The sites are large and spacious. If theres a ramp to the tent pad, an 8 person tent wont totally fit one corner and youll have to put your stake in with slack in that corner. Wasnt a big deal. Facilitirs are clean and are sanitized regularly. The lake is amazing. Tons of tall trees that look amazing in the fall with early morning campfire smoke rising through their branches. We went on the Falls Branch Trail. Its not just a flat walk through the woods. There are rocks to ascend and descend. Theres are hills and switchbacks to climb. There is plenty of reason to watch your footing here. One lady broke her ankle on the trail as we were arriving and needed park rangers and paramedics to carry her out on a board. The falls were pretty slow since it hadnt rained in a couple weeks, but worth the trek. Staff at the visitor center were helpful, courteous, and nice. They have gifts, basic camping supplies, memorabilia, ice, and fire wood for sale as well. Were looking forward to going back in the new year.

We stayed here the first weekend of September and had a great time. The trail is pretty easy and the waterfall was gushing from all the rain the during the week. Our campsite was spacious and shaded. I am neutral on the cleanliness of the bathrooms as I have seen better and worse. My daughter and friend enjoyed the beach/swimming area. There was plenty of room to social distance and staff was friendly. If youre in the area with children, check out the Mid-America Science Museum. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend this campground for a weekend get away.

Lake Catherine is a really wonderful get-away that is rather peaceful and relaxing. There are cabins to rent or if you are planning to camp out, there are options of renting tents or yurts from the park.This is such a calm place to go to unwind and relax! i sat on this little pier thing for over an our with out moving!Decent waterfall in the fall branch trail .The lake is clean and picturesque but the power plant looms over.

Great state park in Arkansas with full hook-ups at most of the sites. Most of the sites have a nice view of the lake. The sites are level and easy to back into. They are also very spacious with fire rings, picnic tables, and a tent pad. Most of the sites are shady. Great AT&T and Verizon data speeds. AT&T was 95 down and 10 up. Verizon was 60 down and 10 up. Streaming and video calls were smooth. Takes about 25 minutes to get to the grocery store and into town. Hiking trails are great in the park. Can be difficult to get spots on the weekends, so plan ahead.

Great nature quality time spent during Thanksgiving break! Wonderful park and well maintained

Really nice place to camp or rent cabins..rent boats canoe..kayak..fish.Family friendly..very relaxed great get away!

Wife and I are visiting Hot Springs and decided to take a hike. Was really a great hike. We did the red trail which states is the easiest trail and is a 2 mike trail. If your not use to walking hiking trails be aware this trail i has many areas I would classify as hazardous. We made it to the falls before my one and only accident, i slipped on some gravel and sliced my hand on the jagged rocks. I survived but needed 3 stitches.

This park is a beautiful slice of heaven. Walk the falls trail backwards if you want to just get to the fall and not really in it for the hike. The trail is well maintained. Some steep areas but doable for all ages and skills levels. Would suggest carrying coolers or baby strollers because it’s not a flat trail.

Beautiful park. Leaves were turning so lots of color. Trails were definitely for hiking - some pretty rugged.

Guys— If you want to visit this waterfall area then select Falls Branch Trail for 1.6 miles and you will see the beautiful scene. You can swim and enjoy the waterfall with friends and family.

Great hike with beautiful scenery (we did the Falls Branch trail loop) including a small waterfall. We stopped in at the visitor center, and the lady working was so helpful to show us exactly where to go and made us laugh with her advice on avoiding bears. It looks like the have cabins and tent sites to rent, so overall a great state park!

We love this lake. We visit the swimming area close to every weekend it seems. The people in the store are so friendly, and the cabins are so clean, quiet, and the kitchens are sticker with all the utensils and cookware you need. The only bad experience Ive had is the older lady at the boat rental marina. Shes rude and nasty. Other than that, Ive enjoyed this lake for more than 20 years and I highly recommend it.

It was great! We came in via boat, docked and hiked to the waterfall. The hike was good and we missed the crowd. Is it beautiful and peaceful. Loved our time there. There is also a couple snack stores, a beach, kayaks and more.

Beautiful and quiet park. Great place to take a family. Pretty much every campsite is good and has a view of the water. We spent a lot of time at the beach near the visitor center. We also rented a boat and anchored on the sand bars to swim. Went hiking on the trails. Alot to love about the park. Also close to town if need supplies.Definitely get some water shoes if you come here as the majority of the lake has a rocky bottom.

Great place to visit! Nice trails, boat rentals available. Waterfall features and tons of wildlife!

After walking around for 2 miles, we finally found this gorgeous water fall.

Beautiful lake! Tons of beautiful houses that overlook the lake. On the westside of the lake, sitting very high up on a cliffside, sits one of the vaction houses owned by the infamous Al Capone!! Beautiful scenery and tons of wildlife, as well as, some nice sized fish, bass, croppy and perch!

We come here as often as we can and have been coming for 10ish years. The campground is clean, the cabins are spacious and clean, and I feel very safe with the park rangers doing constant patrol. I will say, if you want to rent anything such as a canoe or kayak, get there early in the morning (renting starts at 9 AM so maybe 8:30 depending on the day of the week) so that youre guaranteed to get what youre hoping for. We come in both the summer and fall times and both are absolutely beautiful and worth the stay. I would live here if I could. Absolutely 0 complaints!

My family was looking for a place that would let us meet and avoid the three Covid-19 Cs (close-contact, crowds, closed-in places). Lake Katherine has pleasant activities to let one visit while remaining in fresh air and at safe distances. The walk to the water fall is easy (if you turn left and dont follow the sign). The extras, like boat rentals are kept clean and sanitary. The docks for the cabins (pictured) are private (or only shared with one other cabin). The views are restful.

Expected more. The falls... oh boy. Ive seen more water from a busted pipe. The trail there was sketchy and not fit to take elders...generally unsafe for those with ANY type of walking limitations. Very clean and quiet otherwise.

My husband and I celebrated our 14th anniversary at Cabin #3. The view of the lake, the screened-in porch, the cabin, and our own private dock was amazing. The park is so clean and beautiful. The hiking trail to the waterfall was great. We also hiked the Dam Mountain Trail (it was a killer, but had two benches once you got to the top where you could rest and take in the serenity of the lake). The cabin had all the amenities we needed and was very clean. The lady at the Visitors center was so friendly and helpful. We loved this park because of the cozy feeling, along with the proximity to Garvan Woodland Gardens (only about 15 minutes away) and to the fun city of Hot Springs. We already booked Cabin #4 for next October! (We chose #4 because it is pet friendly). We literally got to watch the sun rise from our bedroom windows. It was Beautiful! You cannot go wrong with this park!

Very pretty park, lots of great amenities.Campsites looked good, though we have not stayed here yet.Not the Park staffs fault... but visitors have left more careless trash along the trails than on any other State Park in Arkansas.Thank you park staff for being great!Shame on you local visitors, trashing up this wonderful park.

Hiked here, the waterfall was beautiful. Trails need some work on signs, bridge repairs, and markings. Had a blast though

One of my most visited state parks. Love the waterfall trail, although be warned during the hot drought season it may not be flowing. The trails are really nice along with the swimming beach and boat launches. Highly recommend visiting even if you arent camping and just in the Hot Springs area!

We did the 2 mile hike and it was amazing! This was the only place we was able to rent a small Jon boat for fishing. We went to several other places and they was either closed or didn’t have small boats. We fished for several hours and cruised around Lake Catherine. We caught small mouth bass, large mouth bass, and bream. 8 total not to bad we was out there for about 6 hours!!

Absolutely stunning mother nature and beautiful, spacious camping spots right on the lake.

Had a meetup with some marine corp brothers there for 3 days. Rented boat, caught some bass, hit the bath houses in town, hiked, and hung by the fire. Park had a water line break but did a great job getting it back up in running. Beautiful hiking trails and water is super clear

This state park is clean and well groomed. The rangers make rounds often. Rented kayaks for the day and had a blast, reasonably priced too. One of my favorite places to camp at.

Peaceful, beautiful and in lap of nature. Cabins were clean and well managed. Trails are good for hiking. Loved every moment I spent here.

Beautiful place, awesome lake and great place to take the family. Great campinc, hiking boating, etc.

Was the highlight of our time in Arkansas. The hike to the waterfall was all we did but loved it. Dad and a van dot com.

Great place to hike and bring the family. Plenty of camping areas and it also has a waterfall to spend time in. Check them out.

Beautiful spot. Was there today for a beautiful elopement at the waterfall.

Nice Park, took the shortest trail, Need to be in pretty good health to do this trail the other trails were more demanding.

Nice area for family swimming,some what private.Beware of which trails you take,some are more strenuous than others.Deep enough to swim,shallow enough for kids.Wear water shoes-lake bed is made up of lots of rocks,theres a bit of slimy algae water plants towards the shore,also there are a few larger rocks that stick up in the water,under water that you can walk into.Water was fairly clear.Wear good hiking shoes or something with good grips.Bring your water bottle,youre going to be thirsty.Banks are mostly rocks,exposed dirt and roots.Hiking is lovely,all shaded by lovely trees and nice trickling stream near by mostly.We were hoping to see the waterfall,but it was pretty much all dried up.There was a small trickle of water but no waterfall in the beginning of August here.The whole area was extremely busy and packed on the Saturday that we went.Beautiful area and scenery.

My husband and I went when there hadnt been much rain so there were no waterfalls but there was still some water in the creeks (very nice and cold water at that). I enjoyed the trails as they were not too steep (compared to what we walked the day before at Hot Springs National Park) and I got to see skinks, a frog, and a tiny snake (we saw deer at Hot Springs National Park). My husband didnt like that there wasnt really an area with a view of anything but more of the trail.

Great staff, beautiful place and clean. Look at the map and reserve the RV campgrounds on the Lake early as they go fast....Tent primitive campgrounds are nice.

Had a great time in the falls branch trail today. Fork to the left is very easy fork to the right may require sitting and scooting down at places but beginner friendly. The waterfall was beautiful!!!

Great place to start kids early for multiple terrain hiking. Simply put, great place for a hike and a camp during the less busy times.

This place was pretty cool, the water was nice and clear and we were pretty much by ourselves the whole time. Would recommend for a nice little swim or just a little getaway.

Beautiful quiet place to camp, do some fishing and hiking. Showers are clean, park is clean, good place for kids and pets.

Trails are so beautiful. We love the fact that you can get in the water and enjoy the little waterfall that leads into the lake. Great place to grill and swim.

Great place. Very quiet. Clean park, restrooms and showers

Beautiful area for swimming, kayaking, boating. Highly recommend will be looking into the cabins next summer!

Beautiful scenery...primitive camping was awesome and we had great camping neighbors. Quiet area with clean bath houses. Beautiful trails and a nice gift shop and courteous staff included! We will definitely go back again!

Lots of wildlife... cute little beach too

Beautiful clean Park with great security. clean nice cabins and canoe rentals . peaceful and beautiful trails .kids play areas . hurts are cool .fishing is good . wonderful place to picnic ! horse rides near by .

Beautiful hiking and bike trails for the family. We got to see deer roaming around .

Great trails and well maintained state park... Pretty clean, no litters like you commonly see in many other state parks..

Beautiful place to visit, great trails for hiking, fun for the family! Enjoyed our visit in early October when the weather was cooling off and the leaves were starting to change.

when i tell you the best park ever. It has a nice lake to swim in the park is clean and lovely. Words cannot describe how beautiful it is. There is a camp shop on tje premises that sells toiletries if you forget something at home. The bathrooms are so clean you could eat out of them. Not encouraging eating out of but its just an expression of how clean the bathroom is.

Beautiful park. Nice trails, good paved roads for biking, decent playground for young kids, and the marina appears to have a nice selection of boats, price seems very cheap compared to other rentals Ive seen.

Arkansas State Parks are great. The lake is very nice. Camp sites are not too close together. Bath houses are mostly very clean except for the occasional inconsiderate user. This is one of our favorites.

Relaxing park to hike, camp, and enjoy nature

Off the beaten path, but not to far from I30. Good amenities and many nice trails and water features

Another wonderful state government facility. Day trips are free!

The natural state indeed. Fantastic park... Great trails and a beautiful quiet lake.

Can recommend the Horseshoe Mountain trail. Best ask for directions and parking at the visitor center. The trail initially follows a tiny creeks with lots of small cascades and is easy to follow. It has several wooden bridges to cross as well as stairs. We had some a little rain but hardly noticed it. Some part of the trail are a bit challenging and steep but not to difficult.

Beautiful Park very remote except for the hydroelectric plant across the lake that is somewhat lit up at night but it is silent. Cabins, Yurts, campground sites with power or not, and even a rent-a-camp with a tent that sleeps 2 all available through their online reservation site. The fishing is good and its nice and quiet.Nature abounds. I saw deer, raccoons and lots of ducks of all kinds. Pets are allowed in the campground area. Nice Visitor Center with store to get the essentials including firewood. They had some amazing cast iron products for camping I could not help but get one. Also make sure you check out the marina where are you can get bait 4 fishing and rent your favorite type of watercraft. Both the visitor center and the marina had nice souvenirs like stickers and other small items.Also check the activity board for they have daily nature walks to a nearby waterfall and a water tour of the lake. It was a very enjoyable weekend just 20 minutes outside of Hot Springs.

This park is beautiful and so clean! We had the best time camping with family. We came for Easter weekend and the park even had an Easter egg hunt for the kids. We will definitely be coming back!!

We love Lake Catherine. Good RV spots right next to the lake. Nice clean bathrooms and showers.

First time to Arkansas with the family and we had so much fun here! Great spot to swim with the kids and sun bath. very family friendly environment. Rangers everywhere who are all very nice and helpful. We didn’t know that we could rent a cabin or boat so we will definitely be doing that next time we come!

They have a Subway inside the store. If you dont want Subway you can grave a menu and oder off of it. They also have a drive through window. So no need to go in. The place could be cleaner but overall its a nice place to eat by the river.

This is a great place to take a camper! The waterfall trail is a must see and really not that hard. We had a two year old and were able to complete it fairly easily! I would recommend researching your camper location on the map before driving all around they have three different camper lots that can get confusing especially if you are coming in at night!

Its fun place to bring the family. The trail is well maintained, although last time I went the bridge was out but they did have a secondary bridge in place. The waterfalls also amazing.

The ranger said it was a half mile hike. It was two miles on rough trails there and two miles on rough trails back. Falls were pretty but not wow.

Cute state park with 3 moderate trails to hike. We did the Falls Branch Trail which Leads into the Dam Mountain Trail which took us about 2 hours to complete. Nice scenery with rocks, tiny rims, wood bridges, lots of trees and lastly a small waterfall running into Lake Catherine.

Beautiful park. We stayed one night in the YURT and it was a blast. A couple of notes if you are thinking about renting it:1. It is basically just a frame and canvas, so pack for the weather.2. Bring sheets, pillows, and blankets for the provided sleeping mats.3. There is electricity and a little propane stove that is provided.4. Definitely recommend.The bathrooms and showers were immaculate, as seen in the photo-- and they were heated! The YURT is only a few yards away from the lake and a quick drive (or walk) to the trail head.We also hiked the Falls Branch Trail. We had a sick toddler so we went the back way to the falls. A left turn on the trail is 0.5 miles to the falls while the whole loop is about 2 miles (thank you to the lady at the visitor center for this info!). The half mile trail to the falls was an easy hike but it was a bit muddy as it had rained that night. If we come back to the area, we will definitely be renting the YURT again!

Spacious, beautiful, and easy to navigate. Would have given five stars if visitors had been practicing social distancing or even wearing masks where crowds were heavy. Do come out for the beautiful surroundings, but please exercise safe social distancing!

Great, quiet, family friendly, camp ground and park! Really well maintained! Fun challenging trails.

Very beautiful, family fun activities. You can rent party barge, fishing barge, flat boats, peddle boat family or single rider, waterfall that you can swim in, several trails, horseback riding, you can reserve a very cool informative 1 hr ride on the lake free of charge, theres a playground for the kids and deer roaming free.

Nice Place to spend some time on the woods. Small public sand beach with clear waters (used to Dallas murky lake waters), lots of fun for kids. We ventured on the Fisher trail to visit the cascade. Not for everybody, in some places it can be strenous on your calves and hamstrings. Easy to follow with red marks on trees. Wear hiking shoes if possible. We had a great hiking experience. Waterfall was semidry on August, just a tiny stream of water, nothing like the pictures.

The park is really nice. Big spots for campers/RVs. There are plenty for trees for shade. The lake doesnt breed too many insects and the three main trails offer a light and fun day trip.

Absolutely beautiful park with decent wifi capabilities. we were only able to drive thru to check it out as it always seems booked. apparently the norm for halloween is to have a lot of festivities, this year because of covid, festivities have been called off, but the regulars at this spot will not be deterred. most campers were decorated, and even though halloween is a few days away, kids and adults were dressed the part. i can just imagine how much fun they will have on their own, i am sure it would be such a bigger event if festivities werent cancelled. its for sure highly rated and recommended.

The trails needs to be more specific on which one is the shorter route. We were told which way to take but then when we did the hike it ended up being the long route. Overall I had a good time but sad that we was there longer and didnt get to next location. I suggest to anyone to make sure you have plenty of time if going hiking here or anywhere.

We hiked the Falls Branch Trail (red trail) and our almost 3yo was able to keep up pretty well. We only carried him once or twice. The park itself was wonderful as usual!

Even though it was fall, it was still beautiful

One of the nicest State Parks we have stayed. We originally were staying for four days and extended our stay for a week. So much to do in the area and the Park was very convenient to get to these places. Exceptional staff. Very quiet and relaxing park. We stayed in Site 58 which is on the water. Has 50 amp and sewer.

Beautifully kept camp grounds. The whole area is beautiful and well maintained.

Our family camps here every year. Friendly staff and beautiful lake spots. Three trails accommodate all skill levels.

Cool little falls hike the lake route. Its much easier

This is a truly beautiful place and the park rangers are great. Wish I could say the same for the marina. I havent been treated that badly or embarrassed that much in a very long time. They get minus 5 stars

Enjoyed the Falls creek falls trail, its perfect for families with children and dogs.

This park is a hidden gem! campsites weren’t super private, but the lake swimming was gorgeous and the hiking trails were great! also; some people complain about it, but i thought it was so great that a power plant was in the lake!***BEWARE: southern baptists that loudly discuss heaven, not vaccinating their children, asking you about your tattoo meanings, letting their (5) children throw rocks and stack rocks near the pond, have an off-leash dog and will not stop staring at you near the waterfall. i know we’re in the bible belt, but give it a rest. some people go hiking to get away from that bs- a peaceful visit was ruined by several loud, obnoxious people.

Beautiful lake. Very accessible. Not overly crowded. Great hiking trails as well. Saw lots of wildlife.

A lot of ticks, but clean facilities. The waterfall trail was littered and theres a freakin powerplant across the lake.Primitive camping spots arent primitive whatsoever and were pretty gross.The main grounds were pretty quiet even though it was packed. Probably wouldnt go back or swim in the lake.

Lake Catharine State Park is a beautiful campground. I loved the wide spaces and being able to wake up each day with a view of the lake. We didnt get to do much hiking due to the weather but the trails look very nice too. The campground seemed to stay busy and at times could be a little noisy from honking geese to children playing. Watch out for racoons.

Peaceful, quiet and super clean! Boys caught alot of sunfish! Made the whole trip worth while watching them investigate nature.

Always clean bathrooms quiet and still close enough to city to get supplies camp sites with electric are 25$ per night

Beautiful place not far off I-30 to relax, boat and swim.

What a beautiful park and lake, we were able to rent a boat right there at the lake and the price was not bad at all. Less than 300 dls for 4 hours cant remember but I think it was like 250? Plus gas depending on how much you used and the deposit of course which will be returned to you.Think twise before getting a boat for more than 4 hours the heat out there can exhaust you. 4 hrs was perfect. We spent 3 more hours by the bay relaxing after boating. The lake is gorgeous!

Came with family in June, and stayed in cabins on lake. Cabins and lake are absolutely gorgeous. While waiting for room to be ready, we went swimming in lake, (which had a soft beach), and thought that would be the highlight. But being able to fish right off porch and cook and relax in cabin was amazing. Totally worth money. Cannot recommend enough!

Beautiful short walk to beautiful waterfall! I was able to walk with my mom and backpack carry my one year old with ease! I do recommend packing water shoes if you want to play in the water. The rocks were a little rough on our feet. Wear swimwear if weather permits. We checked in the visiting center and they provided a map and directions to the easy trail.

Great park with beautiful views.... including the power plant across the lake.

A wonderful experience. This park is clean, safe and a true American treasure for boating, camping, swimming, trails and dont forget....plain old relaxation. As we explored Arkansas for a future home site (had to get the hell out of Houston Violence and Gridlock) we discovered this jewel of a park. This influenced us to buy a lakeside home in DiamondHead....we go to the park often, take up a free day site, grill some steaks, meet new friends, hike, meet park staff,and boat back home when ready. This park is safe, friendly and clean, give it a try. The kids will love the safe swimming are a also.

Awesome trails, beautiful lake, pretty sweet waterfall (it does sometimes dry out in the summer). Its got everything.

Very nice and well maintained campground the bathhouse was a little dirty but we mentioned it to the camp host and it was clean very soon afterward.

Great place to hang out! Park staff is awesome.

Love the waterfall and yea you can swim in it and that was a great discovery, as other parks dont allow it.

Very nice Rustic Cabin. Very clean. Beautiful park. Lots of places to kayak and swim. Park is relatively small which keeps it from being crowded with people, we will definitely be going back.