Travelin' Arklahoma: A dam that took 20-years to complete turned Hurricane Creek into a National Forest Service gem

Tucked within the lush embrace of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, Shores Lake stands today as a tranquil oasis for outdoor lovers--a serene body of water that reflects the sky and holds within its depths the legacy of conservation, craftsmanship, and quiet transformation.

But before this reservoir mirrored pine-tinged clouds and echoed the gentle lap of kayak paddles, it was merely a bend in Hurricane Creek--untamed, remote, and deeply woven into the forest’s rhythm.

The history of Shores Lake begins in the 1930s, when workers from the nearby Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp set about reshaping the land under President Roosevelt’s New Deal efforts.

Their work laid the groundwork for what would become the Shores Lake Dam, finally completed in 1958 through collaboration between the USDA Forest Service and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The dam itself is an unassuming structure: a masonry gravity dam, rising 63 feet high and stretching 769 feet across Hurricane Creek’s valley.

It was built not to control floods or power towns, but to conserve wildlife and create recreational space for generations to come.

It holds a 10,906 acre-foot reservoir, with a narrow spillway and valve system that ensures gentle stewardship of the surrounding ecosystem. Its hazard potential is rated low--its capacity for enriching lives is anything but.

Unlike larger dam projects that swallowed communities and displaced families, Shores Lake was a quiet undertaking. Its creation didn’t force relocation, nor did it drown neighborhoods beneath its mirrored surface. Instead, it transformed existing forestland--much of it already under federal stewardship--into a space for reflection, play, and natural immersion.

Today, Shores Lake offers travelers a peaceful escape with just the right dose of adventure.

Eighteen rustic campsites dot the lakeside, each offering cozy solitude beneath whispering pines. Nearby, families gather at shaded picnic tables while the seasonal swimming beach hums with laughter between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Anglers cast lines from ADA-accessible piers, hoping for bites from bass or bluegill. The lake’s no wake rule ensures silence for paddlers and safety for wildlife, making early mornings on the water especially meditative.

But perhaps the most stunning experience awaits on land: the Shores Lake Loop Trail, a 13-mile circuit that threads through forest ridges, cascading waterfalls, and creek crossings.

Whether you're tracing sunlight over moss-covered boulders or catching glimpses of deer and pine warblers, every footstep reconnects you with the forest’s pulse. The trail eventually links with White Rock Mountain, offering panoramic views that stretch like painted canvas across the Boston Mountains.

Shores Lake lies just northeast of the tiny crossroads community of Fern, itself tucked off the beaten path. From Mulberry, take Arkansas Highway 215 north for 15 miles, then follow Forest Service Road 1505 deep into the hills. The drive is its own reward--winding through dogwood blooms, historic homes, and sweeping Ozark scenery.

While the modern visitor might arrive with GPS and hiking boots, the spirit of the lake is timeless. It’s a place where CCC workers once laid stone by hand, where forest stewardship met federal vision, and where Hurricane Creek was coaxed into stillness.

Shores Lake is not a tourist hotspot--and that’s precisely its magic. It’s the kind of place where stories unfold slowly, where sunrise finds you quietly sipping coffee in camp, and where the distant call of an owl might be the loudest sound you hear all day.

Whether you’re tracing history, casting a line, or simply sitting still long enough to listen, this hidden gem in Franklin County offers something enduring: the kind of peace you don’t just visit--you remember.