Since 1875, cool clear water has been luring people to an area in the Ouachita Mountains about 10 miles northwest of Hot Springs. They were first drawn to a blessing of nature and later to a creation bestowed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The original enticement was the reputedly curative waters commonly known as Three Sisters Springs. Adding to the springs’ attraction, the 40,100 -acre Lake Ouachita was created in the valleys of the Ouachita River and its tributaries after the gates of the new Blakely Mountain Dam were closed by the Corps in 1952.
Fishing, skiing, pleasure boating, swimming, sailing, houseboating, parasailing and scuba diving are popular lake activities, while attractions such as the Oaklawn thoroughbred racetrack, Magic Springs’ theme and water parks, Hot Springs National Park, the Mid-America Science Museum, a nationally renowned arts community, live music and magic shows and a host of other family-oriented attractions have made the area one of Arkansas’s top tourist destinations.
