Are you planning a tent camping trip to Chidester? We've got you covered. The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Chidester. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Chidester, Arkansas's most popular destinations.
This recreation area is part of Degray Lake
Unique to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oak Bower is located along the Bill Hill Creek arm of DeGray Lake. This quality group use camping facility offers sleeping cabins, a large dining hall and kitchen, shower houses and playground equipment. Oak Bower is an ideal location for family reunions, company retreats and large group outings. For more information or to schedule a tour call 870-246-5501.__To see USACE DeGray Lake Virtual Tour click here
Boating, water skiing, kayaking and other water sports are the biggest draw to the lake. The lake is also stocked with a variety of game fish, including plenty of hybrid striped bass, making it an ideal area for both boat and bank fishing. Numerous hiking and bike riding trails wind around the lake shore, including the Arlie Moore Interpretive Trail which is located a short drive away.
Degray Lake is one of the region's five Diamond Lakes, known for their crystal clear waters. The lake flows from the Caddo River in western Arkansas and spans 13,500 surface acres.
The DeGray Lake Resort State Park offers golf courses, tennis courts, horseback riding trails and more along the 207 miles of lake shoreline. The Ouachita National Forest and Hot Springs National Park are both located nearby.
$500 / night
Guide
20.00 a night for two people in tent camping. I’m in van and they allowed me to van camp. Tent sites have electric. So bought an extension cord and took full advantage for a small heater. It’s by the road. So some road noise then the cows moo.. other then having to pay. This is a great spot 2miles max from crater of diamonds state park. That place was packed on top of each other. Much prefer here!
Legend
Quiet place. Clean, more primitive and not developed. Does have flush toilets. Great place to go tent camping.
Guide
The area we camped in (tent sites only) was very nice. We enjoyed fishing from the bank, a short walk from our campsite.
Traveler
Stopped in while traveling with no reservation on my bike. The campground was full but they did find me a spot for tent camping for the night. The staff went out of their way to assist me with getting a spot, helping me with onsite facilities, and they even made phone calls to assist me with local road closings for my next days route. Very clean bathrooms and shower facilities. The laundry facility was nice and well kept. The park is set up more for RV use but once again they were very accommodating. Although I didn’t use the pool it did look nice a several kids made use of it while I was there. The only downside and only if you’re tent camping there is traffic noise due to being close to the interstate, however it is also convenient if just passing through.
Guide
Tent and RV + boating and fishing. Camping is diverse enough to be in a the forest or on the lake . Water is warm and I swim less than 20 feet from my tent. Highly recommend tent sites 74, 75 and 76. Breathtaking views of the lake.
ScoutJust stayed one night passing thru for work but enjoyed my site and scenic veiws the next morning. Tent sites have pea gravel beds for tents for level ground and plenty of trees for hammock hanging. Shower houses are adequate but recommend good shower shoes.
Legend
Tent, RV, and Cabin options available. Tent site range up to $25 nightly, $38 nightly for cabin, and up to $30 nightly for RV. Full RV hook ups, up to 30amp. Pet friendly, wooded, and has playground. Campground is close to Crate of Diamonds SP
Traveler
We stayed in tent site 22 for a weekend camping trip. You can’t tell by looking at the Recreation.gov reservation site but tent pad 22 is one of 4 in a grouping of tent sites. 21-24 are so close together. If you are with friends or a large family group then it would be ideal but if don’t want people right on top of you then pick another site. Thankfully, we had some cool neighbors but it was a very noisy and bright spot to camp. Also, your neighbors have to walk through your campsite to get to either of the two water spickets that serve all 4 campsites. There is no where to park your boat unless you rent an RV spot and there is no boat ramp in the camp ground. All of the spots were very shady and cool. We had a good time but we wanted to warn others so you know what you are getting into.
GuideLogoly is a tiny state park located just outside of Magnolia, Arkansas. There is limited tent camping but it provides an excellent location for a quiet and "private" experience. The park is very clean and appears relatively unused. Traffic is very low. The area is surrounded by trees and the location itself is limited in amenities. There is a nature house nearby that is open to the public for free during operating hours. It houses various small animals such as a crocodile, snakes, spiders, and lizards. Logoly is good for kids who need a tame introduction to nature. With trails, its a good place to take a day trip.
RangerThis quiet campsite is more tailored to primitive/tent camping with spread out spots including picnic tables and grill pits. For $10 a night (March 1 - October 31), this was a nice rest stop to cool off for a swim and hang out away from city noise and light.
Fully shaded so don’t expect Solar charging or satellite if you work from a vehicle.
Legend
The sites were nice and spacious but it lacked a dedicated tent site that we could find. We used a site with water and electric hookups and the sites came with a table and fire ring. You are close to the diamond hunting area but other than that it lacked on hiking options. It was worth a weekend to check out but I doubt we would stay here again.
TravelerThis is a really nice campground!! The charge about $20 for tent camping, which is what I did. They have a pool and very clean bathhouse and laundry facility! Owners are super nice people that seem willing to work with us on anything. Even offered us popsicles after biking here! Not much around for shopping but there is Caddo Valley about 1.2 miles away that has fast food and gas stations. A little bit of road noise from interstate but that’s my only complaint!
GuideWhite Oak Lake is packed with well-maintained sites to camp at various levels of comfort. Tent sites provide opportunities to “rough it” while RV sites allow comfort at the edge of a great “deep-wood” experience. The lake has many activities for swimming, paddle boating, and fishing. The shallow lake allows long-dead trees’ trunks to stick out of the water, creating a unique environment. Another formation known as “The Little Grand Canyon” is quite the sight to behold as well.
Ranger
Close enough to Arkadelphia if you need supplies. State Park Marina and Caddo Point have very nice boat ramps with a lot of parking which is good because this place gets crowded. RV and tent sites are clean and shaded and there are yurts available for rental. Be sure to reserve well ahead of your desired dates. Great swimming beaches and shore fishing are available too. There’s a a Diamond Trail golf course across the road as well.
Great place with access to water sports and amenities.
Legend
The Iron Mountain trail system is adjacent to the campground. I love the rustic simplicity of the place. It is older but well maintained and clean. Its such a peaceful and beautiful place. Two loops and one is down near the lake. Those sites are smaller and closer together. The ones up on the ridge have beautiful views of the lake but not easy to get to the lake. Those sites are large and for the most part level. Some with tent sites and some without. Some sites are very level and some are more challenging to level your RV. Some sites are narrow. They’re all electric hookup only. Dump station near the entrance station. Fill up fresh water before you get there. I prefer the simplicity of these sites and appreciate the lower cost because they don’t have full hookups. If you’re looking for a more resort situation there’s a lovely state park with full hookups approximately 10 minutes away. If you prefer a great place to stay with electricity then this is your place. Thanks COE for this lovely place to stay.
Legend
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.
LegendCrater of Diamonds State Park is a place where you literally play the fun and exciting game of“finders, keepers.” The prize here being diamonds! In the middle of nowhere Arkansas(a.k.a. the town of Murfreesboro) is a field of 37 acres where for $10/day you can dig to your hearts’ content looking for diamonds making this the only diamond mine in the world open to the public. And don’t think this is a gimmick. Over 75,000 diamonds have been found in the“Crater” with an average of 600/year. The largest diamond found in North America was found at Crater of Diamonds topping out at 40.23 carats. In 1998, the Strawn-Wagner Diamond weighing 1.09 carats was graded by the American Gem Society as a 0/0/0“D” Flawless perfect diamond– a“one in a billion diamond”– and found right here in Arkansas.
The park was established in 1972 “to responsibly manage and interpret this unique site and to provide a meaningful diamond mining experience for all guests and future generations.” We find that pretty funny because we have never come across a state park whose intent is to provide a meaningful diamond mining experience mission. All the more reason we wanted to go! The parks campground is set among beautiful pine trees and offers full hook-up sites large enough to fit our 45’ RV without a problem. The campground has 47 nicely shaded RV sites with water/electric/sewer hookup(many of which have tent pads and five walk-in tent sites. The campground has two modern bathhouse with hot showers; one bathhouse includes a laundry and both were very clean and cared for all day long. If you need a dump station one is conveniently located as you leave the campground. There is also free Wi-Fi in the campground. There is a nice hiking trail that leaves from the campground and loops back around after venturing through the forest and along a river. It is not a long trail but a nice walk and we never saw anybody on it while we were there. Now back to diamond hunting. The“crater” is essentially a plowed field that is the eroded surface of a volcanic crater containing a variety of rocks, crystals, and gemstones. The field is plowed periodically to expose underlying layers of dirt and gems. The visitor center has interactive exhibits highlighting the unique history of the park and geology of Arkansas diamonds. They also tempt you with pictures of diamonds that have been found in the park. At the Diamond Discovery Center visitors learn about diamonds, but more importantly, techniques on how to find them.
Once you have rented (or brought your own) diamond digging equipment like trowels, shovels, buckets, sifting screens, etc. then it is time to head out into the crater. The techniques vary widely from walking along looking for smooth shiny diamonds (because dirt and mud don’t stick to the smooth surface of diamonds) to digging up a bucket full of dirt and sifting through water like gold mining. We talked to one man who uses a paint brush to lightly brush away loose dirt to reveal the diamonds. Diamonds come in a rainbow of colors but the predominant colors found here are white, brown, and yellow. If you think you found a precious stone, staff is on hand to positively identify it for you. And if you want it, you keep it! No matter what it is.
LegendThis place would have gotten a full 5 stars, but there is a very unpredictable side to this campground. What is that you ask? Well, it isn’t large and that makes for some difficult reservations a times.
I had come through this area during a weekend and checked into a site well in advance only to discover that it was booked already. I had let a friend know about the site when they were traveling through and also the same results when looking almost a month in advance. But on a third attempt to book on a weekend it was as though all sites were nearly empty only a week out for the weekend ahead. So this site isn’t really consistent on being able to book in advance.
So what is the allure of this site in particular? THE DIAMOND MINE!! Yep, I said it, DIAMONDS!
For only a small fee you can go inside and hunt for your next big come up and even name your find, should you uncover one. And don’t think this is just some random tourist trap, because several diamonds are in fact found regularly there (most are not large). It is something the entire family can do together or you can do on your own.
But the mine, while the biggest attraction, is not alone. There is also a children’s waterpark area, hiking trails and many other fun things within a short drive back into town.
There are only about 5 primitive tent sites and around 40 RV or improved sites. So there it is the big kicker!
Now with that said, what does this campground look like that it would rate 5 stars if it wasn’t so stinking challenging to get into?
It is nice, the facilities are well maintained, the roads are smooth, the trees are abundant and it is a quiet despite the traffic that flows in daily for the mine. Each campsite is large enough to not feel piled on top of your neighbor and has the typical amenities of a picnic table and fire ring.
It seemed when I was there it had been updated fairly recently in several aspects and perhaps it was because it was busy season but it was very well maintained in the restroom facilities.
I have stayed at a number of state parks in Arkansas and I am overall very pleased on how they are spending that little extra tax dollar to allow everyone to truly enjoy “The Natural State.”
TIPS:
Legend
Nice clean Army Corps of Engineers site. Beautiful location on a peninsula that overlooks the lake. Swimming/beach area away from the campground. Two campgrounds, one for tents only and one for RVs. Bathhouses with hot showers. Rustic but clean. Convenient to Hwy 7 and not far from Hot Springs, Arkansas or Caddo Valley, Arkansas.
Scout
I’ll start by telling you a story.. my friend and I have always wanted to go to Arkansas to hunt. So we finally got our chance and headed out. We planned on roughing it a little and stay in tents. When we got close to grant county Arkansas we found this place on the map. Omg!! When we got there and saw “” Donnas Hammock Hide away”” We could not believe our eyes !! It should be called “Donnas major junk yard”!!!! One thing about it is. In a year or two, when we get over the shock it will be something to look back and laugh about.
RangerWe had a great weekend at White Oak Lake, enjoying having the tents-only loop to ourselves, fishing (some basic tackle is available in the Visitor Center), meeting friendly people on the playground, being around lake scenery and wildlife. However, due to rain and our travel schedule we left without going to the nearby Little Grand Canyon, and I kick myself for it every time I think of it. Google Arkansas Little Grand Canyon at White Oak Lake to see this amazing rock formation. I would love to go back.
RangerThe tents-only loops are not bad although the bathrooms are small. One loop for tents is on the water. Apart from that, the campground needs improvement. RV sites are much too close together and many of the parking pads and picnic tables are haphazardly placed. This COE campground seems to mostly be used by those with a boat to launch. DeGray Lake State Park down the road is better built and cared for, in terms of camping appeal.
Legend
great place loved site #7 roomy quiet and so relaxing grandkids had a blast with the campground cat he even slept in the tent with em great place to spend Christmas nice hot showers fishing right from our site ,picnic table,fire ring,grill,nice tent pads really awesome well kept park they have a store with firewood and boat,bike rentals and full hook-ups including sewer
ScoutWe visited over Labor Day weekend and really enjoyed our experience. The sites are all very well kept, level and offer plenty of space. We were able to have our small camper with the addition of a rooftop tent, and a standard size tent with no problem.
All sites are level, have a solid picnic table, fire pit with grill grate, a separate grill, and a large flat area for a tent.
We also visited the mining experience and spent an afternoon searching for diamonds. We did not come away rich, but enjoyed getting dirty and searching as a family. I would recommend bringing something for shade while digging. You can get equipment there, but a small shovel, small bucket and a sifter will save you some money.
We also visited the local lake for a day on the beach.
We plan on coming back!
Scout
We love the Dam Area camp grounds. We have tent and RV camped here and will continue to come back.
ScoutOnly stayed one night but accommodations were great. No one was using any of the tent spots. No problem setting up hammock. Great views of the lake. Bathrooms very nice and clean. Very quite and looks like they have plenty to keep you busy. Would definitely recommend this spot.
LegendLike many City operated sites this is more of a recreational day use facility with the after thought of revenue from travelers. I checked into this and prices are very fair at only $15 but they do not have tent facilities. They offer 200 30 amp hook ups and 20 full service, it is a shame with that with that much space they don’t encourage tents.
The grounds themselves were pretty nice, looks like they probably host fairs and other events there which explains the connections, perhaps during those events it is expanded for non-rv usage.
I was noticing that this is one of the closest camps to Washington Historic Site State Park, which is an amazing site. So if you have an RV and want to check out this or the Clinton birthplace I’d give it a shot.
Tent camping near Chidester, Arkansas offers a serene escape into nature, with several well-reviewed spots that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chidester, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chidester, AR is Logoly State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Chidester, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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