Bella Vista Lake

Off of Hwy 71 B North

Established in 1915, Lake Bella Vista was created from the dam in Little Sugar Creek Valley by Mary Baker and her husband William. A naming contest was held for the lake in the late 1915-early 1916 timeframe, and Clara Humphrey Crowder submitted the name “Bella Vista” and won. Bella vista means “beautiful view” in Spanish.

The Bakers owned the valley and dreamed of creating a summer resort, but despite raising funds, were unable to and sold the lake to the Linebarger Brothers in 1917. The Linebarger Brothers were able to open the resort that featured lodges and recreational facilities around Lake Bella Vista. A 9-hole golf course was created in 1921 alongside a big swimming pool named “The Plunge” in 1924. When the resort was sold to E.L. Keith in 1952, he continued to maintain it as such until he sold the property to John Cooper Sr. in 1964. Cooper envisioned creating the retirement/recreation village that now makes up Bella Vista.

In 2000, Cooper Communities gave the lake to the Trailblazers when they had requested an easement to build a walking trail around the lake. The Trailblazers consisted of a group of volunteers at the time, and after a period of five years, asked the City of Bentonville to accept the lake in 2005, as the City of Bella Vista was not an incorporated city at the time.

Over the years, Lake Bella Vista dam suffered damage by floodwaters, was strengthened and then damaged again. There was a push in 2014 by the citizens of Bentonville to demolish the dam and allow Little Sugar Creek to flow freely once more. It was approved by the Bentonville City Council to give the City of Bentonville the right to remove the rest of the dam in late 2022.

Bella Vista Lake Park is now a 132-acre community park. At this time, the loop trail around the Lake is not 100% accessible. A new bridge is currently being designed. This park features both fishing and kayaking opportunities for its visitors, as well as the Veterans Wall of Honor being located just north of the park.