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Best Places to Paddleboard in the United States – Arkansas 2021

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Arkansas Paddleboard

1: Beaver Lake

Beaver Lake Paddleboard
Located in the Ozark Mountains, Beaver Lake is a reservoir and also the most popular lake and paddleboarding location in all of Arkansas with over 28,000 square acres of water. There are massive limestone bluffs and dozens of underwater alcoves to explore along the 483-mile coast for those who are into touring and exploring the coastline.

As the state’s most popular lake, you can find plenty of local SUP vendors with rental equipment, private lessons, and guided tours available for curious paddling enthusiasts. As for aspiring anglers, the well-stocked fishery means you can have fun with a reel no matter when you visit. You can expect to catch fish such as Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Bream, and many other species.

If you can only hit one lake in Arkansas, Beaver Lake is the place to go for excellent stand up paddleboarding.

Average Clear Weather Days per Year: 217
Distance to Major Cities: Direct access to Fayetteville
Motor Vehicles Allowed: Yes
Paddleboard Rentals Available: Yes

2: Buffalo National River

Buffalo River Paddleboard
The 135-mile Buffalo National River has quite a bit of history, as it was the first river to receive the national designation in the United States. One of the few undammed rivers, those coming to Arkansas for adventure and to test their SUP skills will find whitewater class II and III awaiting them in the upper portions. Head downstream, and paddlers can paddle through beautiful canyon sinkholes and crevices, with up to 500’ tall waterfalls falling over the sandstone and limestone cliffs.

Over three hundred unique species of fish live in the Buffalo National River, with fishing and camping permitted on all of the gravel and sand bars you might pull off to while you float along the river. If you have a touring board you’ve been aching to try out, make sure to paddle along the Buffalo National River.

Average Clear Weather Days per Year: 173
Distance to Major Cities: 1 Hour to Fayetteville, 2 Hours to Little Rock
Motor Vehicles Allowed: No
Paddleboard Rentals Available: In Parts

3: DeGray Lake

DeGray Lake Paddleboard
While not quite as large as Beaver Lake, DeGray Lake, along with the DeGray Lake Resort State Park, is a close second as a top place to go paddleboarding in Arkansas. Thanks to the more commercially focused nature of the DeGray Lake Resort, local retailers and vendors will have great selections of SUPs to try out, along with incredible guided tours and yoga sessions with true exports.

If you go out on the right day, wind foiling is a fantastic activity to try out while you’re on DeGray. You can also try some scuba diving from your paddleboard or swim right up to the Bass and Catfish that occupy the lake. With fantastic campgrounds, lodges, and hotel options for out of state visitors, it’s worth visiting DeGray Lake for a memorable and exhilarating paddleboarding experience.

Average Clear Weather Days per Year: 217
Distance to Major Cities: 1 Hour to Little Rock
Motor Vehicles Allowed: Yes
Paddleboard Rentals Available: Yes

4: Arkansas River/Lake Murray

Arkansas River Paddleboard
Chances are that you’re going to be passing through the capital of Arkansas sooner or later, so while you’re in Little Rock, make sure to check out the Arkansas River and Lake Murray. The Arkansas River is very calm, especially in the Little Rock shores, making it an ideal place for beginners and younger paddlers to learn. If you’re an avid fisher, your cooler will be overflowing due to the high-density fish popular, with an average of 2,000 fish per mile of the river.

Little Rock weather varies greatly with the seasons. Paddlers can expect frigid temperatures and snow during the winter and blazing warm weather in the summer. Murray Lake is just upstream offering greater exploration along with campgrounds for extended stays. So, make the most of your trip to Little Rock by visiting the Arkansas River to SUP.

Average Clear Weather Days per Year: 217
Distance to Major Cities: Direct Access to Little Rock
Motor Vehicles Allowed: Limited
Paddleboard Rentals Available: Yes

5: Greers Ferry Lake/Sugar Loaf Mountain Island

Greers Ferry Lake Paddleboard
No matter which part of Arkansas you’re living at or visiting, it’s a bit of a journey to get to Greers Ferry Lake. However, if you can make the journey, your reward will be a 40,500 square acre lake to explore, with 340 miles of shoreline to explore. Greers Ferry Lake has multiple activities and events made with tourists in mind, many of which can be enjoyed from the water.

Visit Sandy Beach to watch some of the largest firework shows in the nation during July, or take a touring board and paddle out to Sugar Loaf Mountain Island for exquisite hiking trails offering great views of the surrounding area. If you’re not there for an adventure, though, you can have a great, peaceful time by paddling out to one of the many No Wake Zones for a calm and relaxing yoga session. If yoga, hiking, or cruising with friends are on your mind, Greers Ferry Lake is a great destination to go out to with a paddleboard.

Average Clear Weather Days per Year: 222
Distance to Major Cities: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes to Little Rock, 3 Hours to Fayetteville
Motor Vehicles Allowed: Yes
Paddleboard Rentals Available: Yes

Conclusion: Plan Your Paddle Board Trip and Have Fun!

Thank you so much for reading our top paddleboard destinations for the state of Arkansas! We hope that you’ll enjoy these top reviewed lakes, rivers, and paddleboard havens, and we hope you’ll look forward to our recommendations for California and the other US states.

While we’ve had the chance to visit a few of these recommended destinations, we recommend some of them based upon the feedback given to us by other SUP enthusiasts. If you’ve been to one of these recommended lakes in Arkansas or want to suggest a destination, we left off our list, be sure to leave a comment below or to send us an email with your thoughts.

If you want to learn more about paddleboarding in general, we also have reviews, instructional guides, and videos here at SUPBoardGuide.com, so make sure to check those out as well!

Thank you again for reading, and make sure you stay safe but have a ton of fun as you go paddleboarding in Arkansas!

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SupBoardGuide

Heyo! At SupBoardGuide.com we are a team who love the water, the outdoors, and are more than grateful that our full-time job allows us to review stand up paddle boards. We paddle year round (it helps that we are just about 2 hours outside of Las Vegas), and we bring in a wide range of paddlers with the goal of providing our readers with the best, most in-depth, and accurate stand up paddle board reviews.
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