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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Cove Lake Recreation Area

Forest Service campground in Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, Logan County, Arkansas. 1,002 feet. 5.1 miles from Subiaco.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
Elevation
1,002 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
36 36 standard non-electric
Longest rig
68 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Logan County

Overview

The Cove Lake Recreation Area is a perfect summer getaway and an ideal place to camp, picnic or recreate. It envelops the shores of a 160-acre mountain lake near the 2,700-foot-tall Mount Magazine, the highest point in the state of Arkansas.

Recreation

Popular activities include swimming, fishing, hiking, water skiing and scenic drives. A boat ramp is available and an on-site concessionaire provides boat rentals and other equipment available for purchase.

The lake is home to catfish, large mouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, crappie and perch. It is stocked every other year, although a small amount of catfish are stocked annually and just prior to a yearly kids' fishing derby hosted at the lake.

Facilities

The recreation area provides picnic areas, campsites and a group shelter, as well as multiple activities, including miniature golf, canoe and paddleboat rentals. The campground offers multiple single-family sites for tent or RV camping.

Each site is equipped with tables and campfire rings with grills. Accessible flush toilets, hot showers and drinking water are also provided. Multiple picnic areas are available on the lake shore, including a picnic shelter that has electricity.

Natural Features

The recreation area is situated in a mixed forest of mature trees and is located in the Arkansas River Valley in the Ozark National Forest.

Nearby Attractions

The recreation area is about 15 miles south of the town of Paris, in Logan County, Arkansas. A scenic route to the top of Mount Magazine is a beautiful 10 mile drive north from Havana, Arkansas.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • other recreation concession site
  • swimming site
  • water sports
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Cove Lake Recreation Area

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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