Best Tent Camping near Benton, AR

Small open Campground with no specific sites (Tent Only Area). There is a small lot nearby to park then you must walk everything in. This can be anything from right next to your car to a few hundred feet away depending on where you want to set up. Picnic tables, fire rings and campground grills located throughout but again nothing is marketed as far as site numbers. The area allows for up to six camp permits per night. Could be good for smaller groups. It’s up away from the lake unlike the rest of the campgrounds in the park. There are restrooms nearby with flushing toilets and sinks. Also a playground is located close to the campsite. Overall it was clean but felt cramped among other campers and parking away from the tent made for multiple trips back and forth.

Toad Suck is a great campground- with some caveats. All of the sites are reservable and have concrete pads. This makes it impossible to stake down a tent but also provides a great level spot. There's no foragable wood at the sites, but there's a quick stop type gas station very nearby that sells it cheap and locally sourced. The bathrooms can be a trek from your site or right next door, depending on where you're staying, but theyre immaculately clean. They service them twice daily. It's right next to the lock and dam at Toad Suck on the Arkansas River so there's a constant roar of water and the sound of barges throughout the night and day. I don't mind it but keep that in mind if you don't like those sounds. The campsite is peaceful otherwise. Dogs are allowed! ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL.

Definitely my favorite park in Arkansas so far. It’s a really big park at the lake with lots to do. I was there in the fall so I didn’t do any lake stuff but still had a great time tent camping. There’s a nice hiking trail to explore. Also, the bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve ever seen at a state park. All the tent sites have a gravel pad, grill, picnic table and fire ring. There are also walk in tent sites on the peninsula which are nice and quiet. If you get one at the end I’d say it’s probably 200 meters to the parking lot and bathrooms. I peeked into one of the cabins and they look really nice. They also have camper cabins that have heat/air but no bathroom. In all there are 93 RV/tent sites, 8 cabins and 4 camper cabins. The park is also near Hot Springs so there is lots to do.

PROS 

Senior discount 

Reserved on-line 365 days prior to arriving 

Site #68 allowed parking RV 12 feet from water edge which was fabulous 

Totally level site 

Asphalt campsite pad 

Pea gravel and grass around asphalt 

Good night sky viewing 

Squirrels ate from our hand 

Saw ranger patrolling campground frequently 

Waste containers every other campsite 

Metal picnic table on concrete slab 

One hook lantern pole 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

Pedestal BBQ grill 

Clean restroom/shower and adequate TP and hand soap. Women had 2 showers, 2 sinks, 3 toilets 

Weekend campground nearly filled to capacity 

4 bars Verizon LTE 

Hike to waterfall a bit tricky, but worth the effort 

Hot Springs National Park 15 miles from campground; nice to watch the crowds from Superior Bathouse Brewery 

Free water from the springs next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center- must have your own containers to fill 

Enjoyed Red Oak Fillin’ Station so much we dined there twice 

Diamond Head 19th Hole Restaurant, open to the public and very close to park entrance 

CONS 

Damn Canadian geese crap everywhere 

Fire pit was filled with oversized logs and once removed there was unburned charcoal and lots of ash 

Unable to move picnic table 

Site#68 no shade what so ever 

No privacy from other sites 

Lots of speed boat and jet ski noise, even after sunset 

Morning train noise 

Power plant lights and humming noise 

No security gate closure overnight 

No WIFI

Beautiful and for the most part a quiet campground. I was here on a Sunday night and it was fully occupied by 6:00 p.m. This is an Army Corps of Engineers Class D campground. No services, no electric hookups, and no fees charged. I stayed one night but would happily stay longer the next time I am here. My neighbor went paddle boarding in the cove and it’s a great place to go swimming, kayaking or paddle boarding. I could not get a cell signal in the campground but I walked up the hill going back towards the main road and was able to call out. I have AT&T cell phone service.

There’s tent sites on both the open lake side and on the cove side before you get to the boat launch area. I was on the cove side. Road is nice and paved, well lit near the bathrooms which have flush toilets and screen doors. They are rustic and shows signs of age (built in the 70s), being vandalized with spray paint and not regularly maintained but are working. The campground sites have a concrete tent pad, brown site markers, picnic tables and some a grill and round food prep table.

Outside the designated campground there are several more remote sites. I was able to get back there in my small SUV easily since it was very dry and packed but there’s only a couple that I would attempt if I had been in my Class C RV. None of them would I attempt if it’s rained recently as that would be a recipe for disaster and a great reason to have to call a tow truck which is made more difficult by the limited cell phone coverage in the area. All of the roads in to those sites are dirt and deeply rutted. And since you can’t see if they’re occupied or not until you get back there I would walk in and check out before driving my RV in there because if someone is set up there it’s difficult to turn around since these are essentially what appear to be logging roads.

Also if you are in a RV I noticed two sites beside the road where you could essentially parallel park overnight if it is dry conditions and the campground is full.

I have seen a lot of properties through my travels which are available to all those who choose to explore.   While many sites have a pro and a con, I couldn't find a single con with this site from the size of the campsites to the popular cool off destination for summer in the swimming hole, this campsite was a perfect COE site.

Price point was reasonable for day use or for overnight with day use coming in at only $5 and overnight under $20.  (I did notice that the sign had been changed a few times from what looked like $11 to $16, not sure what this was about)    The section for day use and nightly stay was slightly separated to avoid overflowing traffic in campsites and also to limit some of the noise made by those coming to swim for the day at the main pool.    This created a almost retreat like setting for escaping the heat into the tree covered canopy above but also provided some great views of the waters below.

Running water and flush toilets were available and something which distinguished this site from others was that it actually had services available at some campsites.    This is a HUGE change from other similar sites in the area which have nothing and only vault toilets.  And perhaps one of the biggest surprises when arriving here was that they have showers!!   They are push button to conserve water but the pressure is good and the water felt nice.

Camping area as well as recreation day use area is well designed with picnic tables, fire rings and paved parking and roadways and the little bridge between each side is clearly marked to allow you to cross when waters are not to high to do so.    

All in all this site is a new personal favorite and I will return!

Large dispersed campsite along the Fourche La Fave River on US Army Corps of Engineers land in the Nimrod Lake area. A boat launch to the river is next to the site. Because of erosion, direct access to the river bank from behind the site is difficult. This site can accomodate multiple rigs. Tent camping is possible. The level site surface is a mixture of dirt, sand & gravel. A small rock fire ring, lantern pole and a broken picnic table is included. There was some trash at the site but not too bad. Access to the site is on River Road which is gravel and a little pot-holed. A small RV, small towable, truck camper and any rig smaller should have no problem accessing the site. Note that accessing it on Duck Pond Rd from the south, you have to cross the narrow Wards Crossing Bridge which has a 3 ton weight limit.

Popular dispersed campsite in the Ouachita National Forest. Only one site; not a campground. Located on the gravel Brown Creek Road in Perry County, Arkansas. The South Fork of Brown Creek runs behind this campsite. Located next to the trailhead for Brown Creek Cascade - a short 1/4 mile hike (includes a creek crossing). This campsite is suitable for tent camping, car camping, camper vans & truck campers. Two vehicles can easily fit on this level site. There are other dispersed sites along Brown Creek Road. The site is close to the road; there's a large mud puddle covering one of the 2 entrances to this site. 2-wheel drive passenger cars can make it to the site. Large pine trees on the site. Hammock camping is possible. No water (except for creek). No toilets nor showers. No trash - take out what you bring in. May need to hike a ways in the woods to find firewood. Large rock fire ring on site. No AT&T and T-Mobile cell service. Very quiet; no vehicles passed by during the night. The sound from the creek was soothing.