The U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma are in the south central part of the country, north and northeast of Texas. The Coast Guard maintains aids to navigation on the Arkansas River waterway in Arkansas and the eastern part of Oklahoma, but those aids do not qualify as lighthouses. This page includes one private lighthouse on the river in Arkansas and one private lighthouse found on an Oklahoma lake.

Note: To be listed here, a lighthouse must actually serve as an aid to navigation. This means it must be located on a navigable lake or river and must be lit as a navigational aid at least during the local boating season.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights.

Arkansas Lighthouse

* Fort Smith Lighthouse Inn

1974. Currently inactive. Approx. 45 ft (14 m) 12-sided shingle-covered tower with lantern and gallery. A 2010 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The Lighthouse Inn was a popular riverside restaurant, but it closed early in 2011 when its owners decided to retire. The restaurant is expected to reopen, but no date had been announced as of February 2012. Located on the south side of the Arkansas just west of the Midland Boulevard (US 64/71) bridge in Fort Smith, near the Oklahoma border. Site open, tower closed.

Oklahoma Lighthouse

* East Wharf (Lake Hefner)

1999. Active; focal plane approx. 35 ft (11 m); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 40 ft (12 m) hexagonal concrete tower with lantern, painted pale yellow; lantern is dark red. Steve Melki's photo is at right, Beau Wade has a nice photo, Lighthouse Digest has a September 2003 feature on the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the marina in a commercial development on Lake Hefner, on the north side of Oklahoma City. It was prefabricated and erected by a "tilt-up" technique, for which it won an award. Located on the eastern shore of the lake, just off Lake Hefner Parkway. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: East Wharf Development. ARLHS USA-1236.