Containing one of the nation's best trout-fishing streams, the park entered the system in 1955 after the United States Army Corps of Engineers built Bull Shoals Dam on the White River.

[1] The park runs along the shoreline of Bull Shoals Lake and the White River above and below the dam, and contains picnic areas, a marina, boat rentals, interpretive programs, and a visitors' center with gift shop.

[2] Initially a flood control and power generation measure, construction on Bull Shoals Dam began in 1947 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Upon completion in 1951, the Corps rented the shoreline to Arkansas, who used the site as a primitive camping spot with no amenities.

The visitors' center offers programs, workshops, camps, boating and fishing exhibits and an aquarium.