Gunner Pool Recreation Area

Nice camp ground, clean and warm well spaced spots. Out houses kept up, the water is the best. You can hike for days, right up the creek. Shaded spots. One of my favorites

FCFS 

No reservations 

Open all year 

27 sites(no electric) 

Drinking water pit toilets fire pits/grills picnic tables lantern poles 

Directions: From Mountain View take highway 14 west for 14.2 miles, right on Forest Service Road 1102(this is a gravel road) at times this road is washboard and always steep, and sharp curved. 

Gunner Springs is excellent for tent, car, van, or small RV’s. Campground is densely forested so solar will have difficulties. Gunner Pool is located in the Sylamore Wildlife Management Area. During hunting season hunting is allowed anywhere except in developed areas. Black bear, deer, wild turkey, squirrel and other game while in season. Hunting season varies by weapon and animal. 

Sylamore Hiking Trail is accessed by a trailhead located in the Gunner Pool Campground. Blanchard Springs Cavern (due to COVID the cave is closed) is located a short distance away. The nearest town of any size is Mountain View. Stock up on all supplies unless you just want to take in the local sights. 

Gunner Pool is an oasis in this world we live in. The lushness of a hidden holler and dense forest and beautiful blue green waters of Gunner Pool. Fishing, hiking or hunting, your choice

 There is a one lane bridge that crosses the creek. Warning, if you want to take that way out of the campground it will take several miles before you hit pavement. If you traverse the creek you will discover an old dam that was built by the CCC. Gunner Pool was named Camp Hedges from 1933 to 1942 and it was a base camp for some 2,222 CCC workers. Construction methods were old school and that is why you will still see so many of the building, dams, etc. still standing across the United States. 

LNT 

Better than when you found it 

Stay safe Happy travels

This is a good campground for tent and light campers. Just about all the sites have access to the river and the pool. The view from a bridge over the river is spectacular. However, I found that most sites had a lot of garbage, with the fire pits especially full

This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds. Limited sites, but it sits right by the water. Definitely better for tents because RV's don't get water view.

If you hike through the rec pool area it will lead you to the lake for some private skinny dipping.

I look forward to being back there. In the off season for more privacy of course.

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While traveling through this portion of Arkansas I stumbled upon a small roadside for Gunner Pool Recreation Area just a short distance past Blanchard Springs.    3 miles down a gravel, but well maintained roadway, the campground sat nestled between to sections of the water way.     On one side, slow moving water is met by the dam forming the blue toned pool and on the other a gentle flowing stream flanks the massive mountain side.   

Along the camping loop, spaces are well separated and have plenty of room to spread out.   Each site is equipped with standard camping amenities such as picnic tables, lantern hooks and fire rings.      Vault toilets are centrally located in several areas of camp both on the upper and lower loops.   In addition locking style garbage cans are placed near restrooms. 

When I visited the Forest Service was on property trimming trees and clearing debris from recent rain.   Their office is located just a short distance from the entry of the roadway, so they are often here to work on the property.

A little gem in the midst of the campground is located just across from the pay kiosk, the story of the property and the CCC camp which actually created not only this property but also worked on neighboring sites at Blanchard.   Definitely check out the story!!

Tips:

• Bring your own envelop for the pay kiosk, when I visited the paper envelops were soggy and unable to be used.    You can easily pull one but putting money in them they simply fell apart.
• Bring everything.   There are no stores in the camp in addition to no fire wood available at the campsite so make sure you come prepared.    The closest store for major things is located over 15 miles away.

General: We were apprehensive about planning to stay at this campground as the nearby one in Blanchard Springs was closed, we could not make reservations, five of the 27 sites were closed due to potential flooding from Hurricane Laura, and access is via a three-mile winding dirt road (not recommended for large RVs but it was navigable for our campervan), so we made alternate backup plans. There was no need to worry, however, as there were plenty of open sites, including some overlooking North Sylamore Creek when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October for a hike. 

Sites/Facilities: Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, tent pad, and lantern pole. There is a central water source.

Activities/Amenities: This is a no-frills campground – no electric or water hookups, dumpster, playground, or flush toilets – just vault toilets. What struck me most was how quiet it was. There is access to the Sylamore hiking trail; you can hike five miles to the Blanchard Springs picnic area.

Favorite hiking area. This campground makes for a great stop on a long hike or starting point for a round trip hike. 

Very primitive, nicely shaded, but no cell service. Swimming/wading in water next to several sites and main trail connects to 50+ mile trail network.

Absolutely stunning in the fall. Great swimming hole. Lot's of waterfall hiking nearby. Primative

We had a great time at gunner pool recently. We swam and explored all day. The campgrounds were nice and we will definitely be going back!

Nice, clean and beautiful! No cell service and that was perfect!

We hiked in to this campground from Blanchard and were pleasantly surprised. It is primitive in some aspects but not overtly so. They have vault toilets that were manageable and spickets for water. We grabbed a site that had a bi-level for the tent and picnic table. There was a fire ring as well. Overall, it has some stuff to do being by the river and a longish trail to explore. We may have been to tired to care about some of the finer details so we were pretty happy with this site!

This camping area does not have electrical hook ups, it is kind of rustic. The toilets are kind of big outhouses but the Sylamore creek is makes up for the facilities. If you are looking for a "glamping" place, this is not for you!

If you don't like to primitive camp, make an exclusion for this one, or at least visit for the day. Don't let the road discourage you. When you make it to camp go strait back and hang a right immediately before the bridge; this is where you will find the awesome swimming hole. There is limited parking for day use.

Our family loves this area. With the scenic rock wall along the creek, which is clear water, it has an awesome swimming hole. Hike the creek in both directions to discover the waterfall and other scenic views and unique swimming holes.

Tents or pop ups only, no big rigs as this is a little off road. Campgrounds are primitive with no showers or water, however you can ride down the road to the Blanchard Springs Camp and get your showers there....or bathe in the creek! The camp sites are well kept and very roomy. Don't forget the lantern as there are no lights posted.

Head down the road and view the Caverns for only ten bucks, see Mirror Lake, the old mill, cavern falls, and Mirror Lake falls. All Blanchard Springs area are handicap accessible.

Head in to town for five dollar go carts, free folk concerts in town square, antique shops galore, and loco ropes treetop adventures.