Echo Lake — Attraction in Conway

We arrived at ECHO LAKE at around 10am. This is a beautiful pristine mountain lake. There's a small beach and shaded picnic area. There's a cost to go in and there's all kinds of different people there. There were people in Spongebob clothes, there were new babies, there were old people, there were people swimming, there were people playing in the water. Even one guy brought his paddle board. I talked with the "guy letting people in" and he was a young man who had just graduated from high school on his way to a gap year. We had to reserve our tickets the day before they only let people in when they show they had reservations. There was a loop to walk around the lake which my wife and I took along with some older friends who did the trip quite easily. It was a gorgeous day and I wanted to take a hike to Cathedral Ledge. I hiked taking the Bryce Path and strangely came out into the Cathedral Ledge parking lot with no real information about how to get up to the ledge. I attempted one path and after a number of switch backs going up and up and up I finally needed to turn back. I had lost the trail. My group had gone swimming again after our lunch. They knew I was going on a hike but without asking me directly, they assumed I would take 4 hours. If I had shared with them my plans, I would have told them I was only going to be gone an hour. So while I was gone they all packed up and left me. I arrived back by 2:45pm and they were nowhere to be seen. Strange. Echo lake is nice and all but when your family has ditched you for bigger and better places, with no communication, it's tough. So I decided what any red-blooded, independent American man would have done: I walked back to the AirBNB. It was only 2 or so miles according to Google Maps. So after 1.5 miles on the ledge attempt and 1.5 miles back, that's 3 miles already, I then walked the 2+ miles back...

Very nice and clean trails down to a very neat beach and around the lake. Very easy to walk up to Echo Lake. The trek up to the Cathredral Ledge is a tad more difficult. There is a bike trail as well, and an impressive mountain wall to climb, so it's a very good place to come for mountain activities. Great view at the top. Unfortunately, threre is a "NO Dogs Allowed" policy at the Echo Lake State Park area. I have to take 1 star off, for this reason. I travel everywhere with my doggo and we go hiking where we can. Highly reccomended if you do...

I didnt know what to expect pulling up to the entrance of Echo Lake. The nice man named Ron was happy to inform us that Echo Lake is a glacial lake with trails up to Cathedral Ledge.

The lake has plenty of benches and separate areas to enjoy the view while in the shade. The water is a beautiful blue-green that is memorable to say the least. Take a short walk around the lake, go fishing, or swim in the designated swimming area, there is plenty for your family and...