Ouachita National Forest

Hickory Nut Mountain

COE Lake Ouachita Joplin Campground

## Overview

Joplin Campground on Lake Ouachita is an excellent destination for pristine lakefront camping. Joplin is perched on a slender peninsula with plenty of attractive scenic views of the water and surrounding mountain terrain.   
  
World-class striper fishing goes on in the lake, and wildlife watchers can find everything from bobcats to rare freshwater jellyfish.   
  
[Click here](http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/ouachita/tour.html) for the Lake Ouachita Virtual Tour.

## Recreation

Prized as one of the clearest lakes in the nation, Ouachita Lake is ideal for scuba diving.   
  
Visitors also enjoy hiking, biking, scenic driving, water skiing, fishing and hunting, as well.

## Facilities

All 59 campsites have electric hookups, but keep in mind the spaces are small and unpaved. Campsite pad lengths vary greatly from site to site due to the terrain. No campsite lengths are posted on the website due to the varianciances of camper slidout configurations and the visitor trailer towing skills. For questions contact the fee booth at 870-867-4472. Water hookups are not available, but a water faucet is located in each loop. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp and a swim beach.

## Natural Features

Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of Central Arkansas, Lake Ouachita spans a surface area of over 40,000 acres, making it the biggest lake completely within the state of Arkansas. The region has a climate with four seasons. Spring and fall are mild, summer is hot and humid, and winter is variable with temperatures ranging from below freezing on up to the 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 

## Nearby Attractions

Head to Hot Springs National Park and discover how it earned the nickname, "The American Spa." Or take a scenic drive through the 1.8 million-acres of Ouachita National Forest. Boat rentals, horseback riding rentals and the Hickorynut Mountain Vista are not far from the campground. 

## contact_info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (501) 767-2101.

Joplin

Joplin - Lake Ouachita

## Overview

Tompkins Bend on Lake Ouachita, is a great family camping destination. The combination of lush mountain scenery and roomy sites big enough for two camping units, make this quiet location an ideal place for an outdoor getaway.   
  
[Click here](http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/ouachita/tour.html) for the Lake Ouachita Virtual Tour.

## Recreation

Water skiers, jet skiers and anglers can all enjoy the crystal clear waters of the lake, while hikers enjoy the campground's location on the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT), which meanders across the south end of the lake. Wildlife enthusiasts can find everything from bobcats to black bears and deer in the forested mountains surrounding the lake, and Bald eagles are often spotted in winter.

## Facilities

The campground consists of 77 sites including 63 sites with electric hookups and 69 sites with water hookups. Most sites will accommodate two camping units. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, playground and a boat ramp.

## Natural Features

Lake Ouachita is fed from the cool waters of the Ouachita River in central Arkansas. Surrounded by the Ouachita Mountains and National Forest, it's crystal waters span over 40,000 acres and extend for 30 miles, making it the largest lake completely in the state of Arkansas. 

## Nearby Attractions

Head to Hot Springs National Park and discover how it earned the nickname, "The American Spa." Or take a scenic drive through the 1.8 million-acres of Ouachita National Forest. Here, off-roading enthusiasts can take on the Wolf Pen Gap Off-Highway Vehicle Trail System. 

## contact_info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (501) 767-2101.

Tompkins Bend

Tompkins Bend - Lake Ouachita

Charlton Recreation Area is located 20 miles west of Hot Springs along Highway 270. Picnic, swim, hike, and fish along picturesque Walnut Creek, a cold, spring-fed mountain stream in the heart of the Ouachita National Forest. This historic recreation area features a captivating native stone dam that forms the swimming area and rustic bathhouse built by the Civilian Conservation Corps federal work program in 1935. Information about Charlton Recreation Area. Information about Charlton Recreation Area - Spanish Other recreation sites within the Caddo/Womble Ranger District

Charlton Campground

## Overview

Groups and families of all sizes come to camp at Denby Point for its scenic views, year-round fishing and convenient boating facilities. The campground promises to entertain jet skiers, boaters, hikers and birders alike.   
  
[Click here](http://www.photographyoptions.net/images/ouachita/tour.html) for the Lake Ouachita Virtual Tour.

## Recreation

World-class striper fishing brings crowds of anglers year-round, and incredibly clear waters attract scuba divers, hoping to explore the flooded forests and mountain valleys below the lake's surface. Hikers take pleasure in the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT), which lines the southern end of the lake.

## Facilities

The campground consists of 67 sites including 58 with electric and water hookups. The two group campsites also have electric hookups. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp and a swim beach.

## Natural Features

Lake Ouachita sits in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains, just 28 miles west of Hot Springs National Park. The lake stems from the Ouachita River and boasts 692 miles of shoreline and over 40,000 surface acres. 

## contact_info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (501) 767-2101. 

## Nearby Attractions

Explore Ouachita National Forest's 1.8 million acres, surrounding Lake Ouachita and extending across central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma.

Denby Point

Rustic descendent of the Civilian Conservation Corps days. Small scenic lake. Residential group-use camp available for general public use, family reunions, civic and church groups, scouts, universities, and other large meetings. Other recreation sites within the Caddo/Womble Ranger District

Camp Clearfork

## Overview

Crystal Springs Campground, perched on the shores of Lake Ouachita in Arkansas, is an ideal spot for families, friends and couples. Approximately 1.2 million people visit the lake each year to explore its crystal clear waters and scenic mountain landscape. Click here for the Lake Ouachita Virtual Tour.

## Recreation

Visitors enjoy fishing, water skiing, hiking and boating. Scuba diving is particularly popular because of the lake's high underwater visibility. Small and rare freshwater jellyfish (non-stinging) can be found, in addition to many types of fish, including the striped bass, lazily drifting between rocks.   
  
Bald eagles are a big attraction for bird watchers and photographers in winter months.

## Facilities

The campground consists of 68 sites including 63 sites with electric and water hookups. There is also a reservable group campsite that includes electrical and water hookups. The two group picnic shelters have electricity. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp, playground and a swim beach.

## Natural Features

Lake Ouachita is nestled in the Ouachita Mountains just 10 miles west of Hot Springs National Park. The pool is fed by the cool waters of the Ouachita River and extends about 30 miles over 40,000 surface acres. 

## contact_info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (501) 767-2101. 

## Nearby Attractions

Part of the scenic 223-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail runs just north of the lake. Here, hikers and mountain bikers can explore an array of breathtaking views in the Ouachita Mountains.

Crystal Springs (ar)

COE Lake Ouachita Crystal Springs Campground

National Forest

We didn’t care for the established sites at the top of the mountain so we headed back down Pollard Creek Trail- what a surprise gem we found! Creek bed camping! Cool spring to cool off on this warm fall day. Plenty of room for our tent and camp kitchen!

Go Off Road Here

The actual campground itself is really gorgeous with a few campsites that distantly overlook the lake however there is glass and trash all over from disrespectful campers who do not care to clean up after themselves however there are also no trash cans here so it's unsurprising. 

Stayed on a holiday weekend and the park rangers took to harassing certain campers they believed may have marijuana based on profiling and nothing more. 

So in conclusion while the nature is beautiful both the campers and law enforcement will make your stay unbearable. 

Beautiful nature; Awful people

This is a gorgeous spot the view is amazing. Outhouse not so nice door doesn't lock. There is a fire ring, picnic table, grill and it's free. I spent 2 nights here and would definitely come back.

Hickory Nut Mountain

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