Looking for the best campgrounds near De Queen, AR? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in De Queen, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"Vault toilets, no water and no electricity. Each site has enough room for three tents and has a grill, fire pit, table, and bear pole. There is easy access to the falls and hiking trails."
"We also have a large 20’ tent that makes it difficult to fit into regular square pad tent sites. These pads were huge and fit our tent, which was super nice because our original plans fell through."
"This place is a beautifull forested remote area and you have to drive over 4.5 miles to get to the campsite, its a two lane dirt road, lookout for deer and other critters crossing."
"There are several miles of driving on a gravel forest road between the main highway and the campgrounds."
"The park had some great hiking trails and museum."
"Super nice lake, no parking at campsite for coyote but can park about 15-50ft away, pretty peaceful to walk the shoreline"
"Although the campground is closed due to the flood (at least last time I checked), it's definitely worthwhile to camp a little up the trail and in the backcountry."
"This area is superb for primitive camping along the mountain road side pulloffs. Or if you're up for more of a challenge like us, you can take on the 28-30 mile Eagle Rock Loop trail."
"Park Review
The Viles Branch Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Athens Big Fork trail on the southern section of the Eagle Rock Loop."
"Park Review
The Straight Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Athens Big Fork trail on the western section of the Eagle Rock Loop."
LegendThe Long Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Little Missouri Trail on the eastern section of the Eagle Rock Loop. The only way to access this site is by entering at a trailhead and hiking in to the site. The nearest trailhead is at Albert Pike Recreation Area. This is a primitive dispersed campsite, but the ground has been cleared. The site is located alongside a creek.
On your hike into this site you will be rewarded with beautiful scenery as you walk through majestic forests of oak. You'll also see a variety of plants and forest creatures. The campsite is along Long Creek so you will have access to water. Perhaps 100 feet up river from our campsite I found a nice fishing hole and caught and released 7 trout and 1 sunfish within about 1 hour.
There is adequate clear space to set up a tent or numerous trees to string up a hammock. There are no facilities nearby. You can collect and filter water from the river and dig a hole to poop in the woods. Please practice Leave No Trace in this area.
Trekking poles are recommended to aid in tackling the various inclines and declines of the trail.
If you need any supplies before entering the Ouachita National Forest stop off in the town of De Queen where there are various grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations.
During the spring and summer the insects can be intense. I advise treating clothing and gear with permethrin to prevent ticks and pacaridin for other insects.
GuideWe camped at Billy Creek in March 2019. We were the only ones there which made it fabulous! We set up camp right above the river and got to hear the river going over the rocks the whole time. There was a easy and short little trail down to the river and lots of large rocks to hang out on. The campsite has tons of big trees. Each site has a fire ring, picnic table and grill. Water is available, but not at each spot. No electricity, no flushing potties, no showers, no sewer hookups, no wifi. There are latrine bathrooms (2) in a small building near the entrance. There is an abundance of hiking trails, 4 wheeler/motorcycle trails and many trails that a full size SUV can do. Lots of forest service roads to explore. We stayed 3 nights and only saw people one day that came in to meet up and ride 4 wheelers. We will definitely go back!
LegendFee: Day use $5.00
Sites: 4 gravel (no hook ups)
Fee:$8.00 per night Open: Year round
Beware of alligator
Pit toilets, bank fishing, boat ramp, trash, lantern poles, picnic table
This is a very small campground with just 4 tent sites but is a beautiful space. Well maintained but it really is only for tents where you will find shade provided by the nice mature trees.
LNT
AIS Clean, drain, dry
Travel safe
LegendFee:$8.00
No hook ups
Site: 8 gravel, no hook up
Open: Year round
This is a very small campground that is actually perfect because it is small. There are 6 sites with sheltered picnic table, fire ring, fish cleaning station, trash, NO WATER Very quiet except for some timber trucks(they sound like a helicopter flying overhead) driving across the dam.
AIS Clean, drain, dry
LNT Travel safe
Legend1152-1206
Open: Mar 1- Oct 31
Limit: 14 days
Reserve: 877-444-6777 or recreation.gov (must have reservations) Sites: 24 paved
Camp host on site
Fee: $12.00 no hookups $15.00 water and electric
Bath house and flush toilets, playground, beach, boat launch, covered picnic table, fire ring, pedestal grill, trash, lantern pole electric and water hookups This is a small campground but is totally awesome. The road in heads down into the campground and it is a very good paved road. There are several sites on the water. Grab a spot and spend a couple of weeks enjoying life. There are some pull thru's. If you enjoy the quiet and intimate this is for you.
AIS Clean, drain, dry
Travel safe
LegendDATES: MAR 1 TO OCT 31
FEE:$8.00 PER NIGHT
LIMITS: 14 DAYS
ALERT: WATER SUBJECT TO SUDDEN RISE
Potable water, pit toilets, trash, picnic table, lantern pole, pedestal grill, fire ring, Campground is right off the highway and the sites right next to the road will be noisy. Drive further in and you will find nice flat sites and they are quieter. Good for tent or small trailer as sites are small. Beautiful shade with mature trees.
LNT
AIS
BTYFI
Travel safe
LegendPark Review
The Viles Branch Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Athens Big Fork trail on the southern section of the Eagle Rock Loop. The only way to access this site is by entering at a trailhead and hiking in to the site. This is a primitive dispersed campsite, but the ground has been cleared and there are visible campfire locations. There is adequate clear space to set up a tent or numerous trees to string up a hammock. There are no facilities nearby. You can collect and filter water from the river and dig a hole to poop in the woods. Please practice Leave No Trace in this area.
On your hike into this site you will be rewarded with beautiful scenery as you walk through majestic forests of oak, pine, maple and pecan trees. You will hike along the Viles Branch Creek and need to cross the creek various times. It is possible to fish in the creek, but we only caught small sunfish. In the nearby Little Missouri River there are larger fish. You'll hear birds singing all day long. We did have critters visit us in the evening so be prepared to hang your food in a tree or carry a protective canister.
Bring hiking shoes and water shoes for the various river crossings. Trekking poles are also recommended to aid in the river crossings and for tackling the various inclines and declines of the trail.
If you need any supplies before entering the Ouachita National Forest stop off in the town of De Queen where there are various grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations.
During the spring and summer the insects can be intense. I advise treating clothing and gear beforehand with permethrin to prevent ticks and use pacaridin on the spot for other insects.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get products to test. For this trip I was provided some Morsel Long Handle Sporks.
Fork it, Spoon it, Scrape it… is what you can do with Morsel Long Handle Sporks.
Like many camping sporks the Morsel product has a fork end and a spoon end. The fork end also has a slightly serrated edge to slice pieces of your meal. The spoon end also has a uniquely shaped rubber edge that can be used as a spatula. The sporks come in regular and long handle forms. I chose the long handle sporks to make it easier to eat out of our backpacking food bags. The long handle allow one to access your food while keeping your hand and fingers clean. The long handle makes eating your meal a more enjoyable experience.
The sporks also come in a variety of colors. This is handy when you are camping with a group so that each person can choose and remember which spork belongs to them.
One of the truly unique features of the spork is the spoon/spatula end. The end of the spoon is shaped like a spatula and has a soft rubber or silicon edge. This edge makes it easy to scrape morsels of food from the corners of your pot, bag or plate. This ensures that you eat every last piece of food, but it also makes clean up of your pot, bag or plate easier.
I packed the sporks in my food bag inside my backpack for the entire trip. I was a little concerned that the sporks might break, but they held up well. Overall, I was very satisfied using the Morsel Sporks.
Things that I liked most about the Morsel Sporks:
1. Long handle
2. Spatula/Spoon edge
3. Variety of colors
LegendThere are six large, improved sites which are first come first serve cash pay only. Vault toilets, no water and no electricity. Each site has enough room for three tents and has a grill, fire pit, table, and bear pole. There is easy access to the falls and hiking trails.
LegendPark Review
The Straight Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Athens Big Fork trail on the western section of the Eagle Rock Loop. The only way to access this site is by entering at a trailhead and hiking in to the site. This is a primitive dispersed campsite, but the ground has been cleared. The site is located in a valley between two mountains and is located alongside a creek.
On your hike into this site you will be rewarded with beautiful scenery as you walk through majestic forests of oak, pine and maple. You'll also see a variety of flowers and plants. The campsite is near Straight Creek so you will have access to water.
There is adequate clear space to set up a tent or numerous trees to string up a hammock. There are no facilities nearby. You can collect and filter water from the river and dig a hole to poop in the woods. Please practice Leave No Trace in this area.
Trekking poles are recommended to aid in tackling the various inclines and declines of the trail.
If you need any supplies before entering the Ouachita National Forest stop off in the town of De Queen where there are various grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations.
During the spring and summer the insects can be intense. I advise treating clothing and gear with permethrin to prevent ticks and pacaridin for other insects.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I receive products to test. For this trip I was provided some electrolyte drink mix by Liquid IV.
I ordered the product directly from the company website https://liquid-iv.com. The product was delivered quickly and ahead of schedule. I ordered the variety pack which included three flavors - Lemon Lime, Acai Berry and Passion Fruit. There were 8 packets of each flavor. It is recommended that each packet be added to 16 ozs. or 0.5 liter of water. At first I found it a little difficult to open the packets cleanly. I then realized that I needed to completely tear the top of the packet across the top to expose the opening. After opening the packet, pour the powder into the water, then mix or shake the solution vigorously. The solution dissolved and mixed easily.
Liquid IV claims that their solution has 3x the electrolytes of traditional sport drinks. It is non-gmo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and made in the USA.
I first tried the passion fruit flavor because I thought that it was the most unique. The flavor was rather light. I then tried the lemon lime flavor and found it to be stronger. The acai berry was somewhere in the middle. The flavors of Liquid IV are not as sweet as other mixes like Gatorade or PowerAid - which is a good thing. I've stopped drinking traditional sport drinks because of their high sugar content in overly sweet flavor. The Liquid IV solution was about right for me.
Things that I liked:
1. Variety of flavors
2. Flavor was not overly sweet
3. Instructions were clear
Things that could be improved:
1. Packaging could be simplified for easier opening
2. Packaging could be minimized
Tent camping near De Queen, Arkansas offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature, with various sites that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful escape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near De Queen, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near De Queen, AR is Cossatot Falls Campsites — Cossatot River State Park - Natural Area with a 5-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near De Queen, AR?
TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near De Queen, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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