Quarry Cove Park
Plainview, Arkansas · Nimrod Recreation Area
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- No fee found
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Quarry Cove Park
Quarry Cove Park (Quarry Cove Campground) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers day-use and camping area on Nimrod Lake, a Corps-built flood-control reservoir on the Fourche LaFave River in the Ouachita/Ozark foothills of west-central Arkansas. Recreation.gov, the federal reservation system, lists it with an official swimming-beach designation alongside camping, fishing, and boating, making this swimming hole one of the official places to swim on Nimrod Lake.
Quarry Cove sits along the shoreline of Nimrod Lake, a roughly 21,000-acre USACE reservoir impounded by Nimrod Dam (completed 1942) on the Fourche LaFave River, in the foothills between the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains near Ola and Plainview, Arkansas.
Swimming at Quarry Cove Park
The site has a designated swimming beach on the lake shoreline adjacent to the campground; recreation.gov lists 'SWIMMING SITE' as an official activity alongside fishing, boating, and camping. No further detail on water depth, bottom type, or water clarity was found in official sources.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Ola, Arkansas, take Route 7 south for 9 miles. Turn west onto US-60 and continue for 0.5 miles, following signs into the campground.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. No hike is needed. Quarry Cove's swimming beach sits directly on the Nimrod Lake shoreline within the campground/day-use area; it's a short walk from the parking/campsites, not a hike-in spot. No trail name, trailhead, or trip reports describing a hike to this beach were found.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
There is a designated swimming beach right at the campground shoreline (no hike or scramble to reach it), which is good for families, but Nimrod Lake is a working reservoir with active boat ramps, jet ski/boat rentals, and water-ski/tube traffic nearby (restricted to east of Carden Point toward the dam because the upper lake is 'too hazardous'). No lifeguard, depth markers, or roped-off swim area were confirmed in any source, so young kids should be supervised closely near the beach and kept clear of boat traffic areas.
Parking
Lot
Quarry Cove is a developed USACE campground/day-use area (31 campsites, boat ramp, group picnic shelter) reached via a short spur off Hwy 60/Hwy 7 near Ola, so a parking area exists at the site, but no source specifies a separate day-use parking fee distinct from camping fees.
Hours
No posted swim-beach hours found. Recreation.gov notes campground staff/attendants are on duty 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-6 p.m., with camper check-in at 3 p.m. and check-out at 1 p.m.; these are staffing/camping times, not confirmed day-use gate hours.
On the water
Restrictions: Water skiing and tubing on Nimrod Lake are restricted to the stretch from the tip of Carden Point eastward toward the dam; areas west of Carden Point are officially flagged as too hazardous for those activities.
Nimrod Lake has 11 boat ramps lake-wide and supports a full range of watercraft; local outfitters rent kayaks, motorboats, jet skis/waverunners, and paddleboards for use on the lake.
Rentals nearby
Kayak rentals for paddling Nimrod Lake or floating the Fourche La Fave River
920 Gossage Circle, Plainview, AR 72857 (near Quarry Cove/Nimrod Lake)
MasterCraft boat rentals, jet ski/waverunner rentals, boat tours and charters, and water toys (paddleboards, water trampolines, flyboards) for Nimrod Lake
Serves Nimrod Lake, AR; exact storefront address not published on the page fetched
Backstory
Nimrod Dam was completed in 1942 as part of a comprehensive flood-control and water-resources plan for the Fourche LaFave River. Recreation was not part of the dam's original mission, but the lake and its surrounding 21,000 acres have since become a recreation area managed by the USACE Little Rock District.
Quarry Cove Park: FAQ
Is Quarry Cove Park kid friendly?
There is a designated swimming beach right at the campground shoreline (no hike or scramble to reach it), which is good for families, but Nimrod Lake is a working reservoir with active boat ramps, jet ski/boat rentals, and water-ski/tube traffic nearby (restricted to east of Carden Point toward the dam because the upper lake is 'too hazardous'). No lifeguard, depth markers, or roped-off swim area were confirmed in any source, so young kids should be supervised closely near the beach and kept clear of boat traffic areas.
Do I need to hike to reach Quarry Cove Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Quarry Cove Park?
Quarry Cove is a developed USACE campground/day-use area (31 campsites, boat ramp, group picnic shelter) reached via a short spur off Hwy 60/Hwy 7 near Ola, so a parking area exists at the site, but no source specifies a separate day-use parking fee distinct from camping fees.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Quarry Cove Park?
Nimrod Lake has 11 boat ramps lake-wide and supports a full range of watercraft; local outfitters rent kayaks, motorboats, jet skis/waverunners, and paddleboards for use on the lake.
What are the rules at Quarry Cove Park?
Water skiing and tubing on Nimrod Lake are restricted to the area from the tip of Carden Point eastward toward the dam; areas west of there are considered too hazardous. Seasonal hunting is permitted throughout the lake property except in or near developed recreation areas.
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