Best Tent Camping near Ethel, AR

Recent Tent Reviews in Ethel

84 Reviews of 8 Ethel Campgrounds

• H

  Hope H.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 3, 2024

  Storm Creek Lake Campground

  Mixed Feelings

  I have stayed at this campground twice.  The first time (2022) was a rainy day and I didn't feel like setting up a tent in my reserved space, so I upgraded to one of the very nice, and at the time quite new cabins for about $75 total.  I loved the winding drive down to Helena-West Helena. It was beautiful, the rain was not too bad.  The cabin was wonderful.  I had such a happy experience that time, I returned to car camp last year (2023) on my way west. I did not bother setting up a tent, but rented an RV space. It was fine. . . lots of mosquitos in the evening (mid-September) and a construction crew was renting out an RV spot across from me.  There were no other campers, but I felt safe.  The bathrooms (unisex) were not nearly as clean as the first visit, but were ok.  The guys across the way were quiet and respectful.  The whole thing was ok. . . but I did have the thought expressed in another comment that there is just too much concrete and asphalt in this place.  Maybe they are concerned about keeping the jungle at bay, so they paved it . . . but consequently it feels like a parking lot with a beautiful periphery. Is also was pretty expensive for what I needed ($42), since I sleep on a cot in my SUV and don't need electricity, water, dumping, etc.  But that is my fault for not asking for a tent site.

  I decided to head there at the last minute, and called the office right before closing to rent via telephone (should have asked for a tent site, cheaper).  I did not have to make the 14 mile drive to Marianna to check in. 

  The crew staying in the RV across the way, left vert early in the morning.  It was cool and shady in my spot, so I moved my vehicle to sunny spot (tent area!) and had a nice leisurely breakfast before heading out.  It was mid-week, and nobody else was there.  A ranger (?) drove through pretty early (before I moved my car) and said hi. She knew i had rented a spot.  Very friendly, just as the folks in Marianna had been when I went there in 2022. 

  All in all it is a good spot. Quiet and safe.

• 

  Cheri H.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  Arkansas City Trailhead — Delta Heritage Trail State Park

  Campground in town

  This is convenient to the levee and right in the middle of town. Clean restrooms with flush toilets. There are no assigned sites but just a grassy area adjacent to the parking area.

• h

  heidi H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 1, 2024

  Beagle Club Road Pull-Off

  Small, super primitive. Says permit required doubt anyone is checking .

  Not much too it. Basically just two relatively small parking lots in the woods, past some houses off the highway. Would only be good for a super quick over night.

• A

  Ashley S.

  Scout

  

  May. 26, 2024

  Rising Star

  Help

  I would love to experience a stay and let yall know

• 

  Rachel S.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 15, 2024

  Beagle Club Road Pull-Off

  Fine for a night

  Spent just one night here. Easy to find and has a water spigot. Noticed a sign in the morning that said hunting, fishing, or camping permit required but no one came by to check. One other person here. A bit buggy but otherwise a quiet spot to get some sleep!

• m

  melanie M.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 23, 2024

  Dagmar Wildlife Management Area Campsites

  Great spot

  Really cool spot we parked next to the gator swamp and it was a really cool area. We saw some big splashes from the pond but no gators. Great spot for the night. Free camping

• 

  Donta R.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 5, 2024

  Ste Marie Park

  Great place but locked to public

  Would be a great place but its always locked.but theres always sum guys fishing.but the gate is locked to general public .i almost think they only open the gate to specific friends or people..this used to be a place where the disabled could fish now i can.i live nearby and the gate is locked EVERY DAY.i pay taxes but am not allowed access to PArk..it sucks some people smh .its so easy to unlock the tate.

• 

  Andrew K.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 21, 2023

  Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA

  Great place to stay for a quick stop along the road heading west

  very nice spot found it quickly at night. Soft ground. Quick to get to off highway

• 

  Ashley F.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 5, 2023

  Pendleton Bend

  Beautiful But Without a Comfortable Bathroom

  My family uses a pop up camper to explore many of the Arkansas parks, after this trip we are considering a change! 

   Let me tell you about their bathroom/showers situation…. Do they have flushing toilets, yes! Sadly only slightly better than a hole in the ground with a seat. They thankfully have provided toilet paper, that’s a step up from tree bark, but no place to put any sanitary items…. Was there a place at one time to dispose such things? YES! Is there one any more? NO! Just a slot with a lid where the metal box once was. Granted I am at a camp that for the majority of the time only houses manly hunters, keeping that in mind I assume they do still sometimes bring their wives/girlfriends who would appreciate maybe having another small box installed for these womanly things. Moving on I don’t consider myself vain in anyway but the mirror situation is comparable to trying to see your reflection in crinkled aluminum foil, at best! While staring into what may or may not be my reflection, I start to question where is the hand soap? Absolutely nowhere, there is none. I feel they expect us to grab a pine cone and pray we don’t get pink eye because that is all your working with, pinecones and prayers! While releasing a irritated sigh I noticed I could see my breath! It’s currently 30 degrees outside and guess what these bathrooms do not have a heater!! Now to the showers, I’m only able to compare it to a prison scene from a movie… Longest yard…? The Rock…? Maybe…I’m not sure but it falls somewhere between comical and terrifying. Curtains you ask? No we don’t need those! Being able to adjust water temperatures? No! Luke warm Is what you have Luke warm is what you are happy with(said in best Russian accent) Somewhere to place your shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lufa and razor? Unheard of! You are in the wild girl…. You should have held on to that pinecone! A large button on the wall you have to push every(no exageration) ten seconds to keep the spit temperature trickle of water running?? Yes ma’am! The over head lights on a timer that goes off five minutes into your lovely prison shower experience reminding you to not drop the soap or close your eyes? WE GOT YOU BOO! Need less to say my time here, although brief, feels like purgatory, making me want to lay down in front of the passing Corps of Engineers truck as a martyr for bathroom improvements! (**US Army Corps of Engineers please reference ANY State ran park bathroom for your example!)

• 

  Stacy H.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 4, 2023

  Rising Star

  Best kept secret in Arkansas!

  Super peaceful, quiet...shady sites or sunny, whatever you prefer. Some on the water sites, but others aren't far off. Camp host is very helpful and friendly!!! I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CLEANER BATHROOM!!! BATHROOM/SHOWER COMBO FOR 1 PERSON OR FAMILY!!! We will be back for sure!!!!!

• 

  Travis B.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 20, 2023

  Dagmar Wildlife Management Area Campsites

  Boondock camping

  Nice place down a long dirt road. Free camping. No facilities. Sites a marked by blue bands on trees or signs. Lots of spots spaced far apart.

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 3, 2023

  Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA

  Perfect spot for car camping

  We came from the east, got off 40, and turned onto Tower Road. We went down tower road for about a mile and then turned onto Fawn Acres Road. I think you could also follow Tower road to County Road 705 and there is camping there as well. There are a ton of campsites down the gravel road and they are well marked. There are signs for designated camping and the trees have a blue ring painted around them, so it stands out. A lot of the spots we saw were gravel so I’m not sure if it would be super comfortable to sleep here in a tent. It wasn’t too buggy this time of year and we only saw two other cars passing by. We were able to make a little fire pit and were happy to see it so well kept with no trash.

• 

  Brian G.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 17, 2023

  Cane Creek State Park Campground

  Nice Weekend Getaway

  My family and I had a nice little getaway to Cane Creek State park. The sites are all asphalted and have electric and water. The dump station is on the way out of the park. The boat dock is really nice and the bait shop has minnows, worms, and crickets. Also, the bathrooms are located in the middle of the park and are clean. There are also a few concreted walking trails. The only bad part of the weekend was the bugs were really bad after dark so we had to go inside early. I would recommend this place to anyone and we will be back.

• J

  Joseph

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2023

  Rising Star

  Great place to stay!

  Very nice campground. The camp hosts were wonderful people. The bathrooms were immaculate and the campground was very well maintained. The campsites were all sufficiently spaced. Occasionally a barge would go by. The Arkansas River is part of the McClellan-Kerr navigation system. Approximately 11 million tons of cargo is shipped from the Mississippi River to Tulsa every year through the McClellan-Kerr navigation system. The sunsets were taken from my chair on the bank of the Arkansas River.

• J

  Jeanette

  Scout

  

  May. 21, 2023

  Storm Creek Lake Campground

  Clean and tidy, a little frustrating

  We're traveling across the country and used our RV site as home base  for 2 days. Campsites and bath/showers were very clean. Very quiet. A bit too much pavement, with no trees or natural space between campsites. When you are leaving, the pump out station is located on the wrong side of the road without an easy way to turn around. Also the water hose at the pump out station wasn't working -- no water to rinse with but from our tank.

• T

  Tavi C.

  Guide

  

  May. 2, 2023

  Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA

  Great IF you have the time to find it

  Here’s the thing. You cannot trust either Apple or Google maps to get you here by these coordinants. Also, “here” is a relative term. DO NOT just look for a body of water as you’re going on the gravel road to let you know you’ve gotten to a legitimate campsite. I got very lost trying to find the place at night, and then getting back to the freeway the next morning. Apple Maps and Google maps showed me two completely different places over half an hour away from each other with the same coordinates. In the morning, I drove 20 minutes on the gravel road trying to get back to the highway, just to run into a dead end at a locked gate. I had to turn around and find another way to the freeway just by navigating myself down every road I could identify on the map visually, until I found a legitimate one. The reason the reviews are so disparate, is because there are dozens, if not hundreds of campsites over what I’m guessing is hundreds if not thousands of acres of woods. Some are by stagnant ponds that I’m sure are horrific breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and some are far enough from the water that you can’t see, or hear the water, and have fewer mosquitoes and bugs. Some campsites are pretty close to the road, and some are quite far. The main thing to do is, as soon as you exit the road, whatever turn off you take, start looking for very small signs that say “designated camping area”. By getting lost, I can tell you, there are multiple Roads you can take off the main highway. Get yourself to this general area, and don’t be in a rush, or frantic. Go very slowly, and just keep your eyes out for these tiny signs. Once you see one, you’ll realize they’re all over the place. Decide ahead of time if you want to be close to the road, or explore and try to find a place, closer to the water. Some areas are more open and the water is less stagnant (no, I did not find anywhere. I would personally feel comfortable swimming. The water is very murky, and does not look deep. In all of my getting lost, on a Monday in early April 2023, I did not see another single, solitary soul. Where I can’t, I also could not hear cars at all. I woke up to birds, singing, and trees rustling. It was very beautiful and peaceful.

• K

  Kathleen A.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 23, 2023

  Merrisach Lake

  Nice quiet campground by a lake

  I stayed a few days during the week. It's a pretty spot by a lake. Clean restrooms with showers.

• 

  Janice R.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 3, 2023

  Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA

  Horrible

  Absolutely horrendous. The road access is gravel, but LARGE gravel that we are surprised didn't ruin our tires. Flies so thick we didn't want to get out of our truck. Abandoned our stay before we got all the way there!!! Horrible Horrible Horrible

• 

  Steve S.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area

  beautiful

  Beech Point Campground is an amazing lakeside spot. Our site came with a bench to view the lake and tent pad is in the perfect spot. It was peaceful and provided the perfect place to recharge our batteries! The bathrooms were very nice. Throughout the campground, sewer hook-ups are available.

• 

  Steve S.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Mississippi River State Park Campground

  amazing

  This park is absolutely fantastic! The ride through the park, on the Crowley's Ridge Parkway is breathtakingly beautiful. There is an abundance of wildlife and nature's beauty. This park travels along the Mississippi River and there are roads that take you right to the river to view. We traveled down to the St. Francis and Mississippi River confluence to see the historic lows. All along the way, the scenery is amazing. We never knew there was such a variety in landscape not only in this area, but the park as well. Everything is very well taken care of and the park overall keeps a smile on your face! The staff at the Visitor's Center is VERY friendly and knowledgeable. Take some time to view the exhibits and learn about the area. They offer quite a bit for nature lovers. Overall, there are 4 campgrounds in this park. While they may offer different amenities, they are all well kept with beautiful scenery. Beech Point Campground is an island you can drive to and camp, located on Bear Creek Lake. We stayed at Storm Creek Campground and loved every minute of it.

• 

  Steve S.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Storm Creek Lake Campground

  awesome

  To check in, you must go to the Mississippi River State Park welcome center which is only 14 miles away but the gorgeous, twisty road makes the trek a little longer. And that's not necessarily a complaint. We saw 11 turkeys on the way. Wildlife and the beauty of nature (especially the leaves during this time of year) is incomparable. We had NO idea that this part of the state was so beautiful. Finding this place is truly a treasure. Pictures won't do it justice. Clean, quiet, and peaceful describe this little treasure. There are 4 bathroom and shower combos which are incredibly clean. There is even a little bicycle repair station by the bathhouse as there are many biking and hiking trails around! There are 5 little camper cabins as well and they are SUPER cute! To sum it up, this camp and this park are FANTASTIC!! Oh! And the people at the Welcome Center are some of the nicest we have encountered! They will even deliver firewood for you!

• 

  Steve S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 8, 2022

  Saracen Trace RV Park - Pine Bluff Regional Park

  city rv park

  It is a lovely, well-kept park. Lots of wildlife-squirrels everywhere. It's $20 per night. Water and electricity available but no sewer although there is a dump station. There is no bathroom or bathhouse, however. It's located at the back of Regional Park. Close enough to Pine Bluff yet far enough away to enjoy nature and silence.

• 

  Fasteagle

  Scout

  

  Jul. 5, 2022

  Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area

  5 stars wonderful !!

  Absolutely a hidden Gem! Amazing views and everything is so clean and beautiful! We were even able to spot an Eagle!! Just perfect in every way.

• 

  Daniel S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 19, 2022

  Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA

  Overland

  This is our first stop as we make our way from New Hampshire to California. Lots of large open sites. From what I can tell, there is noone else out here. There is some highway noise in the distance at the site we chose, however, there were many other sites that were farther away.

• k

  kimberly V.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2022

  Pendleton Bend

  Excellent

  One of our favorite spots

• k

  kimberly V.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2022

  Cane Creek State Park Campground

  Nice and clean

  Nice campsites, amazing staff, kids love it! Only downfall is during the fall/summer/spring when the mosquitoes take over the campsite.

• G

  Gary P.

  Ranger

  

  May. 18, 2022

  Mississippi River State Park Campground

  Super nice small park

  MississippiRiver State Park, also called Bear Creek Recreation Area, Arkansas. Only 17 sites, all level with full hook ups. ATT cell worked fair but no Verizon. Shower house had 4 separate rooms, each with shower. Very very clean! # pull thru & the rest backin on concrete pads with room for either a toad, truck or boat to the side. $36 a night, but disabled military, including vets, half off. Not much to do is you don't fish, but a nice quiet place to relax. Swimming beach is nearby.