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Nat'l Recreation Area
Nat'l Recreation Area

John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake

Arkansas · AR

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We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this park using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: May 20, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

About

Park entrance fees, hours, and ranger-issued closures change without notice and may be out of date here. Always confirm current conditions, fees, and access restrictions with the managing agency before you travel. Outdoors is not responsible for closures, fines, or denied entry resulting from outdated information.

John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake extends 26 miles along the Arkansas River, about half in Arkansas and half in Oklahoma. The shoreline offers a variety of terrain that includes bottomland hardwood timber banks, steep bluffs, open agricultural fields, and urban developments. Outdoor recreational opportunities exists at four parks. Modern park amenities include boat launching ramps, drinking water, camp sites, picnic sites, playgrounds, and trails.

Source: recreation.gov

From Wikipedia

John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake is a reservoir on the Arkansas River and an integral part of the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). It was formed by constructing the James W. Trimble Lock & Dam 13 across the river, near the city of Barling, Arkansas and extends upriver 26 miles (42 km) to W. D. Mayo Lock and Dam, which is located inside the state of Oklahoma. Although the Trimble facility was completed in 1969, it was not allowed to pass commercial barges until 1971, when upstream facilities were completed.

Source: Wikipedia — text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify alerts and operational details with the managing agency below.

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Hunting in this park

Hunting is generally prohibited in this National Park Service unit

Verify current park-specific rules with the National Park Service before planning any hunt. See NPS regulations

Within ~100 miles

Parks near John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake

James W. Trimble Lk (J.p. Hammerschmidt) - Mcc-Kerr Ark Rvr — Haroldton Access

Arkansas

0.1 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

James W. Trimble Lk (J.p. Hammerschmidt) - Mcc-Kerr Ark Rvr — Springhill

Arkansas

0.5 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Ozark-Jeta Taylor Lock And Dam And Powerhouse — Vache Grasse

Arkansas

0.5 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

James W. Trimble Lk (J.p. Hammerschmidt) - Mcc-Kerr Ark Rvr — Fort Smith Park

Arkansas

0.1 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

James W. Trimble Lk (J.p. Hammerschmidt) - Mcc-Kerr Ark Rvr — Lee Creek Park

Arkansas

0.2 sq mi
Parkrecreation area

Fort Smith National Historic Site

Arkansas

ParkNational Historic Site

Same state

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