Sunlight Bay Campground and Nimrod Lake Dam Area

Sunlight Bay Campground and Nimrod Lake Dam Area

We setup our Rockwood 1810 ESP in campsite number 7. With electric and water hooked up we were ready for the weekend. On this trip we had a lot of forest roads to explore, so the majority of our time was spent exploring the Ouachita National Forest in the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. We plan on sharing those adventures soon, but this video shows Sunlight Bay Campground, Sunlight Cemetery, Project Point Campground, Nimrod Lake Dam and Nimrod Dam Campground. This area is worth spending some time in and adding to your adventure plans. Thanks for watching and click that subscribe and heart button if you like these type adventure videos.

Sunlight Bay Campground sits along the shores of Nimrod Lake just off of the Fourche Lafave river on Wilson Slough. Nimrod Lake is cradled between Arkansas’ Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. Fishing is one of the most popular activities at the lake, with an abundance of catfish, bluegill, bass and crappie available. Boating, water skiing and tubing are also popular, with 11 boat ramps conveniently located around the lake, however, skiing and tubing are only allowed from the tip of Carden Point eastward toward the dam because areas west of there are too hazardous. Campers are likely to spot white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, bobwhite quail, squirrel, rabbit, fox, mink, black bear, dove and waterfowl in the area.
With 29 spacious and modern campsites and one large day use group picnic shelter, Sunlight Bay Campground has plenty of room for the family. Two boat ramps and playground are also provided.
Nimrod Dam was completed in 1942 as part of a comprehensive plan for flood control and development of water resources in the Fourche LaFave River.
Nimrod Lake is conveniently located adjacent to State Highway 7, a National Scenic Byway and other nearby points of interest like Petit Jean State Park, Mount Nebo State Park and Hot Springs National Park.
The Fourche LaFave River forms Nimrod Lake. Fourche means “fork” in French, and LaFave is believed to be the name of a French family who lived in the early 1800’s where the Fourche LaFave meets the Arkansas River. Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, was a mighty hunter. The lake is aptly named “Nimrod” because the wild surroundings have an abundance of game for the hunter.
The Nimrod Dam was constructed at a time when the country was trying to pull out of the great depression. The war in Europe was raging. Pearl Harbor was eventually bombed, and the Early stages of the Nimrod Dam construction. United States was drawn into the greatest conflict ever known to humanity. Amidst these hard and troubled times, small rays of hope sprang up all around the country. One of those was the construction of Nimrod Dam.

The Nimrod Lake & Dam were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938. Testing the site for the dam started in September of 1939 with core drilling and test trenches. Clearing and preparing the site for construction started in February of 1940. Actual construction of the dam began in April of 1940 and was continued after the start of World War II. It was completed in March of 1942 making it the first to be constructed in the Little Rock District. The total cost of the project was $3,773,000.

Nimrod Lake is a part of a comprehensive plan for flood control and development of water resources in the Fourche LaFave River and lower Arkansas River Valleys.

Recreation was not a part of the initial mission of Nimrod Lake, however, through the years, it has evolved into a significant part of the project. Nimrod now offers a full range of recreational opportunities such as camping, swimming, boating, fishing, and hunting.
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