Piney Bay

This was our second spot on our trip we just needed a quick place to sleep for the night before we left back to Oklahoma and we were very delighted with this one. Clean showers and restrooms on site. Very clean sites and nice flat ground for our tent. We were a little close to a busier road but it didn’t bother us that much and all of the other campers were quiet and respectful. Overall a nice little place but be mindful it’s not secluded or anything as several people were there at the lake with their RVs but it looked like a great spot for families to have fun.

This was a gem of a campground. Large spacious camp areas with full hookups. Level sites. Many of the campers were fishing Dardenelle lake. 2 bath facilities and a small beach within walking distance. 2 boat launch areas.

Tent camped in spot E-2. And easy walk to the bathroom/showers and beach area. Spot is less than 20 feet from lake with easy access for fishing and launching kayak. Perfect spot for watching sunrise and sunset.

Roads are narrow as are spots. The spots also say they’re “big/long enough” for a 42’ rig but in reality it’s super tight. Our spot was blocked by two spaces in front of us by parked trucks with boats. We had to stay in the BOAT lot while connected to our truck. Luckily one of the hosts saw us driving around in the dark looking for spots we could fit in and told us about the boat lot for the night. Folks with BOATS should park in this lot so others with campers are able to get into their sites.

the lake itself, absolutely beautiful. that being said, the bugs were a little obnoxious. additionally, the bathrooms… were definitely not cleaned enough. found TWO dead frogs, one inside the bathroom, and the other just outside the door. the frog on the inside was just thrown out the door (you could see the outline of the frog on the bathroom floor). additionally, the showers don’t drain properly, so the water pools around on the floor. there’s also no soap in the bathroom. our neighbors would also walk into our campsite to fish?? they had a boat and their own site, so why they needed to come into ours was kinda beyond me. definitely not the worst place to camp, but i would probably only come back if i was boating for the day.

Pros: the price in unbeatable and the lake view is gorgeous. There was hot water in the showers and the bathroom was decently clean

Cons: It’s close to a nuclear plant (there’s evacuation signs at the campsite just in case) - personally, I didn’t trust swimming or fishing in the water. It’s a decent walk to the bathrooms for most of the spots (check map and assume it’s further than it seems). It’s fairly far from the main highway and most things (plan to drive 25+ minutes to get anything). Some of the spots are very hard to get into. The guy who lives there and “manages” the location cannot help with anything regarding booking your spot or changing it or anything - you have to call a number where I could never get an answer

Was not bad for staying a night or two

Media: photos are from the campsite and video is from Ozark National Forest (about 40min from campsite - I recommend for a nice hike!)

This is a fairly well maintained Corp of Engineers park. Large bathroom facility was clean and well-maintained. Many of the sites were very level and there are many sites right down near the water.

This quiet and relaxing spot was a great place to be. There was good spacing between campsites. We were only there one night and we didn’t get to see their bathroom facilities so our score is for the campsite itself and the immediate area. Many people making use of the lake by swimming and boating. The bugs were out in force so remember to bring your repellent sprays! We’ll definitely be back!! As a side note, Banjie’s Trading post (about 1/2 mile from campground) is a great place to eat and pick up homemade jams, etc. Owners were great people. We had dinner and picked up delicious breakfast burritos on our way out the next morning.

General: Two things you can count on in a Corps of Engineers campground: very reasonable rates and near water. This is a fairly large Corps of Engineers campground on Piney Bay. We regret not bringing firewood (not available at the campground) as it would have been a great night for a campfire. Marilyn, who checked us in, was very friendly and helpful in letting us switch our sites (see below for reasons we switched). The price for this campground is so reasonable– the maximum is $20 or half that if you hold a Golden Age Pass. Our site with water and electric was only $9 with the pass.

Sites/Facilities: Most of the sites in Loops B and E are waterfront sites and are spectacular, however, there are only two bathhouses and while they are centrally located, be warned you may have a hike to get to one. Our reserved site was E11 and the walk to the bathhouse was a quarter of a mile. We were fortunate to switch to B23 where the walk was much shorter. Sites in E have electric hookups while the sites in B have water and electric. All of the other loops (A, C, D, F, G) are away from the water and wooded. The sites are spaced a decent amount apart and many have trees separating them. Despite the B loop being completely full, our stay was quiet and peaceful. The sites in the B loop were all paved with a concrete pad for the large metal picnic table with a lantern hook and had water and electric hookups. There are no cabins or other types of lodging. 

Bathhouse: The bathhouse was very clean (they were cleaned early in the morning) but you do need to bring your own soap and towel. The shower was hot with great water flow. The showers had plenty of hooks, a bench, and a shelf. 

Activities/Amenities: If you have a boat, you can take it out on Piney Bay. There are no rentals (we would have loved it if kayak rentals were available). Other than that, just relax and enjoy your stay. 

Conclusion: The only things that might take this rating down are the proximity to Arkansas’ only nuclear power plant and the potentially long walk to the bathhouse, but our stay was so enjoyable that it was still five stars in our book!

Pretty full the weekend we were here, but didn't feel crowded at all.

The bathrooms are a bit of a hike from the campsites.

We will put this one on our list of return to camps.

A great little Corp park right off the Arkansas River. Sites are mostly level with water and electricity. Dump station in park. Nice clean bath houses.

Visited Piney Bay in early July and loved the location. Had hummingbirds at the site, well cleaned restrooms(easy access from site B25). Check in and out was easy and convenient. Was quiet with plenty of shade available.

My wife and I have camped in our RV there twice. We enjoyed it there and plan To go back again next year.