Posted in Arkansas July 12, 2016 by

Most People Have No Idea There’s An Underwater Ghost Town Hiding Here In Arkansas

From 1901 to the mid-1930s, Monte Ne was a planned community featuring a resort. Today, well, it’s a pretty good place to go fishing. The man who was in charge of Monte Ne, former Liberty Party presidential candidate William Hope “Coin” Harvey, apparently wasn’t great at managing coins. The project went bankrupt and was sold off in lots. Many of the structures still standing were flooded when the White River was dammed to create Beaver Lake in 1964.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The submerged amphitheater is probably the most prominent underwater ruin of Monte Ne.
Flickr/MRHSFan
Flickr/Clinton Steeds
The picture above was taken in 2005, when the water was at historically low levels and the amphitheater was a good place to sit and fish.
The amphitheater is one of the eeriest places in Monte Ne. Even though you can’t see much of it when the lake is at normal levels, you can imagine what lies below.
Flickr/MRHSFan
Flickr/Clinton Steeds
Flickr/MRHSFan
Oklahoma Row and Missouri Row were the largest log buildings in the world back in their day. Now all that remains visible at normal lake levels is the concrete tower section of Oklahoma Row.
Flickr/MRHSFan
It’s covered in graffiti now, inside and out, but you can still see the remnants of one of the earliest examples of a multi-level concrete structure.
Flickr/Mandee Carter
Flickr/Clinton Steeds
Flickr/Clinton Steeds
Monte Ne isn't always an underwater ghost town. Sometimes it's a partially submerged ghost town. When the water levels are very low, you can find all kinds of ruins scattered on the shores of Beaver Lake.
Flickr/Clinton Steeds
Flickr/Clinton Steeds

Check out this video for some cool drone footage of Oklahoma Row and the lake that surrounds it:

For other Arkansas ghost towns, check out this list.

To see reasons why everyone should visit Beaver Lake, see this article.