What to Expect

Here you will find our Guest Rooms, Studios (one room kitchenette units) our poolside cabanas and our Lodge cottages. Everything here is within walking distance of our Lodge pool, the lake view Lodge Restaurant, the laundromat, playground and our charming Lodge courtyard.

Our signature Harbor North cottages are located about 1 1/2 miles from the Lodge. These log sided, forest and lake view cottages are beautifully furnished with an eclectic blend of antiques and contemporary furnishings. All have hot tubs on the decks. Choose from one, two and three bedroom floor plans.

Also located about 1 1/2 miles from the Lodge, but to our East you'll find privately owned two, three and four bedroom condos, managed by Mountain Harbor. Our most economical lodging, these units feature fully equipped kitchens, washer and dryers and decks over looking forest or lake.

The Harbor road weaves up and down and around little hills and curves through the Ouachita National Forest. You’ll want to go slowly because you are likely to find yourself sharing the road with our friendly deer population as well as turkeys, raccoons, ‘possums, squirrels and the occasional big boat owner towing his boat. Don’t worry; it’s probably his first time here and our roads may look little to him so he thinks he needs both lanes. He’ll figure it out, but just realize that you will be meeting a lot of guests like yourself, here for the first time, trying to read all the signs, control the antics of the kids in the back seat and find their way. You’ll also see joggers, hikers, bikers, ATV's and even a horse drawn carriage on our roads, so you’ll want to drive slowly, savor the beauty of the trees along the way and re-set your mode to Harbor time.

If you are in one of our condos, cottages, studios or cabanas you have a fully equipped kitchen. In addition to pots and pans, eating and serving dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, a blender and mixer, glasses and a coffee maker, you will also find these items provided:

- Dishwashing liquid
- Dishwasher Detergent
- Kitchen linens
- Garbage bags
- Coffee, coffee filters, hot cocoa and popcorn
- Paper towels
- Charcoal grill
- Iron and ironing board
- Room directory with a list of phone numbers, extensions and TV channels
- DVD and VCR loans available at the Lodge
- Volleyball, basket ball, and tennis rackets and balls available at the Lodge
- We also have books to borrow in our laundramat at the Lodge and games you can check out.

Your bathroom has these items:

- Hair dryer
- Bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths
- Soap, shampoo and lotion
- Toilet tissue
- Facial tissue

Items only in Guest Rooms:

Although you don’t have a kitchen, you do have a microwave, mini-fridge and four cup coffee maker as well as in-room coffee, coffee filters, hot cocoa and popcorn and paper towels. There is a small table with two chairs in your room and two patio chairs with a small table on your patio. Your unit doesn’t have a charcoal grill, but you can call the Lodge and request one. See our list above "Other Items in Every Unit" for additional items!

- Salt and pepper
- Condiments and spices
- Charcoal and charcoal starter and a lighter
- All of your food
- Laundry detergent (if your unit has a washer and dryer)
- Your grandmother’s favorite lake recipes!

If you arrive and find that you need anything, please just call us! We try to stock popular items in our warehouse and we also have several staff who live on property who are happy to loan out unusual items – like that fondue pot you just realized you need!

You may never see them, hear them or feel them, but you wake up in the morning and you find yourself covered in bites. Mosquitoes, “no-see-ums” – we got ‘em! It’s just a part of lake life, but there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family. Choose a bug spray that you are comfortable with and use it before going out on your deck or for a walk… and be sure to spray the shoes and socks of your little ones. They love to run through grasses and brush and that’s where they may encounter chiggers and ticks. Chiggers are very tiny and love to bury up around the legs of underwear and waist bands. Be sure that everyone has a nice hot bath at night. If you forget your bug spray, our marina sells several different types. You want to enjoy the beauty of being outside but be aware that early morning, dusk and evening are prime mosquito and “no-see-um” attack times. It takes several hours for the bites to swell and start itching and most people get bitten in the evenings, go to bed and wake covered in bites.

Ants - It’s Arkansas, so ants are a given. Especially in the summer when it’s dry, ants come into units around water pipes and any tiny opening they can find. Please don’t leave food out on your counter and empty trash into outdoor receptacles. Call us if you see any and we will come over and spray outside your unit to stop them from coming in.

Wasps - Wasps love making nests under the overhang of our units and on decks. We try to always check for these and take care of any problems before you arrive. If you see wasps, please call us and we will take care of it right away. We don’t want you or your family to be stung!

That’s the biggest cockroach I ever saw! Oh, that’s actually not a cockroach. It looks like a big shiny black or dark brown cockroach and usually you find them dead because they can’t live inside, they die. These are wood roaches or water bugs and they fly in at night (the females have wings, the males crawl in). They are obsessed with the light! They are creepy but harmless and we will come and “remove” any if one gets in. With doors opening and closing at night as folks go in and out using the deck or carrying things in, some are bound to come in. They die once inside because they live in the warm, moist soil under leaves in the forest and your unit is too dry and cool for them to be very happy.

Yes, we are pet friendly! So do bring your beloved furry friends, but please check with us to make sure that your unit is pet friendly. While all units owned by Harbor are pet friendly, some of our privately owned units are not. Your pets will love the lake, the people and all those fascinating new scents! We ask that you not leave any pet unattended in your unit when you go out. Even the most well behaved pet will bark at strange noises in a strange place and that guest next door who just stretched out for a little vacation napping will not be happy. If you are coming to the restaurant, you can bring your pet with you and leave it with us in our office, where they are likely to be quite spoiled. Please do bring a crate if that is how they are most comfortable, as well as snacks.

You do need to be aware that there is no leash law in most of Harbor, but there is in the Harbor East Condominiums. You may encounter loose dogs but the resort dogs are very friendly and they all have their own unique story. Just ask any of our staff!

Of course, you need to bring pet waste bags with you when you walk your dog.

It’s Arkansas and it’s the south – we really do wave at everybody. So don’t worry about figuring why a stranger is waving at you– we wave at everyone and if you are here long enough, you will, too. So, please, wave right back if you feel like it. Getting to know everyone starts with something as simple and hometown as a wave!

If you have Verizon, you should have great service everywhere you go. If you are with another company, you are at the mercy of cell tower placement vs. trees and mountains. All of our units, except the Joplin Inn and condos, has local phone service on the in-room phones.

With the exception of some of the privately owned condominiums, most of our units have free Wi-Fi. If it's a concern or necessity, condo renters should ask before coming about WiFi accessibility and access in their unit. Our Lodge area with the courtyard, pool and the restaurant have Wi-fi, as does our marina, marina patio, Lodge Conference Building, East Cove Conference Center and Turtle Cove Spa.

Our internet service may not be as fast as you are accustomed to. We are very rural, however, we have made great strides to increase internet speed. You should have little trouble downloading a movie, accessing emails, or social platforms.

Mountain Harbor Resort is located in a DRY COUNTY. We have wine glasses and wine openers in our housekeeping units (cottages, condos, etc) and in our restaurant, but we cannot serve alcohol. The good news is that the nearest liquor store is just 7 miles to our east, heading back to Hot Springs. Be sure that you make any purchases by Saturday, because Arkansas’s blue laws prohibit alcohol sales on Sunday!

We hate problems! That's why we work so hard to get rid of them! If you are unhappy with ANYTHING, please call us and let us help! We are always so disappointed when guests tell us at check out that they have been unhappy about something that we could have fixed. Sometimes guests tell us they "didn't want to mess with it" or "they were out on the lake all day" or "just didn't want to be bothered". We are fast, professional and really, really care about you. Please give us a chance to make it right! We just want you to be happy, and we can work around any schedule that you might have to insure that your time with us is wonderful! We also have an after hours number for urgent situations and emergencies you can call 24 hours per day!