Best Cabin Camping near Hartford, AR

If you are ever driving through Arkansas a trip to Mount Magazine State Park is a must. Mount Magazine is the state’s highest point topping out at 2,753 feet and delivers sweeping views of broad valleys, lakes, winding rivers, and distant mountains. The rugged rock outcroppings protrude from the densely wooded forests. What makes this park even more spectacularly beautiful is that it is surrounded by National Forest lands encompassing glorious acres of woods. 

In the late 1800’s, the railroad made travel easier and people were drawn to the area for its cooler weather and awe-inspiring scenic beauty. Resort lodges and restaurants sprang up and the resort “Town of Mount Magazine” began. Soon a post office, parks, streets and a dance pavilion dotted the town. The town took a turn when drought, erosion, and the Great Depression brought the town to collapse. The 1934 Resettlement Act purchased all the private land on the mountain and was shortly transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. In the late 1930’s and 40’s, the Works Progress Administration built campgrounds, trails, cabins, and a lodge were constructed. A fire destroyed the lodge in 1971. In 1998, Arkansas State Parks entered into a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service to develop Mount Magazine State Park. The lodge reopened in 2006 and graces the same beautiful setting as the original structure. 

We found this park very relaxing which is kind of amazing because there is so much for outdoor enthusiasts to do making it hard to sit still. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, horseback riding, hang gliding launches, cycling, and some of the most dramatic locations for rock climbing and rappelling. The diverse mountain ecosystem offers amazing bird watching and wildlife viewing and provides habitat for over 90 species of butterflies. Many were brightening the woods when we were there. We were there at a time when wildflowers were blooming so the forest floor was lit up with color. The higher altitude and cooler weather on the mountain meant that trees had not leafed out yet but a look down in the valley was a stark contrast with trees fully leafed out. The park has a relatively small campground with a meek 18 sites with full hook-up (two of which are 50 amp). Campsites are well-spaced with gravel pads and patios with fire pits and picnic tables. We so enjoyed hanging around our campsite but for those that don’t camp you will be perfectly comfortable in the lodge or cabins. 

The Lodge at Mount Magazine has breath-taking views and some rooms have spa tubs on their balconies to enjoy the view. Thirteen cabins dot the ridge line offering the same awesome views and Jacuzzi tub options on your balcony. At the lodge is The Skycrest Restaurant which is a nice treat for those not wanting to cook. We decided to have drinks one evening on the veranda enjoying the setting sun lighting the valley. The next day we popped in for lunch where $6 got a plate of open-face prime rib sandwich, mashed potatoes, salad, and squash casserole. Pretty good deal if you ask us. 

This state park so worked for us. It was the combination of the reading in a quiet wooded campground, being able to go to the lodge for a drink, lunch and great view and spending hours walking in the woods. The park is a good 30 minutes drive from the nearest town so you may want to stock up so you can just relax on the mountain.

Large campground, ok for family activities. Cabins are alright. Be careful - don't stay in the cabins if they are expecting bad weather.

Mount Magazine is a beautiful State Park with great hiking trails. We hiked Signal Hill (highest point in Arkansas) and the North Rim Trail. Both were beautiful. This is a great place for families to camp. There is a welcome center with a small gift shop. Our campsite was spacious with water and electric although we were tent camping. Shower and bathroom facilities were nice and clean. They also had a place to hang glide. We checked out some of the cabins for future options, and they looked amazing with beautiful views.

Pioneer Campgrounds has hosted 8 family reunions and 7 Boy Scout / Girl Scout Troops in 2023. Great place to camp. Clean cabins, brand new bathrooms, large dining hall and kitchen area.

Great place to camp, been coming here my entire life and it has changed very little in that time. Boating, fishing, swimming, cabins available, lots of trails to hike. Just minutes from Mt Magazine and the town of Paris. Friendly staff.

Mount Magazine has it all! The official campground has full service hookups with appropriately spaced sites and newer restrooms. There is an unofficial overflow campground with a well kept pit toilet that offers the best view from the campgrounds over the Arkansas valley. If you prefer cabins or a suite, they have that too with amazing views that overlook hang gliding cliffs and a pleasant valley below. For hiking, you can choose a short loop up to the top of the mountain, medium day hikes or a longer 2 day out and back to the bottom of the mountain. This place is a must see if you live anywhere close to the park.

Mt Mag is a wonderful place to visit. It is one of the highest places in Arkanas. The campground is level and spaced out to have a little privacy. The cabins and lodge are beautiful and a great place to watch storms roll in and a great view of the valley below. The trails are challenging but very beautiful.

Always go to the CMA rally's but have stayed offsite usually, we rented a bunk cabin for the USCA rally and I loved it price was right  accommodations perfect BUT IF YOU HAVE CEDAR OR PINE ALLERGIES be warned, my wife couldn't  as it made it most unpleasant for her.

 I LOVED IT nice quiet relaxing  as another person stated I dont know why its not packed

I drive truck, always have a hard time getting in/out of places with a semi and usually end up not getting to camp. The main pavilion in the center of the grounds is HUGE! theres INSTANT hot water, no waiting for 10 minutes for luke warm water. About a dozen of each... toilets, showers, urinals. 2 or more great big handicap accessible showers. Quite a few cabins. The few people we encountered were super cool and eager to see if we needed help or had questions. 4 stars because there's no lake.

Very nice park! Did not expect it to be so picturesque! Very well kept. Campground AAA sites (1-20) offer full hook-ups and are spread out for privacy and offer longer pads. Site 4 is my favorite. Camp B sites are quite short but perfect for tent camping. The visitor's center is EXTREMELY nice and a must. There is a pool at the park as well. Lake Fort Smith also has cabins which offer a lake view. Group lodging is available. Marina rents canoes, party barges, fishing boats, kayaks, etc. The entire place is beautiful and a great place for family outdoor activities.

This is a nice modern park on the shore of the man made Lake Fort Smith. To me, the most interesting parts of the park were destroyed in order to make the lake (and thus, the park); the Works Progress Administration (WPA) had several cabins and shelters on the property from building the dam and surrounding areas. However, they were flooded under when the lake filled. The ranger in the visitor’s center said the buildings were not able to be moved. There was a nice exhibit about the building of the park and the role of the WPA in the surrounding area. The campsites are all really RV only with water and electric, although most sites also have a tent pad. There were no other tent campers while I was there. The campground is really clean and well maintained; it seemed that the trash cans were emptied almost hourly by the nice fellow buzzing around in his golf cart. The bath house was super clean, too. There are some nice hiking trails, although none very long. However, this park marks the western end of the Ozark Highlands Trail that stretches across northern-ish Arkansas for 150+ miles. This might be a good starting or ending spot. The boat ramp seemed quiet, but that might have been the weather. If you are into group glamping, there are several lodges that are available that could house a small family to a small army.

Mount Magazine is a mountaintop oasis in NW AR. It is definitely NOT a family SP. It is structured for adults to enjoy a peaceful, tranquil, serene campground. The campground is small and has a typical setup with 30/50A, water, fire ring and picnic table. There are only 18 sites and are booked WELL in advance. We had to book our site almost a year in advance.

There is not much to do in the campground. There is access to hiking trails and to Signal Hill (the highest point in AR). The lodge is gorgeous and the restaurant has a buffet on Friday nights that is very good. There was an annual yoga retreat the weekend we were there which crowded the lodge, but the cabins and lodge have beautiful views of the valley.

Mt. Magazine is an amazing park (for adults), and make an effort to get there!

Magazine Mountain is the highest peak in Arkansas at 2,753 feet. Mount Magazine SP sits at the top of Magazine Mountain. It has 18 RV campsites of varying length, all with water and most have sewer. Two have 50 amp service with the rest having 30. All of the campsites have a large level tent pad, table, fire ring, and plenty of shade. The restrooms/showers are a 4.5 out of 5 for state park facilities. 

Mount Magazine SP also has a lodge with a restaurant and and 13 cabins if camping is not your thing.

The park has about 15 miles of hiking trails. The trails are mostly shaded and well defined. Remember you are on a mountain so there will be elevation changes as you walk. We hiked about half of them.  

Mount Magazine boasts as one of the top spots for fall foliage. Our visit was in late August so something we will have to come back for, but with the many species of trees I have no doubt it would be beautiful.  

Other amenities of the park are multiple picnic areas and a hang glider launch area. Picnic areas are nice. We did not partake of the hand glider launch. No I am not afraid to die, just see no need to rush into it.

Just outside the SP is the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest with 170 miles of OHV trails. Rubi (our Jeep) had fun. Ok we did too.

Mount Magazine SP is a very nice place to visit and one we look forward to coming back to.

Great get away close to the Ozarks. Clean, quiet, beautiful views!

I have to say, Lake Fort Smith is Awesome! The State must have recently dedicated some very real resources to the facilities at this State Park. The tent/camper/RV sites are new. The shower house looks new. The cabins are big and look new. Everything about this park is clean and attractive.

The forests that surround the park create excellent scenery and the lake is gorgeous. There is a marina where you can rent boats and an awesome pool with a waterslide for the kids to play. This is where you can have the best of both worlds. An amazing outdoors experience with the comforts of home.

If you want more hiking trails Devils Den State Park is only a 30 minute drive. I am already looking at planning a family reunion and holding at Lake Fort Smith. If you have a large group, they have a dining hall and conference center for rent. This is a legitimate destination and has something for everyone. It is not ofter that you find a five star State Park, this is one of those rare moments.

We chose this campground for the Tiny House rental for our Daughter and her husband & kids. We stayed in an RV site, enjoyed the pool, bounce pad & basketball. A shuttle runs that is wheelchair accessible that will take you into town for Wal-Mart runs and more 😊

This campground is nice but not really wheelchair friendly. The road was really large rock that is very bumpy and uncomfortable to wheel over.

https://koa.com/campgrounds/sallisaw/

This park is a small, secluded gem in northwest AR right on Lake Fort Smith, about 30 miles NE of Fort Smith proper. The campground is practically brand new due to a flood a few years ago which caused the state to relocate the campground. The bathhouses are unbelievable (generally true of all AR parks), sites are immaculate, and views are amazing. The visitor center is also unbelievable. Our boys got to feed the snakes and turtles when we last visited. The park is small and there aren’t many sites. I found this to be a positive as you actually get the feeling you’re alone in nature. To that end, the only negative thing I can say about this park is that almost every site is elevated and has multiple levels due to retaining walls that were used to build up each site in the side of the mountain along the lake. The ledges of these retaining walls do not have any railing. So for us, having 3 small boys, this just meant toms of opportunities for them to fall and get hurt. Some of the drops from one level To the next were 6 ft or higher. This is the only reason I’m not giving the park 5 stars (though in fairness, I probably should). Beyond that small issue, however, the Park is absolutely gorgeous. The pool and splash pad are also very nice, though we weren’t able to use them because we went in January. There is a grill that serves food in the pool area which I think is really convenient. The playground is also nice, as is the marina and rental prices are very low, in my opinion. Also, I did not use them, but there are quite a few mountain bikers who visit this park and the trails were clearly well kept. In sum, beyond the beautiful scenery, the Park is generally very clean and new feeling. There’s not much I can say that would be negative at all. In my opinion, it’s a cant miss Park for anyone who enjoys camping.