Best Tent Camping near Cherokee Village, AR

Average space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.

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.

Five miles north of Doniphan, MO on State Hwy 160 Hwy Y head north for about five miles take a left on Forest Road 4349.  Continue down and veer to the left to go to the boat ramp and day use area.  Go right to the Deer Leap Campground.

ON the east bank of the Current River you will find dispersed camping.  There are seven campsites with fire ring, table and lantern post.  No trash service but there is a pit toilet and water.  Campsites are First Come, First Served.  No fireworks allowed.

The campground and boat launch is located in the Mark Twain National Forest under the Eleven Point Ranger District.  The district is named after the Eleven Point River which was designated a National Scenic River in 1968.  The Eleven Point District provides a plethora of fishing, tubing and all kinds of boating options.

Take the time to float some of the rivers for a vision of rocky bluffs, springs, birds, wildlife and local vegetation.  You are permitted to camp on the gravel bars found along the rivers and there are several primitive float camps while you are floating.

There are so many activities that go hand in hand with fishing and tubing such as horseback riding, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and just gazing at the stars.

At the launch site there is limited parking for floaters.  You can launch tubes, motorized and non motorized boats here.  There is also a pit toilet.  Be very careful because on the fourth the area was very crowded.  There is a vendor in the area to rent tubes and kayaks and provide shuttle service.

The water is so beautiful, clear and moving along.  The clear, green water has the power to entice just about anyone to dip their toes in.  Remember that during the summer this river will be very crowded but even with the crowds there was more than enough room.  During the spring or fall this would be a great to kayak.  Floater access in the campground is from 4/1 - 10/1.  Boat ramp is open all year.

Have Fun - Stay Safe

Leave No Trace

Better Than When You Found It

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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.

Tent camped here with a group of private boat paddlers from all over the country. Campground operations had not really started for the season. I arrived after dark and could not find the tent campsites. Nearly drove into deep mud on gravel road past RV sites. Fortunately had just enough cell signal to access their website. Found a campground map three layers deep on reservation page and located my group. 

Tent sites were well-located along the river with basic tables and fire rings. I never found the store to be open so paid camping fee at bar and cafe at entrance. Great breakfast. $25/night for tents.  Grass had not been mowed and was deep in tent area. RV sites appear to be a work in progress with much erosion around the new pads and access road. What may have been a shower house had key code locks but there was never anyone to ask. Bathrooms near the entrance lacked tp in some stalls. All one afternoon and evening a group of kids with gas weed trimmers  noisely worked on a slope adjacent to the RV area. 

This campground should improve over time a the management appears to be developing the grounds.

Step back in time for childhood memories. This campground is along side a busy city street which can be loud but will quieter down after the work day ends. At Green Acres you will not find a swimming pool or a fancy playground. What you will find is laid back friendly owners and pricing from the 70’s or 80’s. Offer full hook ups weekly monthly rates. Stay six nights get seventh free. Laundry area, mature trees. Shopping and dining with in walking distance  Mountain View is a great little town for all kinds of fun. Really, you just have to check it out. For a small town Mountain View has so much to offer it’s guest. It brings our minds to days gone by. Weekends will find pickers on the square or concerts at the Ozark Folk Center. Few campgrounds have a pool but you can always head to a creek to dip your toes. Stand up paddle board, canoe, kayak, Loco Ropes, mountain bikes, hiking, antiquing, movies, trail rides, fishing. I think that gives you a taste. Mountain View has a movie theatre and one of the few drive in theaters left in the USA. First run movies will be found at both. Have fun. Stay safe. Leave No Trace Better Than You Found It.

Check in Check out 2 pm

Maximum stay– check to see from Memorial Day through Labor Day

$15 per day no hook ups 1 site with electric $20

Open all year 

No reservations     FCFS 

Tent camping or small RV/trailers

Dump station Picnic table toilets hot showers drinking water grills lantern poles

High water can lead to campground shut down. There are two group camp sites that are by reservations only for a minimum of 8 and maximum of 50. Call 877-444-6777 for reservations or info. 

You will find a trailhead connecting the campground to the North Sylamore Creek Hiking Trail. There is also access to the Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail. If the cavern is open, right now it is closed due to COVID, it is an excellent cavern to visit as it is a “live” cavern. It is still growing and evolving. A must visit is to see Mirror Lake which was created by a dam built by the CCC. Along the same path you will discover the remains of an old mill. Mills once dotted the Arkansas hills but few remain. A hike to the“Blanchard Springs”. The water that is coming out of the rocks is actually coming from inside the cavern. 

The road to Blanchard Springs is steep going in but the road is in very good shape. To get to the campground you will have to cross a “low water bridge” that is made of concrete and the creek flows over the concrete. Adds a bit of excitement for the kids if they have never been across one.

Carry in all the supplies you will need so you will not have to leave the area until you are ready. The creek is amazing, clear and cool.

LNT 

Better than when you found it

Stay safe Happy travels

There seems to be two camping areas, but one was inaccessible due to flooding when I visited. The campground at the Marina was nice, wooded with level dedicated tent pads, nice picnic tables with firepits and prep tables next to level parking pads. This location is great for boaters because the marina is right there. Awesome spot to watch the sun rise or set over the water. It’s a short walk to a bathroom with flush toilets(no showers). The only downside is that it is shared with boaters, so it would be a really good idea to wear shoes to the bathroom. There’s a nice floating bar with light food in the public area of the marina if you want to get a drink or something light(bar food) to eat. Make sure to make reservations well in advance, as this campground is so popular that getting a site as a walk up is highly unlikely.