Best Cabin Camping near Conway, AR

Great place for hiking and taking in nice variety of views at Arkansas's first state park. Cabins can be rented, RV & tent camping sites available. Modern bath houses with showers and toilets were clean. Cedar Creek flows through this park and Cedar Falls is impressive. We were there in late March and the creek was flowing good after recent rains. But it can be only a trickle during dry periods. Enjoyed the trail along the creek. Another nice view was from a point looking down over the Arkansas River and valley below.

The folks that run this place were incredibly welcoming and awesome. We stayed here in the middle of April so it was still a little too cold to swim. The bathrooms/showers were clean and decent. We had a nice primitive spot we were able to drive up to. They also have spots that you can park at and walk to. Electric spots as well. There’s fishing and a boat ramp as well. The lake cabin was awesome! It was recently renovated. We will definitely stay here again any time we’re in the area.

Arkansas’ first and most popular state park. Lake with rental boats, trailer and tent site loops, lodge/hotel/cabins. Outstanding natural features, some of which are easily accessible. Very popular in the fall. Big waterfall with rugged trail to the bottom. Can’t see it all in a weekend!

Great getaway! Hours of hiking with the whole family. Beautiful scenes. Splurged on a cabin and worth it! Lodge restaurant was good with nice lodge pool. The views off the lodge are stunning. Worth our drive from TX. We will tent next time!

Stayed two nights here. Loved it. My one recommendation is that you bring a lot of water hose. I had 50’ and it wasn’t enough. The water was located way at the front of the site and I couldn’t access it. And it was impossible to get my site level. My neighbor had the same issues.

This park is great. It had hiking trails and a CCC hike/bike trail, an antique automobile museum, lots of scenic overlooks, cabins, a lodge, an amazing visitor center and restaurant. I had the best time here. Lots of Civilians Conservation Corps architecture. They built the whole park with the exception of some of the newer cabins .

My family and I loved petit jean. We got to stay in a beautiful cabin for 3 days. The staff was excellent. We went hiking saw water falls and went to the pool.

Two separate areas. one really wooded and the other open with a few trees. Services available and restrooms and showers available. Restuarant and cabins available. Car museum near. Hiking trails rated easy to difficult. Great overlooks.

This park is by far one of the most well taken care of parks I have ever visited. Accommodations for everyone. Tent camping, yurts, rv campground, cabins, the lodge rooms, if you can't find something that suits you its on you not the park. Lol. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Hiking trails for everyone. Waterfalls, caves, canoeing, fishing, and even have gift shops. So much to see and do here. Highly recommend.

I had an absolute blast while at Petit Jean State Park. I stayed at the Mather lodge and in one of the cabins both of which I loved staying in. The trails through out the park are all great hikes, even the less prominent paths are nice to explore. The hike down to Cedar Falls is absolutely fantastic and more than worth the trek. My favorite part of the park hands down has to be the multiple look out points you can find around the mountain. The views you can find along red bluff drive and at the gravesite are breathtaking. Petit Jean State park is fantastic and I can’t wait to go back.

We stayed in the yurts one time and it was nice but hot. Bring FANS. The yurt came with a canoe and life jackets. We loved that stay. My favorite stay is at the tent sites. We have stayed so many times. Several areas to hike with young children. Swimming pool available at a good price. The kids love the near by petting zoo. Lake available for fishing and boat rentals. Wonderful views all around one of my favorite spots.

Petit Jean State Park is an excellent short weekend get away or a day trip! It offers 8 hiking trails and one biking trail. The Cedar Fall Trail is not to be missed with glorious waterfall and best visit right after a rainy day. Spring and summer is popular camping season so reserve ahead of time. If you enjoy the scenic route then it’s about an hour drive to Ouachita National Forest Park

This is a great park. There are several hiking trails of varying length and difficulty, interesting rock formations, beautiful overlooks that you can drive or hike to, a classic CCC lodge building with a restaurant, swimming pools, basketball courts, fishing, and more!

The campsites are layed out in A,B,C, or D loops. A has the full hook-up sites for RVs and is close to lake. These sites are pretty modern, flat, and very nice. It is more open then the other loops, but still plenty of space between campsites. The B,C, and D loops are not as refined, but do have more shade, electric and water hookups. Many of the pads are extremely uneven though, so be sure you have blocks, etc. to use for leveling your camper. Big tent pads at most sites if you are tent camping.

We were there on August 27-30th, and the A loop was full, but there were not too many people in the other campgrounds. We stayed in D and there was only one other camper there!

Would highly recommend this park for any type of camping. If you are bringing kids there is lots to do, if you are just looking for a quiet getaway it is great for that as well. Also, don't miss the fudge at the Outpost just east of the park!

You have to love Petit Jean; its namesake was a badass and it's one of the best destinations in the state. There are several viewpoints/vistas that you can access from roads (just two close together that involve some driving on gravel). Get a State Park brochure at the Visitor Center, because you should not skip any of these lookouts. There's also great hiking, waterfalls, "turtle rocks", caves, and a lake. As far as camping, on the lake side of the main road is an out-in-the-open loop for large RVs with full hookups. On the other side of the road are the shadier, friendlier loops (three loops) with partial-hookups (electric and water); campsites that are also nice for tent or hammock camping. The bathhouses are not new or state of the art, but they're fine and are cleaned regularly. The sinks have soap but not paper towels, so bring a bandana at least. Best recommendation for picking a site is to stay away from the roads - you don't want to listen to cars and trucks going by. B and C loops give convenient access to the bike path, which leads to: Visitor Center, swimming pool (call for summer hours), hiking trails, and finally Mather Lodge. Bring your bicycle so you can keep your car parked and still get around easily. Down and across the road you can get to a playground, as well as a boat house for canoe and paddle boat rentals. My family's favorite activity is riding our bikes from the campsite to the restaurant at the lodge for dinner (the lodge now serves a few cocktails and the Old Fashioned Bourbon is recommended). If you've read this far, I'll tell you the best bang-for-your-buck hike, my personal favorite: Bear Cave Trail - a few steps from your car you're walking among (or climbing upon, if you are brave) giants' rocks.

If in Arkansas, Petit Jean State Park is a must. With a ton of trails, lodge, restaurant, and waterfalls it is a nature lovers dream.

Super cool paths, views and community. Tons of historical value and it's obvious that Arkansas cares about it's forests, natural resources and outdoor communities. Tons of people everywhere no matter where you venture off to though.

The State Park systems in the US are some of our favorite places to find beautiful camping spots, but Lake Dardanelle State Park in Arkansas tops most of them all. The spots are spacious and aesthetically nice, wood and charcoal grills at the ready, most are shaded well, the shower/restrooms are air conditioned and spacious. The swimming beach looked wonderful, the campground host was welcoming, it was all we could ask for.

This is definitely one of our premier parks in Arkansas, especially if you have a family and need outdoor activities. We stayed in the D loop. The spot was almost a little tight for our 32 foot camper. It was hard to level as many of the other reviews said. It is a nice little loop though with the trees and shade. In fact there are enough trees that it was very easy to hang up hammocks! There were lots of tent campers on this loop and small to medium size campers. You will probably want to drive to the trail heads for hiking. If you’ve never been to Petit Jean, there are tons of attractions!

Petit Jean is a beautiful park overlooking the Arkansas River Valley. Several different campgrounds offer diverse camping experiences. There are several hiking trails including the iconic Cedar Falls Trail; this strenuous but trail winds down into Cedar Creek Canyon to one of the tallest flowing waterfalls in the state, a photographer's dream!

The park has great amenities including a beautiful lodge with a nice restaurant and swimming pool. It can get pretty crowded on weekends and holidays but non-peak times offer plenty of space to stretch out. If you're up for rustic backwoods camping then you might want to keep looking, but the diverse amenities offer a great experience to families looking for a fun trip.

Petit Jean is the oldest state park in Arkansas and it has it all. Our family makes a trip to Petit Jean at least twice a year. So many trails, recreational areas and breathtaking views to enjoy. It is one of the best FAMILY state parks we’ve been too.

The sites in A and B loop are often booked a year in advance so plan your trips strategically. C and D loop are accommodating but will be a tighter fit for most rigs >30’.

The visitor’s center is being completely redone to enhance the experience. If you haven’t been, make the trip.

Quick info on alcohol. Petit Jean is in a dry county (yes that exists). If you aren’t bringing your own alcohol, make sure and stop at Petit Jean Liquor right off I-40.

Petit Jean (pronounced “petty Gene”) is an incredible state park in a truly unique setting. Petit Jean Mountain rises straight out of the flat Arkansas Delta and is actually referred to as a “mesa” like those in the American West. The rock formations and unusual geology combined with the cool history makes the area very enjoyable and interesting. The campground is divided by Highway 154 but it’s not a heavily traveled route - in fact only park visitors are allowed after 10pm. We stayed in Area D, an older style campground with water and electric. We had a very difficult time getting set up even though the site is a “pull-through” - it just isn’t designed for today’s RV’s and travel trailers. There is a FHU area - Area A - but we were told reservations are more than a year out. We still enjoyed our time and loved the area! Take some time to go to Morrilton, the closest town with stores, coffe shops, etc. It’s a town on the rebound and we really enjoyed it. Probably the only spot for groceries within 25 miles of Petit Jean.

• 17 Site with electric
• 16 Non electric sites
• Reservations accepted
• Fire Rings
• Dump Station
• Toilets
• Drinking Water
• Boat Ramp
• Picnic Tables
• Water Sites
• Paved Sites
• 475 Cherokee Park Road, Greers Ferry, Arkansas
• Directions:  From Drasco take Highway 92 west 7 miles till Brownsville Road.  Turn  left, travel 3 miles.  Keep up with your mileage as there will not be a sign pointing the traveler to the turn.  You will find a small white sign that directs you to Brittany Cove.  Turn left.  We put the address into the GPS (updated GPS) and it did not find the campground.  If you follow the above you will arrive at the campground.

This campground is very rural.  I would suggest buying your supplies at the nearest town.  Once you arrive at the campground you are about 11 miles to Drasco and Greers Ferry will be about the same distance.  Drasco has a small store and service station and Greers Ferry has a small grocery market.

The  sites are small but well shaded which is a bonus.  Fishing or boating would be the main draw for this location.  If you want to enjoy the peace and quiet this is your stop.  The view is beautiful with all the water sites.

• LNT
• Leave it Better Than You Found It
• Stay safe and Happy Camping

General: This popular state park offers many activities, although we did not partake in many of them, mostly because we were camping in the “shoulder” season. We arrived after the visitor center/office was closed but were able to find our site in the C Loop without too much difficulty. Garbage and recycling bins were located throughout the park; I appreciate the recycling effort all Arkansas state parks we have visited have.

Sites/Facilities: Our site was located on a “cul-de-sac” in Loop C and not too far from the bathroom. Each site in this loop had an electric hookup, a lantern hook, and picnic table. The sites in this loop were all very wooded which provided a decent amount of privacy between sites. It should be noted that some of the sites in the C loop (73-76?) were not level – we noticed this as we were leaving. The sites in the A loop are full hookup and directly on Lake Bailey and are more open (fewer trees). Site 16 is a large pull-through. It did appear that there was a fair amount of algae in the water. We did not explore the other loops. There is also an overflow camping area which I imagine would be full in the summer. 

Bathhouse: The bathhouse was very clean and had soap dispensers, but you should bring your own towel. I didn’t use the shower so cannot comment on this, however, the changing area was in the open and not very private. 

Activities/Amenities: There are many activities you can enjoy at this state park (most in season): swimming, tennis, basketball, a paved multi-use trail, hiking, plus a playground (not near the campground loops but you could access it via the paved trail). However, our main reason for staying here was to see Cedar Falls but that was not to be. The hiking trail was closed due to storm damage and very little rain meant you could not see the trickle the famed falls had become from the viewing platform. We did enjoy the short hike past the unique turtle rocks en-route to Rock House Cave. 

Conclusion: Since we arrived after the office closed, we had to check-in before 10 am the next morning. The staff was not the friendliest, insisting we might have an outstanding balance (we reserved online so this should not have been the case) and not very helpful in describing open hiking trails.