White Rock Mountain Recreation Area

January 31-Feb 3 2025. White Rock is a great little campground.  With only 8 tent camp sites it is very quaint.  The cabins were packed and there were many people visiting the overlook but my partner and I were the only tent campers. We arrived late, after sunset, and the host recommended tent site #1.  From the pictures we really wanted to set up in #5 but he insisted on #1 and recommended looking around in the morning if we wanted to move.  I'm thankful for his knowledge because sites 5-8 were juicy from the previous days rains. All of the sites are well maintained and within a short walk to the water spigot and vault toilet.  Sites 1-4 are well spaced and have large tent pads.  Sites 5-8 are smaller with smaller tent pads and the view from these sites is AMAZING!  Just know that with the view comes the wind and less space to stretch out.  We ended up staying in site #1 so our old hound dog could saunter around.  

It's a slow, beautiful drive.  The reviews are correct that the last hour of the drive is only 20 miles.  Make sure to stop for gas! It is an unpaved road that in some spots is maybe wide enough for 2 small vehicles to pass each other.  My AWD Mazda made the trip just fine and I saw a Toyota Camry at the overlook. Whenever you feel comfortable going over 15 MPH there will be a heavily rutted 180° hairpin turn.  If you forgot to bring something you'll probably find it or a substitute in the Office/General Store.  

Overall I loved this campground.  I will definitely be back in the spring or fall.

White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, in the western Arkansas Ozarks, has a campground with 9 tent sites. One of these is a large group site. 8 sites are arranged along a gravel loop road. In addition to tents, these tent sites will accommodate a camper van; the best sites for vans are #1 thru 4. These are level. Sites 5 thru 8, on the west side of the loop, have great views, but are probably not level enough for van, truck and car camping. Each site has a level gravel tent pad, grill, table & fire pit. The sites are not large enough for RVs. The forest roads leading to the recreation area are rough in places, but passenger cars can make it. Amber, our host, is fantastic. She delivers firewood to your site after purchase. The vault toilet is clean. Pump water is available. No hookups. The campground appears well maintained. The OHT runs though the recreation area. There is a really good hiking trail that loops around the rim of the mountain, offering fantastic views of the Ozarks. T-mobile cell service is available with sporadic LTE data service.

It's a bit off the beaten track, but the roads leading to White Rock Mountain Recreation Area are well maintained dirt/gravel forest roads. Any vehicle could make the trip just fine. The drive to White Rock is part of the fun. 

The campground, general store, and cabins are all at the top of the mountain. The 2 mile trail around the rim of White Rock Mountain is stunning...excellent views over and over again. It's a level trail too, so it's really more of a simple walk than a hike. 

One of the convenient things about White Rock is the general store. If you are camping, and you forgot some things at home, there's a good chance the store has you covered. They sell a variety of food (pizza, sandwiches, wraps, chips, candy, ice cream, etc.) and other general supplies. The pepperoni pizza was good...12 inch pizza for $11. You can also get a bundle of firewood delivered to your campsite...I think it was $8 for the firewood. 

The campground is small with only 8 regular sites, and a separate group site off by itself. Sites 1-4 are on the east side of the campground loop. These sites back up to the road that enters the recreation area. Sites 5-8 are on the west side. They are closer to the bluff line, but not quite close enough for the kind of view you will get when walking the trail. I would recommend site 5. It's on the far northwest side of the campground, so you don't have a neighbor to your north. But really, all of the sites are spaced out fairly well, so privacy shouldn't be a big concern anywhere. A pit toilet is located directly across from site 5. While only a pit toilet, it is kept remarkably clean. There is also water available in the campground. Overall, a wonderful little patch for camping and scenic views. The cabins look fun as well, but I'll have to save that for a future trip.

One of the best experiences I've had camping. The recreation area is breathtakingly beautiful as a whole, with a trail circling the top of the mountain and several trailheads both within the recreation area and off the roads nearby.

Check-in is simple, with a quick pop into the General Store, where the employees are helpful, friendly, and passionate about their work. Honestly, the thought of being so far away from major roads was very nerve-wracking, so just the ability to buy regular items like ice cream or first aid supplies made me feel a lot safer. The store staff/recreation area caretakers were knowledgeable about the area, helping me discern potential wildlife hazards and giving pointers for hiking the area.

The campsite itself was stunning. Sites 5 and up are closer to the edge of the mountain, and you are treated to a better view in my opinion. The site was spacious, free from biting insects, and laid out with typical accommodations. Sites were spaced enough to guarantee privacy, and the whole time I was there, I rarely heard a peep from other campers.

This campground was phenomenal, and I'd recommend it for anyone that wants to be immersed in nature but is maybe a little too scared to backpack and primitive camp.

The views, as other reviewers have said, are impressive and the Rim Trail is worth doing any time of day and any season.

One warning on the cabins though - in summer be prepared for some bugs.  Stayed in Cabin B in August one summer with my wife, who is tougher than anything but spiders.  I would have been wise to get there a couple hours earlier and let her relax while I cleaned the place thoroughly.  They were pretty thick throughout.

It's not that they're dirty, it's just that they're old buildings which aren't used every day surrounded by forest.  Naturally, you get spiders, rodents, etc.   It didn't bother me at all, but it did her.  Water pressure and hot water were not what one would hope if you want a shower as well.  

We both enjoyed the setting, loved the cabin otherwise, and loved the hikes.  We've done day hikes there with the kids' since, and in a prior visit I saw a bear go lumbering in front of my truck on the road to White Rock.  Only time in 40+ years I've seen a bear in the wild in Arkansas, and I grew up in the country! 

Still recommend White Rock, but if you're considering the cabins it's worth bringing cleaning supplies.  Even with that, they're a great bargain.

Made plans with my son and his gf for a weekend of camping at White Rock (this was last year - Sept. 20, 2018), and booked a campsite through Recreation.gov and paid the fees.  Upon arrival we checked in through the office and were directed to our site.  It took only a minute to see there was a problem.  As we unloaded the truck, hundreds of walkingsticks started climbing on our stuff.  They were all over the ground and even falling from the trees!!  Within minutes there must have been thousands!!  We were immediately loading the stuff back to the truck and headed back to the office.  The park caretaker acted like it was no big deal, even stated, "this was the second year of the infestation" (her words).  Infestation??  Why wasn't this mentioned on Recreation.gov??  There was no way you could spend a relaxing weekend camping if you have to fight these insects off everything you own!!  Upon returning home I contacted Recreation.gov and applied for a refund since we were unable to camp there...I was denied and no reason was given!!  It would be a good idea to call ahead and check on any campground that is operated by Recreation.gov, because obviously they don't care about the site, just your money!!

It's a beautiful area, well marked trails with wonderful overreaching views. I was there Sept 2nd-3rd, 2017 and everything was gorgeous. But…that time of year those stick insects must have been mating and they were everywhere. Constantly falling out of trees and landing on me, others on the trails were having issues with them too. Also, there's dead trees and signs up about an Asian beetle killing the trees. Don't touch the beetles, especially by accident. They're one of the kinds that have a liquid defense mechanism and you do not want that stuff on you. It smells horrible and will not come off, not with Germ X or any other soap I had…the beetle was on a tree I reached out for when I tripped.

The trails have a ton of up and downs, very rocky, so take your time and maybe bring a walking stick or pole.

There are many camping sites along the trails, they're just nice little open areas with stone fire rings. I hung up my hammock and stayed the night pretty comfy and quiet. But come morning someone had made off with my sneakers…honestly my fault, I should've had everything bagged up or tied down. So on my hike back out to my car that morning I had to wear a pair of chacos…they weren't broken in yet and I had tons of blisters by the time I got back to my car.

But that was my problem. I still enjoyed this place and me and some friends are planning a trip there soon.

Oh and the stone gazebo overlooking the valley is pretty amazing, not only is the view wonderful but there's also town names carved into the stone with arrows and how many miles away it is. I really liked that. Also while I stood there a train was going thru the valley below and you could just barely hear it and follow it along the tracks.

I want to start off by saying... This is an amazing place! BUT, the road to White Rock Mountain driving south on 79 is a minimally maintained one in a half lane dirt road full of rocks, erosion, bumps and a lot of up and down switch backs. My Subaru outback handled it fine, but it takes a full hour to drive less than 15 miles on this road.

I suggest you have an all wheel or four wheel drive vehicle with plenty of clearance. Leave your RV or trailer at home.

The campground is gorgeous. It is small with plenty of forest and trees. It is on top of the mountain and the staff keeps it clean and well maintained. The Pit toilets they have, honestly, are BETTER than most campground toilets with running water. I know you don't believe it, I wouldn't either, but go see for yourself.

There are a lot of signs to beware of Black Bears which keeps anyone on edge, but the landscape is gorgeous and relaxing. For the record we didn't see any bears. I am definitely coming back to White Rock.

I almost forgot to mention, there are a couple of cabins you can rent if you are worried about sleeping in Bear Country.