Lake Atalanta in Rogers is the model of forgettable green space and forgotten charm. Admittedly, I went there dozens of times without realizing it was named with the extra 'a' like the huntress of Greek mythology, rather than the capital of Georgia. If you need a little help remembering this place, Rogers historian James Hale penned a decent, if rosy, primer here:
[Remembering Rogers: The Lake Atalanta area yesterday and today]
In brief, Lake Atalanta is a small Depression-era construction that occupies a rocky valley near downtown Rogers. It's a city park catering to the basics: fishing, walking, picnics, and playgrounds. Into fitness? Pull up your leg warmers and try the eighties-fresh "Gamefield" exercise challenges that dot the road at intervals around the lake.
Once a happening spot for locals, the park has been struck with the same fortunes as the older side of Rogers. Compared to the sparkling Pinnacle Hills development to the West, the Eastern half of Rogers seems a little lackluster in places. Wealth and construction moved to cozy up with Wal*Mart headquarters in recent years, leaving behind a few shuttered businesses and a poorer, often browner population. To this end, crowing shut-ins seem to think contemporary Lake Atalanta has slid into an orgy of stabbings, drug use, non-English-talkin', and anonymous gay sex after dark. I haven't stuck around after hours to confirm, but a dry-county bore like Rogers can rarely report anything so, err, dramatic past sunset.
Lake Atalanta has gone downhill since its heyday, but has it become a derelict blight? Hardly. I went for a walk recently, and was surprised by the number of people drawn out by a warm weekday afternoon. The condition of the park is no worse than it was decades ago. In fact, it looks exactly the same as when I was six, a happy medium of shabby, but scenic mediocrity.
That's not a bad thing. Often the best hang-outs are those only locals know and care about. A quiet place to practice the quaint and mundane is a classless pleasure.
The Ozarks have a number of lakeside city parks that seem to escape the public conscious for lack of big-ticket attractions. Lake Leatherwood by Eureka Springs, Lake Fayetteville, and Lake Atalanta are a few that come to mind. They're appealing in their simplicity, and worth the attention.
Ozarkbahn ratings
Geese poop: omnipresent
Fishability: high
Eighties hair: feeling the burn
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