Lower Quarry Park - Trout Fish, Picnic - A U.S. Army Corps of Engineer facility. RV dump stations, public restrooms, children's play stations. Enter directly across the main road from the hatchery. There is a public access to the North Fork river here. Shaded picnic tables make this an ideal riverside picnic spot. Launch a boat, wade fish, or fish from the bank. You can see Norfork dam a couple of hundred yards away. If a loud horn sounds, get out of the water and go up the bank. Shortly following the horn will be a water release. Up on the river bank are several camping and RV sites. There are also picnic tables. Inquire at the little ranger hut about where you can picnic. If you want to walk for exercise, this is a great place to do it. It's nearly a mile all away around the paved road.
Camping & RV - Sites available at lower Quarry Park below Norfork Dam.
Making Reservations - You can place reservations from May 15 to September 15 as far as six months in advance. The rest of the year a stay in the Park is on a first-come-first-served basis. In this area, COE parks typically officially open from April 1st to September 15th. You can camp in the parks the rest of the year, but services are not turned on, and staff is not on site.
For reservations at Quarry Park, you'll need to call Recreation.gov, or sign in to their website. When using the Recreation.gov site use the name "Dam Quarry on Norfork Lake" in their search box. Be prepared for the reservation agents to know very little about the park since they've never been there. If you have specific questions you'll need to call the local U.S. Army Crops of Engineers Project Office in Mountain Home, Arkansas 870-425-2700.
It is always a good idea to call the Mountain Home office before you leave home. Sometimes the parks are closed, or partly closed, due to high water.
The Recreation.gov site has a good online site-by-site reservation system with a very nice set of clickable features showing details for each site. There is also a good park map so you can see which sites are open for the dates you want. The map is helpful even if you don't want to make reservations.
Mountain Home COE office: 870-425-2700 8am to 4:30pm Monday-Friday.
Recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777
Public boat launch and swimming at Upper Quarry Park
Upper Quarry Park - From the hatchery or lower Quarry Park drive up the hill toward Norfork Dam. Once on top of the hill, there are two entrances into Upper Quarry (Quarry Cove Recreation Area). Pull in either one. Norfork Lake swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, and a marina are what you find here.
Part of upper Quarry has been closed due to budget cutbacks. This is the section that does not look out over the lake. It is across the road from the dam side part of upper Quarry.
Marina - At the end of the park farthest from the dam is Quarry Park Point road which goes to Quarry Marina. The marina rents boats, sells bait and tackle, snacks, swimsuits, etc. For boat rentals and other Norfork Lake watersport information contact Quarry Marina as follows: street address is 209 Quarry Park Point, Salesville, Arkansas, the phone is 870-499-5388. The marina floats over an old deep rock quarry from which the area takes its name.
Birding - Depending on the time of year, typically fall and winter, there will be different species of ducks along this shore next to Quarry Park Point road.
Lake Access - Going toward the dam you next come to the public boat launch and swimming area. This is a nice paved access with lake view picnic tables, swimming, and boat trailer parking. Above the lake access is more trailer parking and the bathrooms.
Play Ground - Continuing toward the dam brings you to the playground, which is a large flat grass yard with a volleyball net and a climbing/play station for children.
Pavilion - Right next to the dam is a large covered picnic pavilion and parking lot. Pavilion use for groups is by reservation only. Otherwise, anyone can use it if it is not in use at the time you drive up.
