Why Rent On Gilham Lake

Gillham Lake covers 1,370 acres along the Cossatot River in Howard County, Arkansas, with its western end extending into Polk County, six miles from the small town of Gillham in the Ouachita Mountain foothills. The Cossatot River, widely recognized as the best canoeing river between the Rockies and the Smokies, drains from the reservoir for sixteen miles south to U.S. Highway 71, creating a paddling corridor that is the primary reason serious outdoor families seek out this corner of southwest Arkansas.

A Rental in Mena or Gillham for Ouachita Mountain Access

Mena, the Polk County seat and the gateway to the Ouachita Mountains’ most dramatic terrain, offers vacation rentals that give families a home base within reach of both Gillham Lake and the Cossatot River canoe trail. A cabin or vacation home with a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms, and outdoor space provides the foundation for a week that combines the lake’s bass fishing with the Cossatot’s paddling culture and the broader Ouachita National Forest trail network. Pet-friendly properties are available throughout the Mena corridor, and the forested mountain terrain welcomes dogs on the area’s hiking trails.

The Best Canoeing River Between the Rockies and the Smokies

The Cossatot River below Gillham Dam has earned its regional reputation honestly: the sixteen-mile canoe trail from the dam to U.S. Highway 71 passes through Class II-IV rapids in a roadless Ouachita Mountain canyon that produces a paddling experience of genuine wildness. The Cossatot Falls section, preserved within Cossatot River State Park, includes some of the most technically demanding whitewater in Arkansas and draws experienced kayakers from across the mid-South. Families with paddling experience find the combination of Gillham Lake’s calm water and the Cossatot’s river corridor one of the most complete outdoor itineraries in the Arkansas Ouachitas.

Bass Fishing, Coon Creek Walking Trail, and Five Recreation Areas

Gillham Lake’s 1,370 acres of fishing water hold bass as the primary target species, with the lake’s clear Ouachita Mountain water providing conditions that favor healthy populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass throughout the season. The five recreation areas distributed around the lake, with their five boat ramps, three campgrounds, one picnic shelter, and one designated swim area, give families multiple access points and a well-organized recreational infrastructure. The Coon Creek Walking Trail at Big Coon Creek Park is a scenic addition that takes hikers into the wooded terrain surrounding the lake’s quietest western coves.

The Arkansas Ouachitas: Wild, Beautiful, and Undervisited

Gillham Lake’s position in the Ouachita Mountain foothills of southwest Arkansas makes it the entry point to one of the most ruggedly beautiful and least-visited mountain landscapes in the mid-South. The Ouachita National Forest to the north and east, the Cossatot’s wild river corridor to the south, and the general absence of large resort development in this part of Arkansas combine to create a lake destination that feels as close to genuine wilderness as any reservoir in the state. For families who want an Arkansas mountain lake stay with a serious river to accompany it, Gillham Lake is the answer.