Lincoln Lake a hidden gem
LINCOLN — As leaves in northwest Arkansas start to change colors, Lincoln Lake is coming upon its busiest time of the year.
Many people describe Lincoln Lake and its amenities as a hidden gem in this region.
David Justice, director of Lincoln Lake for city of Lincoln, says he likes to call it a nature environment, a set-aside place.
Many times Justice says he sees people drive into the parking lot at the lake and then turn around and leave.
“The whole park is designed to get you out of your car to see the wonders of it. You have to get on the trails,” Justice said.
On a weekend in the fall, Justice estimates 150-200 people will come to the park to enjoy many activities. The area will stay busy throughout fall and into early winter and then pick up again in spring. The number of visitors tapers off in the cold of winter and hot summer days.
The entire park includes 400 acres with eight miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Visitors can see beautiful lake and forested vistas from the trail and its many overlooks. The most popular overlook is called Lake View Overlook and from this point, visitors can see both sides of the lake. Other wonderful sights are rock outcrops and rock formations.
Wildlife is abundant and visitors have been known to see foxes, coyotes and deer. Some have reported seeing black bears passing through.
Most people come for hiking, biking and rock climbing. But others come to Lincoln Lake to take photographs, bird watch or even search for up to 15
geocaches.
The 90-acre lake is busy with people fishing or paddling on the water with canoes or kayaks. No gasoline powered motors are allowed on Lincoln Lake, which means the air is pristine and the water free for canoes, kayaks, rowboats or rafts.
Climbing, fishing and mountain bike riding are popular year-round, Justice said. Hiking is more popular in the fall and winter.
“The wonderful thing about the lake is that even with lots of visitors you can still get out and get away from people. It’s beautiful and very quiet.”
Lincoln Lake was formed in 1960 and is fed by two water sources, Beatty Branch and Moore’s Creek. It used to be the city’s water supply but now is used exclusively for recreation.
The trailhead for the lake loop starts behind an information kiosk and map located off the lake’s main parking lot. The lake loop is 41/2 miles long and is designed to go counter clockwise for hikers.
The trail for mountain bikers starts on a bridge located off county Highway 669 or Jackson Highway, near the main entrance into Lincoln Lake park, and goes clockwise around the lake.
A printable map is available on the city of Lincoln website, lincolnarkansas. com. A free trails app also can be downloaded to a smartphone. Search mtbproject to download the app.