We arrived in time to make a stop at the visitor’s center to check in for camping as well as look around in the gift center. The staff was extremely helpful and welcoming. They let us know what activities we might want to participate in while we were there and asked if we had any questions about the park. We looked through the shop, found a few things we liked and we even found a DeGray Lake frisbee for DJ!

Settling in for the night, we discovered one of the nicest things about the campsite we had chosen…the cooling breeze coming across the lake and the tranquil sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. We slept through the night.

After a quick drive around the lake the next morning, we picked a boat ramp that would give us easy access to a cove where we had seen both deer and several birds the night before. We were hoping to ease into the cove with the kayaks and get some good photos for the site. Alas, even though we were out and about before all of the water sports had time to get started, the water was so choppy and the wind was so high that we were barely able to get around. As you can see from the map above, we weren’t able to cover much water. Granted, we did see some fish and a few birds, but we were planning to stay out for a couple of hours that morning.

Between the 94 degree heat at 8am in the morning and rough water, we decided to call it a day. After making it back to the boat ramp, we loaded the boats and headed for the swim area right down the road. We snorkeled and swam for a couple of hours before heading back to camp for lunch.

So, my question to the readers is this: Is DeGray Lake suitable for kayaking? If so, where are some good areas? We look forward to visiting the lake again, but we’re going to need some direction as to where to go to make the most of it.

Any suggestions are welcome!

View Larger Map

Upon arriving, I met the tour guide, Kathy Evans, who is the Park Interpreter as well as the Assistant Superintendent. I was a bit early, so I went down to the boat ramp (see map #1) and got in for a bit of warming up. A few minutes later, Kathy came down to meet me at the ramp. It turns out, I assume due to the holiday weekend, that the tour had an attendance of one…your’s truly. So, we set off on our journey.

As we paddled out into the lake, Kathy began to tell me about the history of the lake and the park. A story I had not heard and turned out to be very interesting. Here’s an excerpt from “Lake Poinsett Provides a Home Away from Home” by Jay Harrod, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism:

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, several Harrisburg residents envisioned a park where locals and visitors could enjoy picnicking, fishing or camping. The biggest problem, though, was Lake Poinsett did not exist at the time — just a stream, Distress Creek. Spearheading the effort to build a lake was a Harrisburg Rotary Club planning committee, chaired by R.D. Woods.

“There was nothing as far as recreational facilities at that time,” Woods, who has lived in Harrisburg since 1947, said.

The planning committee approached the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, which showed interest in damming Distress Creek. But there were obstacles to overcome. “Nobody had any money…or they didn’t want to spend it here,” Woods said.

Woods will readily admit that friends in politics helped make the lake reality. After months of struggling to secure necessary funds, Dan Portis, a one-time Arkansas Highway Commissioner, suggested Woods pay a visit to someone Portis knew well, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. The pair boarded Portis’ plane and flew to the Capitol.

“We got there, and Portis said, ‘So tell [Faubus] your problems,’” Woods said. “I did, and [Faubus] said, ‘I’ll take care of it.’ And he did, and that was that.”

Once the Game and Fish Commission built the lake in 1961, attentions turned to creating a state park. Again, Woods and fellow Rotarian, the late L.K. Collier, an attorney in Harrisburg, answered the call. The two owned much of the land surrounding the newly formed lake and donated 40 acres to the state parks system. But according to Woods, those at the state parks said twice that amount was needed in order to proceed with plans.

“So the community came to us and wanted to know if we’d sell 40 acres,” Woods said. “I think we got $4,000 or something like that. So we sold 40 acres and donated 40 acres.” Subsequent smaller land acquisitions have brought Lake Poinsett’s total acreage to 132 today.

Though many return campers enjoy the sense of community found at the park, many times it’s the scaly creatures that brought them to the park in the first place. Fishing remains the favorite pastime at Poinsett, drawing anglers nearly year-round.

Kathy told me that one of the employees, Jimmy, who I had met earlier in the VIC/Gift Shop actually worked on the dam (see map #4) as a teenager laying sandbags for a small bit of money a day. I, for one, think that’s amazing. I’ve led a bit of a nomad’s life…moving from state to state, city to city, job to job. The idea of staying in one place for so long seems so foreign to me, but I bet it is very fullfilling to be so rooted within a community.

As Kathy was finishing up the history of the lake and park, she spotted a Green Heron (see photo below) off to the left. The heron was running up and down the shore on the fallen trees. I’ve somehow never noticed these birds. They are stunning in the sunlight. As he ran across the trees, his feathers looks as though they were changing from emerald green to a brillant blue. Kathy mentioned that they also have a mohawk of feathers which they will display if they are threatened. I was able to find an image of this display here.

Continuing toward the AGFC public access (see map #2), Kath noticed swallows and Missisippi Kites (see photo below) flying over head. She cleared up a question that I’ve had for a while now. I knew that swallows were the birds responsible for the mud nests under bridges, overpasses and even the nests around homes, but I was wondering if there were several species of swallow or if there were different species that preferred different habitats. Kathy told me that the Cliff Swallow is responsible for the bridge nests and the Barn Swallow is the type found around homes and outbuildings.

She also mentioned that kites are birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles. This family of kites was attempting to lure their young out of their nests. As they circled high above the treetops, they were calling down to their young…encouraging them take their first flight.

The north end of the lake gets a bit shallow, but you are able to clearly see where the original creek flows from (see map #3). Kathy explained that there once was a road which connected one side of the area that is now the lake to the other side of the creek. This road, now submerged, was actually in line with the AGFC public access boat ramp and connected to the point directly across from the boat ramp. A small village with a general store and such was located here, but due to the lake cutting off the most direct route into the village, it soon dwindled away. This area, along with the majority of the shoreline around the east side of the lake is residential.

Arriving back at the park’s boat ramp, we exchanged contact information and got our boats loaded. Kathy mentioned that she is planning to host even more kayaking events, including a Full Moon tour. We are really looking forward to more local kayaking events, especially Full Moon tours. The closest tours of this type are hosted in Central and Southern Arkansas, a bit too far for a moonlight stroll.

I would encourage everyone to visit not only Lake Poinsett State Park, but any Arkansas State Park you have the chance to come across. We have over 50 of them in the state and as Kathy puts it, “we’ve got parks ranging from one acre to thousands of acres…we’ve got a bit of everything”. So, hop in the car, truck, kayak, canoe or hang glider and explore of bit of the Natural State!

Until next weekend (we’re going to Cossatot!), have fun & stay safe!

View Larger Map

I had seen and heard about several oxbow lakes south of Portia, AR. Portia Bay is clearly visible from Highway 63, but I had also noticed an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Public Access sign for Shirey Bay along the highway. A quick search on the internet turned up some info about the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Mangement Area which “was appropriately named for the two large bodies of water located on the area. The East Side of the area known as Shirey Bay got its name from an old oxbow off Black River. The Rainey Brake located on the West Side is so called due to a large pond or brake, as it is sometimes called. ” I also learned that about 15 miles south of Portia I could access either the Black River itself via the Dixie Lee access or I could also access the Shirley Bay oxbow lake. Target located!

So, at 5am this morning I headed for Portia…not really sure where I was going. As I entered Portia, I saw the familiar AGFC sign pointing south and as luck might have it, three trucks pulling boats. I followed the pack.

About 30 minutes, several turns and a pretty rough gravel road later we arrived at the Shirey Bay Public Access with boat ramp and dirt parking lot (see map #1). If not for following the other guys, I might have not made it on the first attempt. It’s nothing more than a boat ramp in the corner of a rice field, with trees surrounding the parking area and the usual brown AGFC sign, which was positioned in a spot which wasn’t as visible as they normally are.

Along with me, there were about 6 other people there. I chatted with a couple of older men who told me how to access two other oxbow lakes in the area and let me know I “probably don’t want to fool with the Black River” and that I “should be on the Spring [River] in a kayak, not in some oxbows that don’t go anywhere”. I explained that I was more of a touring-style kayaker and enjoyed the lakes and ponds just as much as the rivers.

I usually look for a spot off to the side of the boat ramps, because I have found that putting in on the actual boat ramp is a bit too rigid and clumsy for a guy of my size. I like to have a nice bed of gravel or grass to get settled into my boat and then kick off from. This boat ramp had a perfect spot just to the right where some pea gravel led down into the lake. I’m off!

Right away, the relaxation kicked in. There’s nothing better than a quiet, flat lake as the sun rises above the treetops, especially Cypress trees. Their gnarly limbs and feathery leaves break the rays of the sun into bits and pieces of golden light which allow you to look right into the sunrise without squinting much. I quickly found a large Cypress and started snapping photos of the sun rising.

After the sun had crested above the treetops, I headed south for a bit to look around and then turned back toward the northern end of the lake. From the boat ramp, I had seen that there were several large gatherings of Cypress trees toward the northern tip of the water. This is what I was looking for.

The color of the water is worth noting as well. It’s a bit like tea, but also a bit like coffee. It’s hard to describe. I’m not sure if it is the type of lake, the natural acids, tannins and such that exist in the Cypress groves or what, but it creates a rich colored water that makes it almost impossible to see anything more than a few inches under the water.

If you’ve not ever been around a grove of submersed Cypress trees in the early morning, you’re in for a treat. It’s like going back in time for a bit, especially if you find a group of really large trees.

As I paddled along, I noticed that the fish kept coming closer and closer to my boat. I don’t know if they were intrigued by the bright orange color or if they were just curious. I constantly saw dorsal fins rise and fall back into the water off the bow of the boat. And, from time and time, a fish would appear to the left or right of me right beyond my paddle. I could see the bright flash of what looked like a gar and then it was gone.

Including the friendly fish, I saw a family of raccoons passing through the woods along the bank, several woodpeckers up in the tops of the trees, a couple of sparrows, a few frogs and turtles and a squirrel. It was a wonderful trip and I plan to visit the other oxbow lakes in the area very soon. First on the list is Portia Bay. I’m told that there is no public access, so you have to pay a gentleman $2.00 to access the bay. I’ll gladly pay it for a few moments amongst my Cypress friends.

View Larger Map

Craighead Forest Park consists of about 700 acres land which is managed by Jonesboro Parks & Recreation. The lake, which is 60 acres, is at the center Craighead Forest Park and is surrounded by 9 different access points (including the boat ramp and camping area), all of which feature different facilities for visitors. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 feature playgrounds for the kids as well as picnic tables, pavilions with electricity and fire pits and/or grills. The largest of the playgrounds are at 5 & 6 which feature very large playgrounds provided by local Rotary Clubs.

There is a boat ramp between 1 & 2 which has parking, a small fishing pier and a dog-jumping dock. You can put your kayak in here, but we prefer to put in at Access 4. There is a paved drive to the south side of this access which allows you to park right next to the water and there is a small cove which allows you to walk right out into the water with ease.

If you are not from the area and will be staying overnight, there is a camping area as well. It can be found between access 4 & 5. The fees are very reasonable and you have access to around 30 paved pads, electricity and a campers-only pavilion and pier.

For this visit, we decided to go out around dusk so that the sun wouldn’t bake us the entire time. In the Summer you can go out to the lake around 7:30pm to completely escape the sun as it dips down behind the western tree line. This gives you a good two hours of paddling time without having to worry about getting burned (a constant issue with a family of redheads). Crystal was with us this time, so we decided to race across the lake…Daniel won of course. We were able to easily navigate across the entire lake several times over.

One of the nice things abour Craighead Forest Park is that the entire lake is surrounded by a walking path which is frequented at all hours of the day by people walking, jogging and running. If you’re lucky, you even meet new people as you paddle around the lake. Of course, having a 13 week-old lab mix in the kayak with you is a good conversation starter in itself. Kids cannot resist stopping to pet him, which DJ just adores.

It’s an understatement to say that we’ll be back in this lake a few times this Summer. It’s the perfect spot to keep your arms in shape, cook some hotdogs on the grill and take the dog out for a swim…all without even leaving town.

For more information about Craighead Forest Park visit http://www.jonesborosports.org/view/194