Tompkins Bend

The area is very nice I came here tent camping and I love that there are designated tent spots rather than only trailer spots. There is a large enough area for multiple tents to be placed without issues. One thing to note is when the lake floods the water does come up to some of the tables that are near the edge.

Also there seems to be a bear that likes to roam around. He stayed clear of my tent but was getting into every trash can around camp and created quite a ruckus a few times. I just remote started my truck when he got near the trash cans near my tent and it spooked him a bit to run off.

While Joplin CG a couple of miles down the road has magnificent views, we stayed at Tompkins Bend and not disappointed. Well maintained, clean(including restrooms and showers), and lots of sites with great lake views. Sites 1-16 are least desirable due to noise from COE pump/water facility. Sites 50-77 have great views of sunset. We were at 34-C which was level and ample room, but not the best lake view. Would definitely stay again!

One of the few lakes where residential housing is not allowed on the water . Really nice area with decent bathrooms , nothing special . Lots of hiking and biking nearby and a couple good restaurants at the marinas .

We stayed here on the lake for four days. The site was spacious and well spread out from it's neighbours. There are both tent camping and rv sites with power hookups. Most of the sites circle the beautiful lake. The grounds have a small marina to drop your boat, then most people parked right on the lakeside beach in front of their camping site. Did a few trails in the area. The forest is beautiful and the lake is wonderfully inviting. Enjoyed both swimming and fishing in front of our camp site.

Most sites are right along the lake. Views are great. Well shaded and spaced sites. 30/50 amp here. Water at every site. Dump station on site as well. Campground and lake were very quiet while here. Granted we stayed during the week in the fall. Park rangers are very friendly. Must reserve via recreation.gov. No self pay or cash option on site. Verizon signal is good enough for making the reservation.

Our favorite campground on Lake Ouachita. Quiet. Water/boat access. Coves for kids to play in.

Tompkins Bend campground on Lake Ouachita was the perfect place for early summer family camping. Every site had a lake view and most are right on the water. Our site was not level but not terribly off either. The sites are wooded, with paved pads and are very large and spacious. The bathhouse was in good condition. The women’s showers had hot water and great water pressure, but the men’s showers did not have quite as good water pressure or warmth. There are several great trails nearby, including Lake Ouachita Vista trail system- great for hiking and mountain biking. The playground was great, but unfortunately a pretty long walk from the campsites. We spotted several deer on our walks around the campground as well as blue herons, ducks and geese on the water. From what we could see, it also seemed a very popular fishing area. The peace, beauty and spaciousness of the sites more than made up for any minor inconveniences.

This is a relatively large campground, appropriate for RV and tent camping. The campground is nicely situated near the end of the LOViT cross country MTB/hiking trail. There are sites ranging from primitive to water and electric. Each site has a table and a fire pit and is within reasonable distance from flushing toilets. There are showers available, a playground, and boat ramp. I didn't prefer how busy the campground was or how close the sites were to each other.