Best Tent Camping near Greeson Lake

Campground Review:

River surge warning forced us to bed down for the night at the Erbie Campground along the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. It was a welcome and comfortable site for our sore, wet bodies!

Our group of 9 guys had planned a canoe/kayak trip to the Current River originally but heavy spring rain flooding had left our route muddy and littered with debris. Last minute change of plans put us on the Buffalo River.

Plans were to set in at Kyles Landing and paddle to Ozark Campground for the night and then reach Carver Campground the next day. Because we were going it alone, we dumped the gear at Kyle's and then a couple of guys took one vehicle to Carver. LONG DRIVE! Much longer than we expected so by the time they got back, we were really late in the afternoon.

Some commercial guides who were pulling out at Kyle's informed us that heavy rains upstream were headed our way and would create a surge sometime in the late evening. Told us that it would not be a slow rise.

Finally put in and paddled for several hours. The river was up and running fast from the get go and canoes did tip and gear got wet. Around 8pm, we had stopped on a sandbar and as we were talking, you could see the river rising. Being about a 1/2 mile from Erbie, we decided paddle quickly there and pull out rather than chance it by going all the way to Ozark. GLAD WE DID!

River side of Erbie has a great primitive loading and unloading area. We were able to easily paddle in and carry the kayaks and canoes up about 25 yards to a safe and dry area. There was a circle road that, should we have wanted to use Erbie as our put in or final take out area, it would have made gear unloading and loading very easy. In the area of the ramp, there was a wide open space of freshly mowed meadow, a parking area, a vault bathroom and a half a dozen picnic tables. Looked like the perfect place so we pitched our tent and broke out our kitchens. Turns out that we weren't really in the camping area of the campgrounds but we didn't realize it until morning when it the light came up.

The real camping area was better equipped. Some designated spots were fairly primitive with just a grill area and a picnic table but others had full pad sites with water and electricity. The designated camping areas were nestled in trees and were nicely spaced. Many offered a very "remote" feel to them. There were at least 3 vault restroom facilities but while we were there, only the one in the parking area where we camped was open. Not sure why as there were quite a few other campers in the area. There were also several "communal" water hydrants but all were locked. Since there was no camp host that we could find, we never did find out why there wasn't water available. That was disappointing but we just may not have known the details on how to get access to the water.

Overall, the campground was well maintained, seemed safe, and the the restrooms were clean and stocked. We liked the remote feeling of the area and the river access was excellent. I would recommend Erbie to those needing a spot to stop on a float trip.

Gear Review: Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe Sleeping Pad

As a Dyrt Ranger gear tester, I was offered an opportunity to evaluate one of the sleeping pads offered by a newer but very innovative outdoor gear company named Klymit. ( https://www.klymit.com). They do other things like sleeping bags and backpacks but I believe they are best known for their pads.

Pros:

• WIDE! Allows for a restless night without falling off.
• Durable. Made from a rugged polyester fabric that has a substantial feel to it.
• Thick. This thing is flat out comfortable.
• Easy to inflate.
• Easy to deflate.
• Easy to roll-up

Cons:

• Valve system takes a little getting used to.
• Noisy if not fully inflated.

I'm not an ultra light backpacker so do keep that in mind regarding my evaluation. First the specs. The bag weighs in at 35 oz and offers an R value of 5. It is a wide 30 inches and a long 76.5 inches. It is designed with V chambers to limit air movement and comes with a cinch down bag and repair kit.

Again, not being a hardcore, ultra light backpacker, the 35 ounces wasn't a concern. As long as it is durable, warm and comfortable, a few extra ounces are worth it to me.

Being 5'9", the 76.5 inch length was more than adequate and the 30 inch width allowed me to do my normal tossing and turning without hitting ground. Fully inflated, the pad is a whopping 3 inches thick and extremely comfortable. Being so thick, I felt no discomfort when I was side sleeping. Something other pads fail at. I believe it has to do with the design as there didn't seem to be any air movement between the chambers when fully inflated.

I read somewhere that it takes 50-60 breaths to fill it up but my experience was only 25-30. You'll be blowing in and not seeing much happening and then all of the sudden it's full. Not sure if you would be able to use a pump to air it up but don't know why you would. 25 puffs and lest than 2 minutes and it is fully inflated ready for sleeping. Deflation is as simple as releasing the valve and pressing the air out.

The valves are very durable looking. I was inclined to try to "unscrew" them to open an close and that caused me some confusion in the beginning. It's more of a push/pull and a twist maneuver. Guess they expected me to be smarter that the pad!

This trip was my third opportunity to use the Insulated V Luxe. Man have things improved since my first sleeping pad! I highly recommend the Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe pad. Durable, comfortable, warm and affordable - all good things in my book!

Lovely spot in Missouri. Passing through to Tennessee and found this gem of a spot with 2 vault toilets, trash and it’s free! Arrived at sunset in a Wednesday and only 2 other campers. There’s about 6 spots to pull in with a camper/ RV then at least 6 tent spots. Most spots have a fire ring and picnic table. 2-3 bars of LTE with AT&T. Little bit of road noise but no issues sleeping in my van. Everyone we came across was kind. No electric or water so come prepared. Closest town for supplies is around 25 minutes. Would definitely stay here again!

Average space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.

Open:  year round

Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

                           Reservations must be made at least 3 days in advance

Fees:  $15.00 single with electric

            $10.00 single no electric

            $45.00 group site

            Passes honored

Bear Aware.  Beautiful fence around campground with the road and pads all paved.  Nice.  Complete campground is well maintained.  Camp host on duty, no gate house.  Sites are very large and spaced out well.  Some pull thrus.  Picnic table, fire ring, toilets, showers, water, trash.  There are nearly 80 miles of inter connected loops that go from easy to hard terrian, winding in and out of forested hollers and along ridge tops.  ATV must be 50 inches wide or less.

LNT

BTYFI

Travel safe

We enjoyed camping here. We came for Memorial Day weekend and the campground was very busy, but quiet hours seemed to be honored. Some of the campsites are walk-in while some are drive-in. Picnic tables and lantern hooks at every site, nice clean working bathrooms, dumpster, and even a volleyball net. The campsite encircles a large field in the center which some people used to play ball, frisbee etc. many of the sites are not very secluded; you could easily be sleeping right next to another tent. RVs are allowed. There is a quick trail leading to the river - if you camp near this, be aware that people will be going up and down it all day and loading/unloading canoes and kayaks. Fees are $20/night and the campground is patrolled frequently by a park ranger (he was very nice). Lots of dogs!

Buffalo Point is a very nice, CCC built campground with some old school type campsites. A number of sites are multi-level, meaning the picnic table may be on an elevated platform with steps for access. Some sites you may not be long enough for your entire rig and you would park your tow vehicle next to your camper. Shade was plentiful. There are five different loops. The A&B loops are the closest to the large Buffalo Point sandbar and boat ramp and the sites are very close to one another. The D loop is slightly more spaced out. The E loop is nice but the pads are short. There is an access to the river between the C&D Loops.

We did not use the restrooms because of COVID19. The ranger stations were closed and there were no programs at this time either.

The Buffalo River is beautiful and with very few people on the river during the week when we visited. The river was very slow and smooth during our visit and perfect for those just learning to kayak.

There are a number of hiking trails in the area. Be sure and check whether or not your dog is allowed on the NPS trails before heading out on your hike.

Our site had a narrow pad and the electric post was located in a position that we could not use the entire length of the pad in order to extend our slide. The seating area of the campsite has great view of the neighboring campsite. But we had some foliar obstruction that provided some privacy from our neighbors on the other side. It appeared that most sites you are going to have a view of your neighbors’ campsites. We did not have enough space to put our patio mat out between our trailer and the picnic table. We spent little time at our campsite so this did not bother us.

The NPS is starting to use motion detector lights at their parks to help with light pollution. Be sure and take advantage of the opportunity to view the stars from a gravel bar by the Buffalo River. Magical!