Date of Visit: 20-21 Sept 2024
Bismarck, AR
95º feels like 106º
I arrived at DeGray Lake Resort State Park (#34) mid-afternoon after kayaking at Daisy State Park that morning. The unseasonable excessive heat warning meant that I kept my activities to a minimum, and I hope to return to the park in cooler times when I’ve finished all my other visits. Knowing the forecast in advance, I booked a ticket for the sunset cruise on the lake and made a reservation to stay in the wonderfully air conditioned lodge. Before my visit, many people told me about the beauty of this large park and I pulled onto the property with high hopes for getting at least some exploring in. The park centers around another huge human-made lake, this one created by damming the Caddo River for all the usual reasons: flood control, hydroelectric power, water source, and recreation.
After checking into the lodge and cooling off in my lovely room, I still had about 90 minutes to wait for the sunset cruise. I decided to check out the 1-mile Island Trail that loops around next to the resort. Staying in the shade and cutting my hiking speed in half and then in half again while drinking a full 24-ounce bottle of water in the 40 minutes I spent in the trees made for an enjoyable walk in the woods. I got to see my second armadillo of the day (though no picture this time), watch an itty bitty lizard scamper up a tree, and identify a white slant line moth resting on a pile of pine needles. And, of course, I got to spend time with some of my favorite beings: the trees.
Finally, it was time to drive over to the marina for the cruise. At the dock, Scott, our park interpreter, met us and got us settled on the large pontoon boat. In all, 16 of us enjoyed a little bit of respite from the heat as we motored out of the “dead slow no wake” zone. When we sped up event more, all of us grinned as the wind whipped the sweat from our faces. Suddenly, Scott cut the motor and called out “bald eagle! pointing to our left. That was our first sighting of several of the majestic birds soaring around the shoreline. At one point, Scott stopped us beside this gorgeous “island.” With the setting sun lighting up the variations of color in the sandstone I fell a lit bit in love with this “tip of a Ouachita mountain” jutting up in the aftermath of the lake creation. Here, you can skip the hike to the top of a mountain and just sail over to enjoy the view.
Now, without further adieu, the sun began its slow dip into the western waters of the lake. We’d been headed into the path of the red ball our whole trip and the show did not disappoint. The heat and humidity, plus all the dust in the air from our recent drought, meant yellow, red, orange on full blast.
Next Up: Stay Tuned