Marylake Carmelite Monastery

Marylake Carmelite Monastery is a religious community located on expansive grounds south of Little Rock, Arkansas, featuring forests and a lake. The property provides space for retreat activities and houses the monks who maintain the spiritual center.

The property began as a country club in the 1920s and later served other purposes before becoming a monastery in 1951. This shift established it as a center for monastic life and spiritual formation.

The monastery serves as a space for prayer and contemplation following Discalced Carmelite traditions. Visitors experience the focus on inner spiritual life that shapes daily rhythms here.

The monastery welcomes visitors by reservation and sits roughly 15 miles south of downtown Little Rock. The secluded location in the woods offers peace and quiet, though planning ahead is necessary due to its remote setting.

A cemetery on the grounds was established in 1966 on what had been a golf course hole. This transformation shows how the land shifted from recreation to spiritual purpose.