Best Tent Camping near Blue Mountain, AR

The Ozark and Ouachita National Forests surrounding Blue Mountain, Arkansas offer several primitive tent camping options with varying levels of amenities and accessibility. Buzzards Rock Dispersed camping in the Ozark National Forest provides basic tent sites with fire rings but no facilities, while Fourche Mountain Campground offers a small primitive campground with five tent sites, vault toilets, and trash collection. Hickory Nut Mountain and Haw Creek Falls also provide free tent camping opportunities within the national forest boundaries.

Most tent sites in the area feature dirt or gravel surfaces with minimal grading, and campers should bring their own water as drinking water is rarely available. Vault toilets are present at established campgrounds like Fourche Mountain and Haw Creek Falls, but dispersed sites typically lack any facilities. Fire rings are common at designated sites, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Access roads to many tent camping areas require careful navigation, particularly to remote locations like Hickory Nut Mountain, which sits at the end of a three-mile gravel road. According to one visitor, "Some minor erosion on forest roads where small creeks cross the road" can make access challenging during wet weather.

Areas farther from highways offer deeper seclusion and less noise, with Hickory Nut Mountain providing tent campers a ridge-top experience with partial views of Lake Ouachita. Walk-in tent sites at several locations allow for more private camping experiences away from vehicle traffic. Tent campers frequently use these areas as bases for hiking, with trails accessible from many campgrounds. The Big Brushy Creek area features walking trails leading directly to the creek, though campers should note potential flash flood risks in low-lying areas. A review mentioned that Haw Creek Falls "is right on the creek/waterfall. Epic swimming hole as well. You need to pack in and pack out as there are no trash cans or anything, or drinking water, but there are vault toilets."

Best Tent Sites Near Blue Mountain, Arkansas (31)

    1. Jack Creek Recreation Area

    2 Reviews
    Blue Mountain, AR
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 321-5202

    "No bathrooms or water but there is a trail that goes directly to the day use area. There are changing rooms, no shower or running water. There was a trash can."

    "It’s primitive but bathrooms are available. It’s small and very popular with the locals. Off season it’s relatively quiet."

    3. Fourche Mountain Campground

    2 Reviews
    Plainview, AR
    25 miles
    +1 (501) 321-5202

    "Small 5-site primitive campground. No water. No electric. Clean vault toilets with tp, and a trash barrel. Clean campground & campsites."

    "There are a few campsites with picnic tables and fire pits, and there are vaulted toilets (yay!)

    Highly recommend staying here overnight if you’re road tripping or vanlifing."

    4. Haw Creek Falls Camping

    23 Reviews
    Pelsor, AR
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (479) 964-7200

    "This is a pretty nice and quite camp site there is definitely traffic through here more than we’re use to but it’s a really nice spot, it’s all primitive camping, there is vault toilets on site we keep"

    "The campground is located in the Ozark National Forest. Beware of flooding during the rainy seasons. When it rains a lot, the creek floods and covers the road into the campground."

    5. Delaware Park

    3 Reviews
    Dardanelle, AR
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (479) 968-5008

    "We pulled in after a long drive through Arkansas, tired and chilly. We picked a random site as there were plenty to choose from since no one was in the entire park."

    6. Hickory Nut Mountain

    11 Reviews
    Ouachita Lake, AR
    43 miles
    Website

    "Great campsite with parking, picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and a restroom. Right next to the trails! Beautiful view of lake below. Only issue was some broken glass around the picnic area."

    "This campground was located down a 3 mile gravel road (my Hyundai hatchback handled it ok), on the top of a ridge overlooking Lake Ouachita."

    7. COE John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake Springhill Campground

    4 Reviews
    Barling, AR
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (479) 452-4598

    "The campground is set among tall trees adjacent to the John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake and James W. Trimble Lock and Dam of the Arkansas River."

    "Sites are large with flat paved parking pad. I saw a variety of all sizes of rigs and some tents. There are lots of trees, it’s close to the river and very peaceful."

    8. Irons Fork Primitive Camping

    3 Reviews
    Ouachita Lake, AR
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 767-2101

    "Spot #1 was right at the waters edge. Concrete/stone picnic table, grill, firepit. The trees were perfect size and spacing for a hammock. Right next to the boat ramp. Lots of people fishing."

    "Handful of sites with picnic tables and fire pits. Pit toilets on site. Heavily shaded. Ideal for tents, vans and tear drop campers. Great views of the water. Stayed one night."

    9. Big Brushy

    1 Review
    Oden, AR
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 321-5202

    10. COE Nimrod Lake Carter Cove Campground

    2 Reviews
    Nimrod Lake, AR
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (479) 272-4835

    "Clean, kid friendly campground with RV and tent sites available, 30 amp electric and water, bathrooms are kept clean and have showers."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Blue Mountain, AR

824 Reviews of 31 Blue Mountain Campgrounds


  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 15, 2024

    Fourche Mountain Campground

    Free Overnight Stay in the Ouachita National Forest

    Stayed here on June 11, 2024. Small 5-site primitive campground. No water. No electric. Clean vault toilets with tp, and a trash barrel. Clean campground & campsites. Sites are small with reasonable separation, but no privacy. Sites have clean picnic tables, fire ring/grill. Some have lantern plies. Gravel drive. Sites nearly level. No tent pads, but tents can be set up. Sites may be able to accommodate a truck camper & smaller. Lots of highway noise from nearby Hwy 27, but not too bad overnight. There was logging activity elsewhere in the national forest, so log haulers were driving by during the day. Campground is located at eastbound turnoff onto Forest Road 83W - a well maintained gravel road. Pine & oak trees in the campground. Probably a beautiful view of distant mountains during the winter. This campground is good for an overnight stay when exploring the national forest or passing by on Highway 27. There is no recreation in this recreation area; no water access, no hiking trails. Good T-Mobile cell service. Despite some of the road noise from nearby Highway 27, I really liked this campground.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2024

    Spring Lake Recreation Area

    Beautiful Family Campground

    Camped here mid-week on May 28, 2024, just after Memorial Day weedend. The Spring Lake Receation Area is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The recreation area is gated between 10pm and 6am. It has a day use area, and a campground which is a long walk or short drive away from the day use area. The day use area has picnic tables, grills, beach and a central restroom/shower facility. Day use fee is $4. The small campgound is situated in the woods along Spring Lake across from the day use area. Camping fee is $15 ($7.50 for federal pass holders). Sounds from folks enjoying the day use area can be heard in the campground during the day, but it's very quiet during the night when the day use is closed. The campground has 13 sites. All of the sites can accomodate tent camping. Each site is unpaved and has a level tent pad, table, metal fire ring and lantern pole. Most of the sites are small with little privacy between sites. The sites are in the woods and have a view of the lake, with some actually on the lake shore. Our site, #8, has a short walking path to the shoreline - good for bank fishing. The campground has two single unit vault toilets which were reasonably clean. For showers and flush toilets, campers will have to use the central restroom/shower facilites in the day use area. The campgound has two water spigots, and trash reeceptacles. There is also a playground with swings and a group pavilion in the campground. There are no hookups at the campsites. I don't recommend this campground for RV camping; Cove Lake Recreation Area is a better choice. Because of the campsite sizes, levelness and ability to access, I believe sites 1, 5, 7 and 8 can accomodate van, RTT or SUV camping, and possibly small towables such as a pop-up or tear drop campers. In my opinion, all of the other sites are too small with tight access and not level enough for anything other than tent camping. Our site, #8, had a level pad which accomodated our camper van, plus a smaller seperate tent pad. The camp host was very friendly and provided good information. There is an iron ranger with payment envelopes at the campground entrance; cash and checks are accepted. There was no AT&T and T-Mobile reception, although cell reception may be possible at other locations around the lake. I came across three possible disperse camping spots around the lake (see separate listings). Overall, this is a beautiful campground. It was quiet and peaceful during the night. I would stay here again, especially in the Fall.

  • Richard
    Apr. 12, 2021

    Lake Ouachita State Park Campground

    One of the best in Arkansas

    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.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 18, 2024

    Wolf Pen Recreation Area Campground

    Primitive Camping - Mulberry River, AR Ozarks

    Camped here on Sept 1, 2023. $10 camping fee ($5 with federal pass); pay station. Site sizes are okay; more than enough room for a single rig. The 6 sites are close to the unpaved campground road. Each site has a metal fire ring; most sites have grills. No tables. Campground road end at a loop. Some road noise from highway 215. Access to the Mulberry River for swimming & fishing. No water. Trash dispensers. Vault toilets were pretty dirty during our stay, so we set up our own toilet system at our campsite.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 17, 2024

    Shores Lake

    Quiet stay in a hardwood forest

    Camped in site #10 in mid-November 2024. Site 10 is non-electric; paid $7.50/night with senior pass. Overall clean campground, well maintained and managed, in pretty hardwood forest. Not busy during my stay. Sites have picnic tables, tent pads and clean metal fire rings. Site 10 was level. The campground includes a clean restroom/shower house, one clean vault toilet at the far end of the campground, trash dumpsters and drinking water; all of these facilities and services were available during my stay in November. Campground can accommodate tents, camper vans, car camping and RVs. Some sites are electric. There are no water and sewer hookups. Campground road is paved as well as Highway 215 from I-40 accessing the campground. Sites are mostly shaded, but there is no privacy between sites. Shores Lake trailhead is located in a parking area in the campground. Day use area nearby with good fishing in Shores Lake. Campground hosts Donna and Eddie were wonderful. I really liked this campground.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Outlet Area

    RV and Big Rig Friendly Campground along Petit Jean River

    The Petit Jean River, flowing from an outlet, divides this US Army Corp of Engineers campround into two areas. There are 38 campsites, with electricity and water hookups. This includes three multi-family sites. Fees range from $18 to $40. Reservations are made on recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. First come, first served sites may be available outside the reservation season. The campground description at recreation.gov indicates that the campground is located on Blue Mountain Lake, but there is no lake access from here. A drive to Waveland Park is required for Blue Mountain Lake recreation. Most sites are waterfront; a few are just a short walk away from the Petit Jean River. Most sites have picnic table shelters. There are 12 sites and a restroom/shower house along the north bank of the river. The remaining campsites, along with a restroom/shower house, are on the south side of the river. The sites on the north side, except site #6, are in a open area offering little shade. The sites on the south side are along a forest and are more shaded. There is no privacy between campsites; several sites, especially on the south side, are close to each other. The north side restroom/shower house was closed. The south side restroom/shower house was very clean. The roads accessing and in the campground are paved. The campground is setup to accommodate RVs and big rigs, although tent camping is possible. Fishing in the river appears to be the main recreation activity. Walking access to the river bank is provided by stairs. Two playgrounds are at the south side camping area.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2021

    Queen Wilhelmina State Park — Queen Wihelmina State Park

    Beautiful vistas and some unique additional recreation features

    Driving through this part of Arkansas you can quickly get taken aback by the winding roads the ample beauty, but until you visit the campground and park you will only have a portion of the beauty of the region. High atop the mountain, with a near perfect view, you can see for miles and miles. 

    I visited this park arriving late in the evening, in perfect timing for a sunset which painted the sky with colors that filtered down onto the mountainside below. A dense fog began to roll in and it seemed magical. 

    Typically I am not as taken aback as I was by this park but its views and shaded campsites complimented each other so well it made for the perfect evening. 

    Not needing for electricity I opted for one of the tent sites, which includes a large tent pad, large parking space and standard amenities such as picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring and grill. However unlike many primitive sites, this site did also include water. Site pricing was about $20. 

    Bear warnings abound, but there are no bear boxes, and upon checking in the desk attendant mentioned that they don’t often see them but to proceed with caution in regards to food. She also noted that in her lifetime she had never encountered a bear on the trails and would instead be aware of snakes. 

    The campground is only one of the many features with others including a lodge with a restaurant open each evening until 9 p.m. A narrow gauge train, large enough for the entire family to ride on the 2 mile track and mini golf are available seasonally. Plenty of hiking is available both in park, where there are 3 trails, and just outside where you can find the much larger trail system which runs for some 200 miles through Oklahoma and Arkansas. 

    Cell Signal With AT&T- 1 Bar at campsites but 2 bars in lobby area if you are in need of making a call in case of an emergency. 

    All in all I would put this campground on the top of my Arkansas list for the beauty of drive and sunset location, however the sites themselves despite being very nice were average for a state park in the region.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2021

    Charlton Campground

    Summer Cool Off Haven

    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!

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 14, 2024

    Wards Crossing Dispersed, Nimrod Lake Rec Area, AR

    Large dispersed site along Fourche La Fave River

    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.


Guide to Blue Mountain

Tent camping near Blue Mountain, Arkansas, offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.

Tips for tent camping near Blue Mountain

  • Jack Creek Recreation Area provides a beautiful setting with a day-use area nearby, perfect for swimming when the weather is nice.
  • Fourche Mountain Campground is a small, primitive site that’s ideal for those seeking a quiet overnight stay while exploring the Ouachita National Forest.
  • Cane Creek offers a secluded experience with plenty of trees, although facilities are not maintained, making it a unique choice for adventurous campers.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • At Buzzards Rock Dispersed, you can enjoy easy access to designated OHV trails and a nearby overlook for stunning views.
  • Shirley Creek is a great spot for those who enjoy boating, with a well-maintained area that’s perfect for a day of fishing or relaxing by the water.
  • Irons Fork Primitive Camping features heavily shaded sites with great views of the water, making it a peaceful retreat for nature lovers.

Some prices for tent camping range from $0 to $20

  • Fourche Mountain Campground offers free camping, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious travelers.
  • Jack Creek Recreation Area is another affordable option, providing a beautiful environment without the need for reservations.
  • Cane Creek is free to camp at, although it lacks maintained facilities, which adds to its rustic charm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Blue Mountain, AR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Blue Mountain, AR is Jack Creek Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Blue Mountain, AR?

TheDyrt.com has all 31 tent camping locations near Blue Mountain, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.