THIRTY (FIVE!) THINGS YOU ALWAYS MEANT TO ASK ABOUT
US…It used to be twenty!
(Inquiring minds want to know!)
1. How big is the Lake?
Lake Ouachita is one of the cleanest lakes in America; with 700 miles of mainland and about 300
miles of island shoreline, it is between approximate 40,000- 49,000 acres. Only 3% of the
shoreline is developed, which includes all of the Corps of Engineers Campgrounds, Lake
Ouachita State Park and the resorts and other facilities such as church camps. Lake Ouachita is
surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest.
2. Where can I launch my boat?
There is a Corps of Engineers launching ramp just below the Lodge. There is no longer a
day use fee for launching! There are also launching ramps in the Joplin Campgrounds but
the Rangers do not want people not staying in the campgrounds to launch there due to the
lack of parking space. There are concrete or dirt ramps at every area on the lake.
3. What kind of lake is it?
Lake Ouachita is a Corps of Engineers wilderness lake, built from 1949-1954. It is fed by the
Ouachita River which is the main tributary, and is surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest.
Blakely Mountain Dam is the largest earthen dam in the world.
4. Where is Mountain Harbor located?
Mountain Harbor Resort is located 25 miles west of Hot Springs and 13 miles east of Mount Ida
on U.S. Highway 270 in west central Arkansas. The access road is 2 ½ miles long in from
Highway 270 to the resort.
5. Where can I camp?
There are 16 Corps of Engineers campgrounds located around the lake and Lake Ouachita State
Park, and Lake Ouachita also offers the very rare opportunity of unlimited camping on its
islands! Campers are required to pack out all trash from the islands and put out all campfires.
The main number for the Corps is 501-767-2101, and the local number for our campground is
870-867-4472 at the fee booth. Lake Ouachita State Park’s number is 501-767-9366.
6. What kinds of fish are in the lake?
There are several species of gamefish in the lake: largemouth, spotted and small mouth bass,
crappie, striped and white bass, bluegill, walleye and a variety of catfish. Fishing licenses are
available at the marina or by logging onto the Arkansas Game and Fish website and purchasing
on-line at https://www.agfc.com/en/resources/licensing/. There are great fishing guides
available! Just ask at Reception or the Marina.
7. Can you tell me about Hot Springs?
Hot Springs National Park is the oldest national park in the U.S. and is located just 23 miles from
our resort. It has many natural hot springs, bathhouses, and over 35 miles of walking and hiking
trails. Brochures are available at the reception desk.
8. How big is Mountain Harbor?
Mountain Harbor encompasses about 900 acres. We have over 1100 slips, 26 lodge units, 19
Harbor North cottages that we own, and around 21 condominiums that we manage – this varies
year to year. Other facilities include:
➢ Full service restaurant – Closed after Thanksgiving weekend until the first weekend in
February
➢ Arkansas’s largest and most award winning marina, offering fuel, gift, groceries, bait and
➢ tackle, and a fleet of rental boats including ski boats, wake boats, party barges (pontoons), a
fishing boat, and paddle sports – canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards.
➢ Houseboat and water toy rentals
➢ Riding Stables
➢ Pools, tennis courts, volleyball court, and horseshoe pits
➢ Dive shop with rentals and air
➢ Hiking and Biking Trails – LOViT Trailheads on our property; 3 EPIC rated trails in our
county!
➢ Limited A.T.V. Trails
➢ Yacht brokerage
➢ Real Estate sales
➢ Elite Marine Services
➢ EV Charging stations
➢ Beautiful lake side conference, meeting, banquet and wedding venues:
The East Cove Conference Center with three adjoining rooms, lake view decks and a large
kitchen with almost 3000 square feet
The East Cove Pavilion – A stunning 2,000 square foot open air Pavilion with bathrooms,
carefully designed with tree framing your setting on a lake side point
The Lodge Conference Building – A 1200 square foot venue, overlooking the lake, with a
galley style kitchen, two bathrooms and a spacious lake view deck. Located at the Lodge
next to the Lodge pool.
9. Can you tell me about Montgomery County (Mt. Ida)?
Montgomery County is very rural with a total population of only about 9,000 people. County
seat is Mt. Ida; population is about 1,100. It is known as the “quartz mining capitol of the
world.” In fact, the largest quartz on display is at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. is from
Mt. Ida, Arkansas. Complete quartz information packets are offered at the reception desk.
Information on other activities, such as antique shops, local events and farmer’s markets, etc. is
also available at the reception desk and in directories located within each of our rooms. There is
also the Front Porch stage located in the Mt. Ida town square, right in front of the court house.
The Front Porch offers live music, special musical guests, and food during its summer season on
Friday and Saturday nights that makes for a fun-filled evening the whole family can enjoy! Bring
your own lawn chairs!
10. Where can I attend church?
There are a number of area churches. Church directories are located at the reception desk and
also within the room directory. One of the most commonly asked questions is the time of the
Catholic church services. This service is at noon in Mount Ida on Sunday or 10 am on Thursday.
The Catholic Church is located next to Bob’s Food City on Highway 270 as you enter Mount
Ida. The Joplin United Methodist church is located at the intersection of Highway 270 and
Mountain Harbor Road on the left coming in. Services begin at 8:30 am on Sunday and dress is
very casual. Visitors are always welcome!
11. Where can I buy groceries and supplies?
The closest large grocery store is Bob’s Food City in Mount Ida, 13 miles west from Harbor.
Also in Mount Ida, there is a Family Dollar and a Dollar General, both of which are located on
U.S. Highway 270. There is also a Wal-Mart Super Center just 26 miles east on Highway 270 at
the edge of Hot Springs. Other grocery options close by include our marina and the Joplin Store
at the highway. In some instances, our restaurant will sell raw steaks, baking potatoes,
margarine, milk, bread, etc.
12. Where can I hike or take a walk?
Harbor adjoins a new multi-year trail development built entirely by volunteers with the
assistance of the Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service and other agencies and clubs. The
LOViT or Lake Ouachita Vista Trail currently encompasses 6 legs – approximately 43 miles –
and runs from the western edge of Lake Ouachita (Lake Ouachita Shores trailhead) to the
Blakely Mountain Dam on the eastern end. The trail is open to hikers and mountain bikes only
and has multiple breathtaking lake views, streams, mountains and valleys. and a one mile
handicapped with a workout area at the watchable wildlife loop near the Shangri-La trailhead.
Trail maps are available at reception.
EPIC Trails in Montgomery County
Harbor is in the heart of EPIC trail country! Harbor is the perfect outpost for shredding the
THREE EPIC trails of Montgomery County - The LOViT (Lake Ouachita Vista Trail); the
Ouachita National Recreational Trail and the Womble Trail all have trail heads within a 30 -
45 minute drive of Harbor. The LOViT is actually accessed right here from our property, just
a short, two and a half miles away from our Lodge. Trail head access both at the Joplin
Church and across the street.
What does EPIC mean? This is a designation for mountain biking trails established by the
International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) which recognizes EPIC trails as a class of
trails which celebrates true backcountry riding experiences that are technically and physically
challenging, more than 80 percent single track and at least 20 miles in length. All of these Epics
offer amazing opportunities to interact with the natural world. Of the only 40 or so EPIC trails in
the world, three are located in our county and five are located in our state.
13. What can I do in Hot Springs?
Information packets on activities in and around Hot Springs are available at reception and on our
brochure rack as well as maps. Copies of the Diamond Lakes Guide are in every unit and
available at the Reception Desk and the Marina. We also have phone numbers for movie
theaters, restaurants and other facilities:
Magic Springs and Crystal Falls Mid-America Museum
Belle of Hot Springs Cornerstone Mall
Bathhouse Row Temperance Hill Mall
Golfing facilities Central Bowling Alley
…and so many lakeside down and down town eateries!
And many, many more!
In addition, the Lodge staff can put together rainy-day options for guests!
14. Where can I get a map or find directions?
Arkansas State highway maps are available at reception. We can also run custom directions off
the computer using MapQuest for guests. We also provide lake maps down at our Marina and at
the Lodge!
15. How do boats communicate with the resort on the lake?
The lodge monitors the weather channel for weather information for guests. We also monitor
Marine Band 16 for hailing and emergency traffic, as well as the Montgomery County Fire and
Emergency channels. Cell phones can work from most places on the lake.
Main Lodge Phone Number is 870-867-2191
For emergencies, dial 911!
16. Where is the nearest emergency room?
The first thing you need to do if a guest asks you for directions to an emergency room is to
determine if they need assistance from our first responders or an ambulance (call 911 for either
of these and notify your manager). The closest hospital is CHI St. Vincent’s Medical Center
(501-622-1000) about 28 miles or another E.R. is the National Park Medical Center (501-321-
1000). The lodge has a map, located on the back of the site map, to direct guests quickly. For
non-emergency needs, the Convenient Care Clinics offer walk in assistance or call 501-520-
5486. Advise guests to use this address on their phones or GPS for driving directions:
1662 Higdon Ferry Rd, Hot Springs, AR · (501) 520-5476
17. What do I do if someone is hurt or there is an emergency?
DIAL 911! Mountain Harbor Resort has several first responders on property at any given time
that can be called only in an emergency. Contact the lodge in an emergency and they will page
the first responders. Oxygen bottles and AED’s are located in Bill’s office, in R-1, and on the
Fireboat and several other locations.
I know that there are First Responders on site. Can I just call for a First Responder if someone
just has a minor injury? NO. First Responders can only be activated through the Sheriff’s Office
and are not allowed to respond or treat people and an ambulance is automatically dispatched.
18. What do I do if there is a fire?
DIAL 911! The Joplin Volunteer Fire Department is located on property. First responder
equipment includes fire fighting apparatus’s and four fire/Search/Rescue boats.
KNOW WHERE YOUR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE AND HOW TO USE THEM! There is
an instructional diagram on the extinguisher. Report any discharged extinguishers and any event
using them to your manager or FM.
19. Do you provide babysitting services?
We do not.
20. Where can I have a drink or buy some beer?
Montgomery County is a dry county. However, there are two nearby liquor stores located just 7
miles east of the resort on Highway 270 going toward Hot Springs at Crystal Springs. Outlaw
Liquor and Lewis Liquor.
21. I don’t have a boat and I am not a guest; I just want to go swimming in the lake.
Where can I go?
There is a beach in the Joplin campground. There is no day use fee. Mountain Harbor also offers
Sunset Beach near the East Cove Park. This beach is free to our community! It’s a pack in/pack
out beach with parking available.
Other Joplin Campground facilities include showers and a pump out station for motor homes. A
number of the campsites have electricity and water.
22. Where can I recycle and what does MHR recycle? Mountain Harbor recycles the
following items:
Plastic bottles (containers located at each trash location at the Lodge and marina areas)
glass(containers located at each trash location at the Lodge and marina areas)
aluminum (containers located at each trash location at the Lodge and marina areas)
cooking oil from the restaurant motor oil from FM, etc. Mountain Harbor recycles cardboard,
paper, steel and other materials.
23. Where can I mine for crystals? Montgomery County as the Crystal Mining Capital of
the world has a wide range of mines, near and far from our resort.. Two of our favorites are
Wegner’s Crystal mines, 870-867-2309– they are a “green”, eco friendly mine and leave no
foot print, and they are the largest with a huge selection of crystals, rocks and minerals from
all over the world and Avant Mine and Coffee Shop, 870-985-9988, located by Bearce
Airport.
24. I’ve heard you have a military museum on property. Can I visit it? Yes, we have the
Montgomery County Military Museum on site, full of inspirational military equipment and
vehicles from all of the major wars since WWI. You can schedule a visit by calling Bill,
Jason or the front desk staff and we can make arrangements for a tour. It was built to honor
the men and women of our armed forces and their families – never a charge!
25. Are there dangerous snakes or animals at Harbor? Most wildlife experts will tell you
that all wild animals are dangerous/not dangerous. The thing is that they are wild animals.
So… while we have a thriving population of deer, turkey, squirrels, foxes, raccoons – you
name it- they are not general dangerous if left alone. You should never approach a wild
animal or corner a wild animal or feed a wild animal. We have a thriving snake population
as well. Most of the snakes you might encounter will be harmless with the exception of the
rattlesnake species, the copperhead species and the water moccasin species. Because it may
be hard for you to identify a dangerous snake vs a non-threatening variety, we encourage
you to treat every snake with respect and just assume it is dangerous. Keep your distance
from any snakes, watch where you step, use a flashlight when walking at night and be very
careful in thick brush or downed timber. We are so proud of wilderness heritage but it
comes with a responsibility to use caution and respect to all of the wild life around us.
26. Can I rent an ATV? Where can I ride my ATV? ATV’s and UTV’s are for off road use
only and while you will see many people driving these on the Harbor roads, Harbor does
not rent any of these, nor does anyone else around the resort. There is only one sanctioned
AVT trail (map available at Reception). Ride responsibly, use turn signals and stop at stop
signs!
27. Can I bring alcohol into the Restaurant? This is what we must tell our customers –
“Actually, we cannot give you permission to bring alcohol into a public restaurant in a dry
county. Should YOU decide to do so, then we are happy to provide wine glasses, openers,
ice buckets, etc.” It’s important that our guests understand what the law is and make their
own decision. We, as staff of Mountain Harbor, cannot grant them permission to break the
law; only let them know that it is unlawful, and we are happy to provide their necessary
needs.
Telling guests they can break the law could put us in a liability situation because the
guest considers our staff a reliable and lawful source of info.
28. Where can I buy a pizza? Get non-ethanol gas? The Joplin Store offers a wide range of
supplies, groceries and non-ethanol fuel. While they will not deliver pizza, you can pick up
delicious pizza while you are there! The marina also sells non-ethanol gas.
29. Can I kayak or canoe on the lake? Yes, our marina offers kayaks, canoes and for a lot
of fun – our SUP’s (stand up paddle boards)! Our friendly staff will direct you to calmer
areas where you can enjoy a great one on one with the lake! All can be used anywhere!
30. I just caught a whole bunch of fish, but how can I cook them? It’s easy! Our Lodge
Restaurant will cook them for you, crispy and golden, and serve them up with all the fixin’s!
31. Where can I get WiFi? We probably don’t even need to cover this! Our staff is very
WiFi savvy; however, all of Harbor’s public areas – pools, Lodge Restaurant, East Cove,
East Cove Park, Marina, etc., have free internet with no password. If you have a problem
with WIFI contact a manager.
32. Where do I go if there is dangerous weather activity? Mountain Harbor has constructed
four safe rooms for storms and tornados! The are located:
At the main lodge behind guest services
Across from S Dock parking lot
Across from C17 in Harbor North
Harbor Oaks
You can find them on our interactive map!
33. Where can I download Harbor’s interactive map to help a guest on property who stops
me and asks for directions? You can download our map using the QR code, provided at
this meeting or find it anytime on our website under Property Map.
34. Where can a guest with an electric vehicle charge their vehicle? How much does it
cost? What are the connections like? Just go to BlinkCharging.com and the app will pull
up a map with your current location and give you information on the connections and
locations. The guest will enter a credit card to pay for the charge. It’s 99 cents per
kilowatt. All charging stations are also on our interactive map. The charges have a
universal plug. Some vehicles will have an adapter to fit our plugs.
35. Where can I get my boat/boat motor repaired? Elite Marina, located in the East Marina
Basin offer complete repair services!
