Best Campgrounds near Clinton, AR

We stayed 4 nights (Thu-Mon) in June and went on a canoe trip on Saturday. I stopped at the contact station to see if I needed to check in, but they said I didn’t. The bath house was a little messy and it seemed that one toilet wouldn’t flush. There is a paved walk down to the river from B Loop (that’s where we stayed- I don’t know about the others). We found a cool cave at the far right end of the rock beach. The water was absolutely beautiful Thursday-Saturday, but the area got a lot of rain Saturday starting around 2 am, and the Buffalo River Float Service told us there would be a crest after 5 pm Sat. We were supposed to start between 9-10, but when we arrived they said they were delaying everyone’s start. We got on the river about 10:45 am. Our float trip was amazing and we were on our way back to our vehicle on the 3 pm bus (trip was Dillard’s Ferry to Rush). By 8 pm Saturday, the water at the beach area was completely brown and we could tell the water was up a LOT. We saw a park ranger on Sunday and asked about the water level and she said it had gone up 12 feet by Saturday night and Sunday morning it was 13 feet. We could see the level dropping throughout the day Sunday and into Monday morning. We ate an amazing dinner at the restaurant at Buffalo Point- and also had lunch at The Springhouse. Both were delicious meals!! We did the Over Look trail and it was pretty well maintained. We also went to the Rush Ghost Town and did the short loop to check it out- went out past the Overflow parking at Rush to see the rapids, and drove around the Rush (tent only) CG which looked like it hadn’t been used in some time. The Buffalo Point CG Loop B was fairly well maintained with a few sites not usable due to erosion. There were a few campers who had barking dogs that they didn’t seem to correct, so we slept with our fan on to drown out the noise. We absolutely loved our visit to Buffalo Point and would definitely return.

I tent camped at Site #3, right beside the lake. Put my hammock up and watched the sun set and the fireflies start dancing. A few ducks played on the edge of the water and walked on shore for a bit. There is a marked Artesian Spring right at the turn to this loop before Site #1.  

This park has so much going for it. It is clean, small, handicap accessible....great hiking with short and long options, a pour-off waterfall during the wet season when the lake is high, biking options. You can rent paddle boats and kayaks for the small but beautiful lake that is known for fishing. The visitor's center has nice restrooms, local author's books and art, and is well-stocked in emergency  supplies, treats, a water fountain, and friendly staff. I live close by and opt for this park when I need to get away from the hustle and bustle for a while. This park is small enough to avoid the typical state park crowds and still enjoy all the outdoor sights, sounds and activites you are looking for.

Camped here on May 1, 2025. This is one of my favorite state parks in the USA. Lots to do here. Fantastic hiking trails - rated from easy to difficult. Since I live only 45 minutes from this park, I normally come here for the day for hiking. This time, I got around to trying out the park's campground. This popular campround is divided into 4 areas - A through D. There are a total of 125 campsites, including 26 pull-through sites. Thirty-five of the sites are Class AAA sites which have 50 amp electrical, water, and sewer hookups. There are 90 Class B sites offering 30 amp electrical and water hookups. All sites are reservable. Tent and hammock camping is possible depending on the sites. I camped at site 103 in Area D. The staff at the office helped me pick this site for my campervan. The site had water and 30amp service. The restroom/shower house was clean and well maintained. The campsite itself was dated but clean. The site was large and had trees around it offering a little bit of privacy. The pull-thru drieway was close to the campground road. The site included a picnic table, tent pad, lantern pole, metal fire ring, and grill. Solar charging and Starlink connectivity may not be possible at this site; Area C has an open sky above it. There was some road noise from vehicles driving on Petit Jean Mountain Road which is behind the site. Received good AT&T 5G cell service, but little to no T-Mobile 2G service.  Areas C and D are in the woods. Most of the sites in these areas are on the small size but should easily accomodate a truck camper and smaller. Not all sites are level. Areas A and B can accomodate large rigs and towables.