Missouri Trail, which winds along the banks of the river and offers outstanding views of waterfalls, wildlife, hardwoods and old growth Pine stands. Miles of trails in the area offer breathtaking mountain top views that can be enjoyed by foot or on a bike. The Viles Branch Equestrian Trail is a favorite for horse lovers. Winding Stairs Trail, 2 miles west of Albert Pike, is a favorite for many with its views of cascading waterfalls, impressive spring and fall colors and abundant wildflowers. Novaculite outcroppings over looking the Little Missouri River make this a popular spot for photographers. For more information contact Caddo Ranger District in Glenwood, AR at (870) 356-4186 or ask our reception staff to help you.

  • Langley School RV Park/Pike County Pottery — Located on the site of the former Langley School in the middle of Langley, Arkansas, Langley School RV Park is surrounded by the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in one of the most scenic areas of Pike County. The Langley School was built on the site in 1945 and continued to operate until consolidated with nearby Kirby school in 1969. After a massive cleaning and restoration effort the gym is now part of the community once again, and home to “Pike County Pottery” and a 10 site RV Park.

  • Golf — The nearby community of Glenwood boasts one of the top ten new courses in Arkansas and is part of The Natural State Golf Trail and received a four-and-a-half stars ranking by Golf Digest. For tee times and information contact Glenwood Country Club at 870-356-4422, or visit www.glenwoodcountryclub.com.

  • All-Terrain Trails —Popular Bear Creek Cycle Trail is a 37 mile trail open to dirt bikes and ATVs passing through Daisy State Park and Corps of Engineers recreation sites. The trail winds along the lake shore, climbing up and down wooded hills and crossing streams and various roadways. After a good rain, plan to get muddy! Also, check out Wolf Pen Gap Trail for ATVs and Mountain Bikes for the ultimate in outdoor adventure vacations.

  • Hot Springs National Park  — A nice day trip from Self Creek, Hot Springs National Park’s natural features were first protected when Congress declared the area a “reservation” in 1832, some 40 years before Yellowstone became the world’s first national park. From prehistoric natives forward, people have been using the hot springs for therapeutic baths for millennia. While preserving an array of 47 hot springs and their watershed, the park, which is located in the business district of historic Hot Springs, also provides hiking trails, scenic drives, camping and picnic areas. While you are there, plan a visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210 acre natural botanical garden on a peninsula on Lake Hamilton, or Magic Springs and Crystal Falls – Arkansas’ only theme park! For other events and things to do in Hot Springs go to www.hotsprings.org.

  • Kadoha Indian Village — This ancient Indian settlement is an important archaeological dig that was populated by Mound Builders over 1,000 years ago. Gaze backward into time with the audio museum and exhibits to learn their customs, ceremonies and way of life. Visit www.kadoha.com.

  • Eagle Tours (winter season only) — Enjoy an interpretive barge tour to watch the majestic bald eagle in his winter home. Marvel at the geologic formations that created the Ouachita Mountains and learn about the flora and fauna of the area. Call Daisy State Park at 870-398-4487.