Lake Greeson, Arkansas

After a nice visit with Al’s daughter and her family in Malvern, Arkansas, we headed south to see Crater of Diamonds State Park. We arrived rather late and found that the park closed at 6:00 pm, which didn’t really give us much time to look around. We toured the gift shop and watched a couple of videos, but decided not to pay the entrance fee to the diamond field, since time was so short. The attendants recommended a nearby campground that we reached after dark. We initially paid for a five day stay at Lake Greeson Campground, but this turned into a lengthier stay when we decided not to take the planned trip further south to the Gulf Coast just yet. It turned out to be a wise decision, since a hurricane had chose to hit the same time we had planned to be there.

The fall weather cooperated for the most part with warm temperatures, very little rain, and only small breezes. It was perfect weather for me to get in a couple of paintings of the lake and surrounding scenery. Lake Greeson is the result of the Narrows Dam across the Little Missouri River near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. It is a beautiful area consisting of stone bluffs, pine, hickory and oak trees, and plenty of wildlife. Deer were common visitors, as well as several squirrels and a few crows. Al saw one Pileated Woodpecker and we heard Blue Jays most mornings. The buzzards around the area take advantage of the warm updrafts coming from the dam area to reach greater heights.

We enjoyed taking walks among the fallen leaves and acorns, and even gathered a few hickory nuts. Al took the opportunity to do a little maintenance on the bus, which seems to be a never ending chore. We had neighboring campers off and on during our stay. With hunting season starting, the weekends seemed quite a bit busier than other days. Al especially enjoys when the other campers arrive since it gives him a chance to speak to others from around the country. We met several locals, people from Texas, Wisconsin, and Florida. Of course, many people stay here when heading out to the diamond mine, since the campground for Crater of Diamonds is closed for maintenance this year.

The marina on the lake offered a small store, boat rentals and cabins. A few people decided to winterize their boats during the mild weather, but we did see people out on the lake enjoying the weather and fishing. Because of the rains before we got here, the dam was open letting water out much of the time and fishing was affected.

Internet service was not available around the campground, but we could go into Murfreesboro every few days to catch up on emails and such. The sites were only equipped with electricity, but there were showers, toilets, water, and a dump station available. Our winter rate was only $10, which was cut in half with Al’s Golden Age Passport. Not a bad price for the amenities offered, and a very enjoyable stay in southwestern Arkansas.