Best Cabin Camping near Bull Shoals, AR

Located in the Branson West area, the Tall Pines Campground welcomes visitors of all camping styles to their shaded sites with a variety of options to best suit every day camping needs. 

For those coming to the area with their RV in tow options area available for both larger and smaller units with ample spacing between sites to allow for comfort. Tent campers are welcome at this campground with sites including both primitive and improved with amenities standard to the sites including fire rings, picnic tables and common spaces for activities such as pavilions, a pool, laundry facility, restrooms with hot showers and more!!! 

An additional feature of this campground is that they offer small cabins on their lower levels of the camping loops. These are prefect for groups which do not choose one of the camping options or who are flying into the Branson airport which is only 12 miles away. This allows those who would like the outdoor feel and experience to enjoy this without having the urban features of the strip of Branson beating on their backdoor at a hotel. 

Staff here are very welcoming and friendly. They often offer upgrades to those staying without additional charge when they are not busy or overly booked to encourage people to return on their next trip. This is even echoed in how they answer their phones, very professional and informative!! 

The campground feels like an older campground, and not in a bad way. If lacks the overwhelming feel of being modern where everything is branded or looks like a commercial for another attraction. This one instead feels more like a home for the weekend where you can wake up and have your coffee with a neighbor or even just enjoy the sounds of the nature. Because most of the sites have enough distancing, especially on the back loops, you will have a lot more quiet during quiet hours than many of the more packed and close proximity campgrounds which worry more about cramming in campers than the experience itself. 

The only downside in my personal opinion, the roadway through camp is in need of improvement. It is narrow at best in some areas and if you were attempting to navigate with a rig that was larger it could become problematic. This is mainly an issue in the rear of the campground and near the cabins, where you wouldn’t need to worry much about larger units. 

**Tips: **

• During busy season call in advance to book and see if there are any specials which you can bundle. 
• Give a cabin a look, these are quaint but in my opinion have the best spacing and views. 
• Don’t worry if you have forgotten something. From this campground you are very close to Branson West which has full services including groceries and if you need a last minute closer to camp option there is a Dollar General within less than half a mile of the entrance.  Additionally the office has some supplies.

This is probably an excellent site in spring or fall. However summertime is hot at the site because of the lack of shade trees. Site 15 is by the water and has a large area for dogs or family. There is a staircase down to the water next to site 8. The fishing is good. It’s a pet friendly site however if your dogs bark neighbors will complain. The manager is friendly. They do not have trash pick up service; you just take your trash to a dumpster at the end of the camp, which is not a big deal. No grill available but has picnic tables and fire ring. WI-FI aid very good.

I had heard that Bull Shoals- White River State Park was beautiful, but I didn’t fully understand until I saw it. All of the campsites face white river and there’s plenty of space between sites to allow for some level of privacy. All the campsites are flat with nice concrete pads. Each campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and trash pole.

There is a newer section of the campground that is north of the marina. These campsites have newer asphalt and fire rings and have better access to the updated ADA bath houses. These bath houses are the single-quad bath houses where the toilet and shower are individualized into four quadrants. They are excellent for those campers that might not have travel trailers or self-contained units.

We were able to hike and fish most days. there is a playground and a basketball court that are functional and easy to access for families. The campground is mostly flat which makes it very easy to ride a bike. There were a lot of kids and adults riding bikes or scooters in the campground. There are also three trailers that have been converted into mobile homes near the marina for those campers that don’t have access to a pop-up or a camper for rent. They look very nice. The marina is also very nice and has a lot of simple supplies and merchandise.

When the dam is not releasing generators, you can wade out into the river from your campsite and fish; however, when they release the generators this is going to be very difficult. The only drawback is that you are inundated all day long with boat motors going up and down White River. It is very tranquil and peaceful in the mornings and evenings.

There are many different outfitters that do fishing trips. We chartered the afternoon with a local outfitter and had a great time. We caught a number of trout and were able to eat them for dinner on our last night. If you like to fish, enjoy camping, and enjoy doing both of those things, Bull-Shoals-White River state park is the place to go. I will definitely be going back!

We love this campground. We love having direct access to creek. It is kayak, family, pet friendly. The only thing it is lacking is internet connection, which for us is a plus for disconnecting. All sites are reasonably level. Site F is the premium and most secluded full hook up site. They have all levels of sites: primitive, water and electric, or full. Their small store has firewood and many other convenient items for sale. We take our own kayaks, but they do have rentals. They have public showers and restrooms, but the restrooms are currently closed due to renovations. It’s really one of our favorite local sites to camp.

Buffalo national river is the first national river established in the US and let me tell you it's gorgeous!! There are many places to camp but we stayed at Buffalo Point. There are a few different loops to stay on, we stayed in A. Each site has parking, for car or RV all differing in length, and you walk behind the parking to an area with benches, picinic table, lantern hanger, and fire pit. The river is behind the sites and you can swim in it. I recommend swim shoes because its all rocks to get to it and entering in and out of the water. Behind A loop on the opposite side from the ramp before the curve in the river is a rope swing. Its across the river so you must be a strong swimmer to beat the current. The bathrooms are well kept and there is trash bins available. Pets are allowed too. The loop that we stayed in was first come first serve and there was a self pay station near the bathroom. If you are up early enough, you may see bald eagles flying around the river like we did!

This campground is one that is hands above the rest when it comes to upgrades and amenities. With that said it also is a bit higher in price point so when it comes to finding something in the area it is best to ask if you want or need the additional luxuries.

Much like other KOA parks this one offers group activity spaces. A pool, playground, outdoor bbq area, group pavilions and an indoor gathering space are wonderful when available. However when we visited due to the slow roll out of openings due to the things going on in the world, these features were not available.

So then it comes to looking at the more standard and basic services. There are campion options for all styles of camping including tent, RV and cabin campers. The RV areas are the majority of the space however ai was impressed by how many cabins and the size range of cabins they had on site.

Tent camping is located toward the back of the property and was a bit lacking however the space provided was nice for spreading out and still having some covered areas for cooking and dining. There is a shared pavilion/kitchen shelter in this area which offers water and electricity. The tent pad areas are grassy and well maintained.

All visitors have access to fire rings and picnic tables at their sites and trash pick up service is available daily.

KOA offers those who can connect high speed WIFI and cable. As a tent camper the WiFi is great even though I can’t use the other. This helps me to find the best attractions in the area quickly and both upload or download content. The overall cell signal here wasn’t bad though so it just was an added boost bonus!!

This campground has a small store area but is also located very close to the main areas of town for more complete shopping needs. They also have both a dump station and propane for those needing to fill or empty.

I noticed that since they are close to the lake they had an option to rent a pontoon here as well, something I hadn’t seen at other parks in the area. This boat can be towed from the park to the lake and is equipped with a truck to pull it!!

This campground has thought of pretty much everything!!!

So when I look at this stop, I would say this, the cabins are a 5 the RV area is a 3.    The reason for this is the the RVs feel a bit crammed into the space in most areas.    The treehouse cabins and regular cabins however are exceptional and well thought.

As typically a tent camper there wasn't anything special about that area and it did seem like it was the lower end of the property.  For $26 a night I was underwhelmed by the smaller spaces with fire rings and picnic tables.    If I was to invest in a location for the same price points there are others which set themselves apart in spacing.

But like I said the cabins and treehouses are an experience you will not find elsewhere in this area.    They are fun and functional.  They are family friendly and have a little bit of excitement for everyone.   Each of the cabins and treehouses are themed, something which is reflected not only in their names but also their decor.   With that said however the themes make them more appealing to book so people book well in advance on most of these.   I suggest if you are interested in staying booking well in advance of your trip or come during a less busy season to ensure your last minute bookings.

Cabins typically sleep 6 and have fireplaces and decks with great views of the forest.  They each have kitchens which enable you prepare a meal for your family or for those who do not wish to do so there is still a dining are for bringing food back from an adventure into Branson.

The Treehouses are my person favorite because it isn't every day you can sleep in an African Safari treehouse or retreat to a couple's cabin in the treetops.    The themes with these are so specific and so unique and with each theme you find different styles of amenities within each.   For example the couples treehouse has a jetted tub for those special occasions and despite being for couples it sleeps 4 so you can still share this with another couple or bring the kids and maybe get away to a private space.    The Grist Mill has a jacuzzi on the porch with a view, which is amazing!!!  

I basically fell in love with the cabins and treehouses if you cannot tell.   This place is worth investing in the higher priced accommodations to take advantage of their uniqueness.   Unlike many cabins which are nice places to stay just to go somewhere else these could easily be the destination all themselves.

This isn’t a campground, but it is an awesome resort that started in the 50’sand has grown to what it is today. They have lots of different cabins/cottages to choose from on the river. There is a landing strip for small planes and an awesome restaurant with an amazing view of the River. There is a store on site and a game room for the kids. They also offer fishing guides, because, at the end of the day, it is the world class trout fishing that brings people here! They also have a really nice outdoor nature trail area filled with at least a dozen or more peacocks. I could just spend the afternoon here watching the planes land and take off! If you are looking for a campground close by, I would recommend Bull Shoals White River State Park.

First off, I don't know what is going on with this site but holy cow, let's get the name of the State Park correct - its the Bull Shoal-White River State Park.  Not plural Shoals.  

With that cleared up, this is a gem of a park that follows along the White River just south of the Bull Shoals Dam.  You will pass the visitor center on the north side of the dam, go over it, and down into the park.  Definitely stop at the visitor center.  It's one of the best I've been to in Arkansas.  

As the titled to my review indicated, this park is like watching the flyfishing scenes from the movie A River Runs Through It over and over (if you're lost, just Google images from the movie).  The park is so picturesque that at times it seems like it can't be real.  There is dense fog in the early morning because the water in the river stays about 40 degrees even in the heat of the summer.   You can access the water from any site along the river as the terrain is sort of a gentle slope from each site down to the river.  However, on the west side of the river, it is basically straight rock face, where the river has carved out its path in a mountain through the years.   

The park is relatively small but the camp sites are large.  The rv sites along the river are very large.  Some have sewer, some don't; all have water/power.  The marina and bait shop is in the center of the park.  The tent and smaller pad sites are further from the river, but quite nice.  The bath houses shine at this park. They are super clean, large and private.  It is a "family-style" bathhouse with 4 separate and large bathrooms, all of which have a toilet, sink, mirror and outlet.  I have only visited this park with my brother, but as a father of 3 little ones, I can say it would be very easy to get your kids clean in these bathrooms without feeling rushed.  Each shower room has a separate door and locks.  You can take as long as you need.  

As for the campground, I'll just start with the fishing since most of the visitors to this park come for that reason alone.  This is obviously a fishermen's paradise.  Trout fishing galore all year.  We fished the river along the campground and we also went on a guided fishing trip.  Piece of advice, pay the money and take a guided trip if you go to Bull Shoals.  You'll catch more fish than you can keep and you'll have a blast.  Unless you're literally a borderline professional angler, you won't have any luck without a guide.  We ourselves had almost no luck fishing from the bank and/or in waders, and we watched many a dejected fishermen walk back to their site after appearing so hopeful when heading to the water.  

The reason you need to pony up for a guide is because - literally - from sun up to sun down, there are fishing boats going up and down the river.  The White River flows north through the park and toward the dam.  Guide services launch by either the dam or from the marina that is located approximately right in the middle of the park.  You can also rent a boat from the marina if you don't want to pay for a guide.  The guide services carry fisherman south on the river right through the park (usually on the eastern side of the river closest to the camp sites) and they go as far south as they can before they cut the engine and float down the western side of the river in the deeper water.  So, like I said, if you are hoping to stand in waist deep water and fish the bank, it's impossible to do so.  There is a boat motoring right through your fishing spot about every fifteen minutes.  When the guide service has floated as far north as they can, they turn their engines back on and speed back south down the river to take their place back in the line of floating boats that go all day every day.   We ended up traveling south of the park towards Cotter, AR to Hurst Fishing Service (http://www.hurstdock.net/).  We had a guide named Pete and he was fantastic.  For me and my brother, it ended up being about $450, and we spent about 4 1/2 hours out on the boat.  They provided poles, tackle, baited hooks, and a cooler full of drinks.  Pete also cleaned our trout for us.  We caught more fish than we could keep (see my pictures).  It was an absolute blast.  Without a guide, we wouldn't have caught anything absent blind luck.  Pete put us right on top of fish, told us what to do, and we caught fish after fish, after fish, after fish.  That's how every fishing trip should go - more catching than fishing.  Highly recommend Hurst. 

Beyond the fishing, the park is great for any kind of relaxing getaway.  The constant noise of running water is unbelievably calming and, in fact, my brother gave me a hard time for sleeping about 3 hours in the hammock one day.  It was amazing.  There is a nice playground on the eastern side of the park away from the water, as well as a huge pavilion.  There's also a basketball court.  We were there in April so it wasn't too warm yet, but if you went with the intention of swimming in the river, I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy it.  The temp of the water is very cold year around.  Also, there are so many boats going up and down the river, I would be very, very nervous about any kids getting out in the river to swim.  

One side note: when we camped at Bull Shoals, we ended up booking two sites even though we only used 1 pop up camper.  We were in sites 42 & 43.  The reason we did this is because they are directly across the street from the bath house, and because the sides are literally side by side - they share the same pad.  We didn't want to be right next to another RV (literally maybe 2 feet away), so we just booked both sites.  Doing this made for a HUGE! campsite area.  For the price, if you have a family, I think it is absolutely the way to go.  The sites on both sides of 42 and 43 are fairly far away so you end up having a huge area to yourself if you get both sites.  I would recommend doing this for anyone camping with kids, but I'd say the same even if you had a group of 6 adults.  Just gives you tons of room to spread out, set up tables, chairs, etc. without feeling like other campers are on top of you.  Thats particularly true at this park because the sites are generally close together as they are set up diagonally along the river.  Just look at the campground map when you book online through the Arkansas State Parks site (https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/bull-shoals-white-river-state-park). 

Lastly, in the event you have kids, which often requires a midtrip walmart run, you should know that this park isn't close to anything.  The nearest walmart is in Flippin, Arkansas and it takes about 35 minutes to get there so it's a solid hour for a round trip to and from.  I know from personal experience because we noticed that one of the tires on my brother's camper had a big bulge in it and we had to go to walmart to buy a new trailer tire.  When we got back, we realized we didn't have the right size and had to go back to walmart to get the correct size.  It ended up taking up about 4 hours of our last night on the trip.  Yikes!!  In other words, if you go to Bull Shoals, make sure you pull a santa and check your list twice, maybe a third time, and over pack everything.  To that end, make sure to bring pants and a coat even if you go in the summer.  The temps fluctuate about 20 degrees in the morning and evening because of the temperature of the river.  You'll be cold at night without a jacket and pants.

Overall, I'd just say that as soon as we arrived and got the camper set up, my brother and I took in the view for a minute, looked at each other and said almost simultaneously: "We're gonna have to come back here again."  We held the same sentiment on our last day as we drove our separate ways.  This Park is yet another can't miss in Arkansas and I promise you, the Natural State will not disappoint.