Arkansas – Self Creek Lodge & Marina Review

We departed today to head back home for the long drive.   As promised, here’s the review of the accommodations and the marina.  First, let me state that we had a great time and we think we’ve discovered one of America’s best kept secrets when it comes to lakes and cottages and we will likely return in the future.   The hotel rates vary throughout the season and because we’re still in summer season, we paid the highest rate.    We rented a three bedroom cottage at a rate of $410 per day from Self Creek Lodge & Marina.   The cottage comes fairly equipped with a full kitchen including stove top, oven, microwave, fridge, and sinks.   Additionally, it is fully stocked with utensils, cookware and minor cleaning staples.    There is NO FOOD provided and clients are expected to bring their own food.   Additionally, there is a small grill outside that would need charcoal or wood to cook with if so interested.

Each bedroom had two double beds, the master had a king size bed and the living room couch had a sofa bed.   All bedrooms had their own bathrooms which included sinks, commode and shower and all contain doors to “isolate” the areas from other areas of the cottage for additional privacy.  While I took some photos the ones on the site here are pretty standard.

Here’s a view of the deck, which includes a heated hot tub, patio furniture and grill.   Beyond the trees a view of the lake and access to the lake can be made through the back down the hill.

Our lodge had a fireplace however we never used it but did make occasional use of the nearby TV.

As stated earlier, we rented a 25′ boat for the day at a rate of $319 and the fuel expenses were reasonable at about $20 for nearly the entire day of boating.   The marina also has jet skis and a variety of other toys for rental at half day or full day rates.    The marina does not rent fishing poles but it does sell a variety of fishing bait and tackle but be forewarned that the items sold there are fairly expensive.    The marina and lodging is not near any of the typical shops you’d expect to find items cheaply (i.e. Target, Wal-mart, etc).     As best as we could tell, the nearest grocery store is about 20 miles away although the marina does have basic food items if you’re in a pinch.

There are tons of other things to do in the area and you need only look at the website or use google to find almost any variety of outdoor activity.   The only major drawback and perhaps the greatest asset is the location.   Because it’s a fairly long drive from almost anywhere, even if flying in to a nearby city, the area is fairly isolated and relatively pristine.    The only thing that would have made our stay a little better would have been to catch a couple of fish from the lake!