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Lincoln Lake: Little Hidden Lake of Adventure
Small Town Arkansas Adventures. If you love exploring the lesser-known hidden gems, check out Lincoln Lake in Northwest Arkansas. Just 30 minutes from Fayetteville, you will find Lincoln, home of Lincoln Lake City Park. This park can fill just about any small adventure needs you have.
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Table of Contents
Take a moment to visit…
There’s something special about finding a unique little spot to explore that is fairly secluded.
Although there were a good number of people in this area (between fishing, climbing, kayaking, and hiking), the lake didn’t feel busy or overcrowded. There was plenty of parking, and a porta-potty available at the parking lot.
General Info
Lincoln Lake City Park has 400 acres of adventuring opportunities with options for rock climbing, mountain biking + hiking trails, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking on and around the 90-acre Lincoln Lake.
Lincoln Lake Location
Lake Rules
Like most parks and lakes, there are a few posted rules…
- No Camping
- No Alcohol
- No littering
- No open fires
- No gas motors on the lake
- No horses or motorized vehicles on the trails
- No hunting or firearms allowed
Hiking
There are 4 hiking trails at Lincoln Lake:
The main trail is Lake Loop Trail with a 4.3-mile moderately challenging loop to complete.
Hiking Boots
My hiking boots: Columbia Women’s Facet 75 Mid Outdry Hiking Shoe
A few trails that shoot off of this trail are Spillway Loop, Eagle View Overlook, and Piney Loop. These 3 are not on AllTrails, but the Lake Loop Trail is easily found and navigated in the app.
Lake Loop trail will lead you through the woods + alongside the lake, offering a few trails to get an overview of the lake.
There are also many large rocks and boulders along this path that are great for small climbs and exploration.
There are warnings for trail safety after high rains. On our May visit, we had a cool, drizzly Monday hike with no issues and no other hikers spotted.
Kayaking
Kayaking Lincoln Lake is a unique adventure. The rock formations in the water and bluffs that you paddle around are not often seen on smaller lakes in the area. Many of these formations can have geese nesting on them, which allows you to get very close.
Geese were the primary wildlife spotted (late March), as well as vultures, a few fish, and a snake in the water.
The only warning for kayaking: be aware of wind speed and plan around high winds (because paddling into high winds can wear you out quickly and is no fun!).
Float the Illinois in Arkansas
What to expect on this beautiful adventure.
Float the Illinois in Oklahoma
Other Activities at Lincoln Lake
Fishing
Lincoln Lake is reportedly a great place to fish, either from the banks or from a (non-motorized) boat. However, on a late March day, fishing from a tiny pole and a kayak didn’t give us great results.
You can fish for bass, crappie, catfish, sun perch, smallmouth bass, and green sun perch.
Mountain Biking
Riding at Lincoln Lake is reportedly really smooth, with great views and an overall great riding experience.
Rock Climbing
According to online resources, there are many great climbing spots at Lincoln Lake. Climbing spots are available on the east side of the lake and in the Turtle area, accessed from the main parking lot.
Best beginner climbs: Top Hat and Tweek Me. Best intermediate climbs: Quest for the Sticky Stuff and Mother of the Storm climb. While kayaking, we witnessed many people geared up and climbing.
Final Thoughts
We can attest to the great hiking and kayaking at Lincoln Lake. With the variety of activities and scenery, this place is definitely on the “return soon” list.
Our next trip may be biking the trails to travel a little further than we hiked. However, the climbing will require a bit more research and prep.
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May have to plan a trip to Arkansas! Beautiful 🙂
Thanks for such a comprehensive review of activities at Lincoln Lake. This would be such a lovely autumn excursion for my family!
Thank you for sharing the amazing views of rivers and lakes. Great adventures!
Seems like a fantastic destination for a camping trip! Although not at the lake…but I’m sure there are some campgrounds nearby.
Thank you for sharing!