Best Cabin Camping near Garfield, AR

No pets in yurts. Yes to Cats ❣️. My cats travel campgrounds and usually are outdoors but here I kept them in cabin because they would not like it outdoors. Cabins had AC but smelled like dust polish. Gorgeous forest views in the shower house. HOT water when shower is on Cold setting. Cold at hot. Cool affordable camp store. Nice people. Too much cinnamon spray in all indoor areas but not cabins. 24 hour rec room w AC and a wall of movies and games and books and cozy couch. Hurricane machine and fresh yummy donuts are not to be missed. My son is Big and found the camp cabin too crowded small and didn't like the leather beds even with our bedding on them. I found it cozy except the polish but couldn't open it up because we wanted the cats indoors here. Great porch swing, nice condition. Microwave and fridge. Friendly staff.

Follow route alerts by taking AR170 at West Fork from Interstate 49! 

Do not go to Visitor Center to check in while towing. Go to campsite, unhitch, and then go to Visitor Center. 

Fayetteville for Walmart, Target and other box stores + Braun's Ice Cream

Jakes in West Fork Harps grocery store & fuel 

PROS 

Senior discount 

No fee to make my own on-line reservation

Dark sky friendly 

Quiet during weekday stay

Campground E has lots of trees 

Campsite asphalt parking pad level 

Metal picnic table (on concrete pad), pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire ring with cooking grate that consumed half of the ring and metal lantern hook 

Good space between most campsites 

Campground E trash bin at every other campsite 

Clean toilet/shower facility 

Ample TP, hand soap and an electric hand dryer in toilet facility Campground E

Climate controlled toilet/shower facility. Felt great on a 38 degree morning! 

Park ranger drive thru campground during daylight hours 

Good signage throughout park concerning burn ban 

Good assistant park superintendent presentation at the park amphitheater regarding the CCC constructing DDSP 

Nice hiking trails 

Squirrels will eat from your hand
 in Campground E

CONS 

No cell service. Pay phone at campground toilet/shower facility 

Only free WiFi is at camp store by the pool. We purchased WiFi from park vendor Viasat $20 unlimited for 3 days for one device 

Cannot see or hear creek from site 89 

Sewer connection at rear of site pad 

No privacy from any other campsite in Campground E 

Cannot move site picnic table 

No camp host

Located in the Branson West area, the Tall Pines Campground welcomes visitors of all camping styles to their shaded sites with a variety of options to best suit every day camping needs. 

For those coming to the area with their RV in tow options area available for both larger and smaller units with ample spacing between sites to allow for comfort. Tent campers are welcome at this campground with sites including both primitive and improved with amenities standard to the sites including fire rings, picnic tables and common spaces for activities such as pavilions, a pool, laundry facility, restrooms with hot showers and more!!! 

An additional feature of this campground is that they offer small cabins on their lower levels of the camping loops. These are prefect for groups which do not choose one of the camping options or who are flying into the Branson airport which is only 12 miles away. This allows those who would like the outdoor feel and experience to enjoy this without having the urban features of the strip of Branson beating on their backdoor at a hotel. 

Staff here are very welcoming and friendly. They often offer upgrades to those staying without additional charge when they are not busy or overly booked to encourage people to return on their next trip. This is even echoed in how they answer their phones, very professional and informative!! 

The campground feels like an older campground, and not in a bad way. If lacks the overwhelming feel of being modern where everything is branded or looks like a commercial for another attraction. This one instead feels more like a home for the weekend where you can wake up and have your coffee with a neighbor or even just enjoy the sounds of the nature. Because most of the sites have enough distancing, especially on the back loops, you will have a lot more quiet during quiet hours than many of the more packed and close proximity campgrounds which worry more about cramming in campers than the experience itself. 

The only downside in my personal opinion, the roadway through camp is in need of improvement. It is narrow at best in some areas and if you were attempting to navigate with a rig that was larger it could become problematic. This is mainly an issue in the rear of the campground and near the cabins, where you wouldn’t need to worry much about larger units. 

**Tips: **

• During busy season call in advance to book and see if there are any specials which you can bundle. 
• Give a cabin a look, these are quaint but in my opinion have the best spacing and views. 
• Don’t worry if you have forgotten something. From this campground you are very close to Branson West which has full services including groceries and if you need a last minute closer to camp option there is a Dollar General within less than half a mile of the entrance.  Additionally the office has some supplies.

Lots of river-side campsites, choice between wooded or open areas, pit latrines or flushies, and standard or electric sites. There are groop camping and cabins. Heated bathroom is available. On-site showers and laundry, RV Dump stations, and a store that offers fishing and camping gear, souveniers and a small selection of food. During the summer, swimming pool is open. Roaring River State Park is home to a Trout hatchery and the river is stocked each evening with trout for fishing the next morning. Sites have fire pits and picnic tables. Handicapped campers will find an accessible site with a large, flat concrete pad, accessible restrooms, and an accessible fishing area.

This state park is challenging to locate, especially at night. Familiarize yourself with the directions and try to arrive before dark.

There are many campsites available in many different areas of the park. Most of the sites are very private, have nearby facilities with showers, fire pits, tables, and trash bins. The sites all have access to trails and are close to water activities. The trails that are available are challenging, offer spectacular views and some history. There is back country hiking available, the park prefers that you register for a permit 24 hours in advance to accessing the back country trails. Some trails available are appropriate for mountain biking, however depending on the popularity of the trail is the level of maintenance that the trail receives. This state park is excellent for families because there are plenty of activities available that interest young kids.

This campground is one that is hands above the rest when it comes to upgrades and amenities. With that said it also is a bit higher in price point so when it comes to finding something in the area it is best to ask if you want or need the additional luxuries.

Much like other KOA parks this one offers group activity spaces. A pool, playground, outdoor bbq area, group pavilions and an indoor gathering space are wonderful when available. However when we visited due to the slow roll out of openings due to the things going on in the world, these features were not available.

So then it comes to looking at the more standard and basic services. There are campion options for all styles of camping including tent, RV and cabin campers. The RV areas are the majority of the space however ai was impressed by how many cabins and the size range of cabins they had on site.

Tent camping is located toward the back of the property and was a bit lacking however the space provided was nice for spreading out and still having some covered areas for cooking and dining. There is a shared pavilion/kitchen shelter in this area which offers water and electricity. The tent pad areas are grassy and well maintained.

All visitors have access to fire rings and picnic tables at their sites and trash pick up service is available daily.

KOA offers those who can connect high speed WIFI and cable. As a tent camper the WiFi is great even though I can’t use the other. This helps me to find the best attractions in the area quickly and both upload or download content. The overall cell signal here wasn’t bad though so it just was an added boost bonus!!

This campground has a small store area but is also located very close to the main areas of town for more complete shopping needs. They also have both a dump station and propane for those needing to fill or empty.

I noticed that since they are close to the lake they had an option to rent a pontoon here as well, something I hadn’t seen at other parks in the area. This boat can be towed from the park to the lake and is equipped with a truck to pull it!!

This campground has thought of pretty much everything!!!

So when I look at this stop, I would say this, the cabins are a 5 the RV area is a 3.    The reason for this is the the RVs feel a bit crammed into the space in most areas.    The treehouse cabins and regular cabins however are exceptional and well thought.

As typically a tent camper there wasn't anything special about that area and it did seem like it was the lower end of the property.  For $26 a night I was underwhelmed by the smaller spaces with fire rings and picnic tables.    If I was to invest in a location for the same price points there are others which set themselves apart in spacing.

But like I said the cabins and treehouses are an experience you will not find elsewhere in this area.    They are fun and functional.  They are family friendly and have a little bit of excitement for everyone.   Each of the cabins and treehouses are themed, something which is reflected not only in their names but also their decor.   With that said however the themes make them more appealing to book so people book well in advance on most of these.   I suggest if you are interested in staying booking well in advance of your trip or come during a less busy season to ensure your last minute bookings.

Cabins typically sleep 6 and have fireplaces and decks with great views of the forest.  They each have kitchens which enable you prepare a meal for your family or for those who do not wish to do so there is still a dining are for bringing food back from an adventure into Branson.

The Treehouses are my person favorite because it isn't every day you can sleep in an African Safari treehouse or retreat to a couple's cabin in the treetops.    The themes with these are so specific and so unique and with each theme you find different styles of amenities within each.   For example the couples treehouse has a jetted tub for those special occasions and despite being for couples it sleeps 4 so you can still share this with another couple or bring the kids and maybe get away to a private space.    The Grist Mill has a jacuzzi on the porch with a view, which is amazing!!!  

I basically fell in love with the cabins and treehouses if you cannot tell.   This place is worth investing in the higher priced accommodations to take advantage of their uniqueness.   Unlike many cabins which are nice places to stay just to go somewhere else these could easily be the destination all themselves.