Looking for the best campgrounds near Hector, AR? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Hector is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Hector and user-submitted reviews.
The campgrounds feature a total of 125 campsites (including 26 pull-through sites). Thirty-five of the sites—the Class AAA sites—have 30 and 50 amp electrical, water, and sewer hookups. The 90 Class B sites offer 30 amp electrical and water hookups. All sites are reservable. Campsites are divided into four campground areas. Each includes a modern bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets. Area "A" is near Lake Bailey and include sites along the lakeshore. Areas "B," "C," and "D" are located on the south side of Ark. 154 in wooded settings.
Other campsite choices in the main camping area include a 44-unit Rally-style Area with 20 amp electrical service available for camping clubs.
A trailer dump station is centrally located near the Rally-style camping area.
Petit Jean is Arkansas's only state park with its own airport.
$25 - $40 / night
Download a Piney Bay park map HERE__ Piney Bay Campground sits along Dardanelle Lake in western Arkansas. Campers come here to get a break from the city and take advantage of the ample swimming, boating and fishing opportunities.
Picnicking, boating and fishing are favorite pastimes. The lake is brimming with white bass, largemouth bass, bream, crappie and large catfish.
Picnicking, boating and fishing are favorite pastimes. The lake is brimming with white bass, largemouth bass, bream, crappie and large catfish.
Situated between the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests, Dardanelle Lake creates an excellent setting for nature lovers. The lake stems from the Arkansas River and spans 40,000 acres. Wooded area and hills surround the lake. The region is a favorite destination for bald eagles in wintertime.
Bona Dea Trails and Sanctuary, with nearly 86 acres of wetlands and low woods, provide an ideal habitat for native wildlife. Visitors can explore the area on the six-mile trail system.
$75 / night
Nestled between the Ozark National Forest to the north, and the Ouachita National Forest to the south, Mount Magazine State Park boasts the highest point in the state of Arkansas: Mount Magazine at 2753 feet. Located just 100 miles northwest of Little Rock, this area has been a recreation destination since the late 1800s. Recreation at Mount Magazine really started booming in the 1930s and 40s with the construction of a lodge, campgrounds and trails. Visitors came to beat the heat of the surrounding valleys, as well as to enjoy the panoramic views, abundant wildflowers, autumn color, and numerous opportunities to play outdoors. The area finally became a state park in 1998.
Whether you prefer a posh lodge or cabin, a fully-equipped RV pad, or a rustic campsite, there’s a place for you to stay and play at Mount Magazine. The park’s campground offers 18 spacious sites with full or partial hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station. Campers are required to store food and trash properly to minimize black bear encounters. For more luxuriant accommodations, the park’s lodge offers 60 guest rooms and spa suites with a variety of comforts, as well as 13 full-equipped cabins with up to three bedrooms. Not in the mood for hot dogs over the campfire? The large dining room at the Skycrest Restaurant serves daily meals while overlooking the Petit Jean River Valley.
When you’re ready to play on Mount Magazine, you can do it by foot, wheels or wings. Hikers have access to 14 miles of trails, ranging from 1 to 3 miles, with connecting options for going farther. The 34-mile Huckleberry Mountain Trail is great for mountain biking and horseback riding. For gravity-defying activities, the park offers more than 100 climbing routes on its southern bluff, as well as a hang gliding launch point over the Petit Jean River Valley. Less strenuous activities include bird and wildlife watching, guided ranger walks, historic site tours and various interpretive programs and outdoor skills workshops. There’s also spectacular leaf-peeping in the fall when the forest takes on its vibrant autumn transformation.
$35 / night
Download an Old Post park map HERE__ Old Post Road is a camping hotspot at Dardanelle Lake, with numerous opportunities for boating, biking, hiking and birding.The river valley is a favorite winter destination for bald eagles.
Boating and fishing are the top activities, and a boat ramp is provided for convenient lake access. Soccer and baseball fields and tennis courts offer additional recreation opportunities, and a biking trail also starts at the campground.
Boating and fishing are the top activities, and a boat ramp is provided for convenient lake access. Soccer and baseball fields and tennis courts offer additional recreation opportunities, and a biking trail also starts at the campground.
Perched between the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests, Dardanelle Lake creates an excellent setting for nature lovers. The lake, sourced by the Arkansas River, spans 40,000 acres and boasts 315 miles of shoreline. A variety of hardwoods surround the lake shore.
The nearby Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge offers excellent wildlife viewing and photography.
$50 - $75 / night
$20 / night
Experience the best tent and RV camping in Arkansas at Byrd’s Adventure Center. Right on the Mulberry River, Byrd’s offers a host of activities not found at any other Ozark campground.
Enjoy our comfortable RV and tent campsites as you relax in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Byrd’s Adventure Center offers spacious camping in a beautiful setting along the Mulberry River.
A variety of grassy and wooded campsites are available. Some sites have small shelters with picnic tables and campfire rings. In addition to our new Riverfront Restaurant (open weekly Friday-Sunday), we have more amenities than you’ll find in other Ozark campgrounds. These include a large heated shower house, a convenient on-site store with deli, stages, pavilions, an extensive trail network, two backcountry airstrips, rental cabins, plus floating and fishing on the pristine Mulberry River. All of this is located on our private 800-acre ORV park surrounded by the Ozark National Forest.
$10 - $22 / night
$5 - $245 / night
What a beautiful park, although it’s really spread out and you’ll need you an e-bike or bike to ride around. Lots of bouldering, hiking, overlooks, and tall pine trees! There’s something for everyone. I would recommend loop a for the best views and most spaced out spots. Very friendly hosts, clean bathrooms, visitors center is new and outstanding.
Nice quiet campground with a nice lake, vault toilets, no electricity or water Wildlife in the area. We were able to listen to a Barred Owl before going to sleep, mature pine trees giving a lot of shade
The trail was okay, but showing signs that it wasn't being maintained properly anymore. From litter found all along the trail to parts of the trail not being maintained. Even some of the stones placed to make walkways are coming out of place.
But inside was worse...
The old white lady working the giftshop was absolutely horrible. While we were still shopping, this woman embarrassed us asking loudly çare yall planning to pay for that, while we were looking at the stuffed animals, and making us look like shoplifters. I absolutely recommend against spending a single dollar at that store, and I've previously spent decent amount of money there, but no more. I recommend avoiding the main building entirely, and that will me my recommendation until they fix this problem
This was our second spot on our trip we just needed a quick place to sleep for the night before we left back to Oklahoma and we were very delighted with this one. Clean showers and restrooms on site. Very clean sites and nice flat ground for our tent. We were a little close to a busier road but it didn’t bother us that much and all of the other campers were quiet and respectful. Overall a nice little place but be mindful it’s not secluded or anything as several people were there at the lake with their RVs but it looked like a great spot for families to have fun.
The campground is a hidden gem. The RV and primitive camping are clean and well-maintained. The bathroom/shower requires a passcode to enter and is always clean to use. It's a great escape for off-roading and overloading. Be sure to stop by the Oark Cafe in Oark, Arkansas, which is a 25-minute drive from the campground. They serve one of the best burgers in Arkansas (Wednesday-Sunday).
Very nice campground, mostly flat land for RV and primitive campground. The bathroom/shower house is very clean to use. This area is great for getaways, off-roading, or overloading.
Nice place to camp. Just no signal. Also a little expensive for me but others may not think so!
Fantastic smaller campground minutes from Mount Magazine. It seems to be overshadowed by much larger, better known places like Devils Den, so it's fairly quiet even when it's 'busy.' We also learned that it has new management as of this year (2024), a young family that's extremely hands-on.
We stayed as a group (three families with 7 kiddos total, ranging from 6-15), across two adjacent sites: 1 & 3. You could see the lake from our sites, but they don't sit right over the lake like some do. With so many kids in our group, we actually wanted that. Sites are extremely spacious and well spaced from each other, and would feel even more private later in the season when the trees are full. Bathrooms are simple pit toilets, but clean and well-maintained.
Boat rentals right onsite, concessions, even a small beach area! We will 100% be back. No cell service whatsoever with Verizon.
I am extremely disappointed with our recent stay at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park in Ponca, Arkansas. After a 7.5-hour drive, we arrived on June 29, 2024, eager to enjoy a week-long stay. Unfortunately, our visit turned into a nightmare within just one hour of our arrival. While setting up our 5th wheel trailer, there was a loud pop followed by smoke pouring out of our TV. Thankfully, my husband was able to unplug it before our trailer caught fire. To our dismay, none of the outlets on one side of our trailer were working, and our TV, microwave, and fan were all fried and non-functional. We immediately contacted an employee who came to our site, inspected the outside meter post by looking at it, not testing it, and nonchalantly stated that since there was no smoke coming from it, the problem must be on our end. When my husband asked for immediate assistance, the employee told us we would have to wait two days, until Monday, and go to a nearby town to find someone to help us. This response was unacceptable and showed a complete lack of concern for our safety. Moreover, the employee had the audacity to shame us by asking if we had a GFI power surge protector plugged into the meter. None of the other RV sites had this, and in our 23+ years of camping, we have never encountered such an issue. Feeling unsafe and unsupported, we decided to pack up and drive the 7.5 hours back home, after being at the site for just one hour. The lack of assistance and options provided by the Buffalo Outdoor Center was disheartening, especially considering we were in a completely different state with no information on what we could do. Upon arriving home, we hooked up our camper at our local campground, and everything worked fine. We also went on another camping trip to a local RV campground, and again, everything worked perfectly. This clearly indicated that the surge was on Buffalo Outdoor Center's end. When we requested a refund, they refunded all but one day. This is unacceptable considering the distress, inconvenience, and financial loss we endured, including having to purchase a new TV, microwave, and fan. Our experience at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park was nothing short of a disaster. The lack of customer service, concern for our safety, and willingness to provide immediate assistance was appalling. We will not be returning and cannot recommend this RV park to anyone.
There is not a lot to do, and it is pretty far from the city. However, there are big RV sites and amazing sunsets. There is also a lake nearby.
Dog friendly.
There are lots of nature trails, but none very long.
Lots of ticks, tricky to get good starlink connection.
Beautiful campground. Site was not level front to back but plenty of space. Even ate at the restaurant which was nice.
I found everything to be absolutely amazing! Ive also wanted to visit pettit jean , and when i finally did it was so much more than i even imagined. Beautiful, stunning, and can’t wait to visit again!!!!
Our campsite was perfect. It was near the lake with full hook ups. We had plenty of space and one side was woods.
Gorgeous!! We enjoyed our stay. We had no service, but the lodge was so nice to be able to do homeschool and work. Everyone was super nice.
PROS
No reservation transaction fee
Senior discount
Quiet
Moveable metal picnic table on a concrete pad, pedestal BBQ grill, fire ring with cooking grate, and one hook lantern pole
Site 14 partially shady
Good condition asphalt parking pad with gravel and grass surrounding
Good view of lake from Site 14
Sites well spaced
Campground A toilet/shower building clean and sufficiently stocked. Heated but not air conditioned.
Site 14 more than long enough for trailer and tow vehicle
Dark sky friendly as there are no street lights in Campground A
Very nice 6ft wide asphalt bike trail from Campground B to Mather Lodge
(approximately 1.75 miles) CCC Hike and Bike Trail
New Visitor Center built 2021
Beautiful CCC built Mather Lodge
(restaurant added in 2012)
Grass throughout campground mowed
Firewood sold in the yards of residences along State Road 154
CONS
Site 14 extremely unlevel side to side
No privacy from other campsites
No entrance security gate to the park or any campgrounds as State Road 154 cuts thru the park
No park ranger drive thrus
Mather Lodge Restaurant OK. Don't expect much from the menu or service but it has a full bar
3 of our 4 day stay there was a religious group prophetlytizing at the Park Visitor Center WIFI only at Lodge and Visitors Center
NO TMOBILE service
Out of the Arkansas State Parks that we have already visited, Woolly Hollow has been the best!! It’s a very beautiful park!! The sites are all asphalted and the bathhouse is located in the center of all of the sites so access is easy. I wish we could have stayed longer but we are planning to go back once the water level of the lake gets up and can swim.
Great get away close to the Ozarks. Clean, quiet, beautiful views!
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.
This is one of my favorite camping trips! The scenery will blow you away. The park has amazing overlooks for those of us that are not big hikers and some trails that are not too long. I recommend hiking sticks because even the shorter trails can be rocky but it is worth it! We drove to every overlook. There are shady areas to enjoy the view and have a snack/lunch. Each area was different so do not skip them!
We did Rock Cave and Bear Cave Trails that stated the difficulty as "easy". Both trails had obstacles and were not a walk in the park. Take your time and watch your step. I used a walking stick and my partner for support at times. It was slow going in some areas and younger people zoomed right past us. That was okay! The Cedar Falls Overlook was a boardwalk and accessible for strollers/walkers but it was still a little ways to go.
We camped in our pull behind camper in loop D. Our site was great except it was steeper than anticipated. Be aware of the site you book and come prepared with extra chocks, blocks and/or stabilizers. Our site was spacious and clean. The bathhouse was also clean and well maintained. We drove through the other loops for reference. Loop A looked good all the way around. Loop B looked new, as if all sites are full hookup with smooth, paved drives including a parking area. Loop C was very woody and wild compared to B! Its worth mentioning again...find campsite pictures online so you know what you are booking.
I highly recommend visiting this park! We have already a booked another stay for next spring.
Beautiful! So peaceful. If tent camping, sites 17,14,16 have the best views of an overlook. Cabins 11 and 14 have great views as well.
This was a gem of a campground. Large spacious camp areas with full hookups. Level sites. Many of the campers were fishing Dardenelle lake. 2 bath facilities and a small beach within walking distance. 2 boat launch areas.
Super cool paths, views and community. Tons of historical value and it's obvious that Arkansas cares about it's forests, natural resources and outdoor communities. Tons of people everywhere no matter where you venture off to though.
This is a great place to visit . Trailers under 20’ only , steep road and switchbacks up the mountain . No RV’s will make it . Also home to a Monument Trail mountain biking system that’s is world class . There is a swimming pool showers and hiking for days . Only the park store is on top of the mountain . Hike in camp sites are available , group sites and 30 amp hookups with water . Some sites are a little un level . Spend some time here , you will not regret it . Most cell carriers work well up here
Stayed two nights here. Loved it. My one recommendation is that you bring a lot of water hose. I had 50’ and it wasn’t enough. The water was located way at the front of the site and I couldn’t access it. And it was impossible to get my site level. My neighbor had the same issues.
This park is great. It had hiking trails and a CCC hike/bike trail, an antique automobile museum, lots of scenic overlooks, cabins, a lodge, an amazing visitor center and restaurant. I had the best time here. Lots of Civilians Conservation Corps architecture. They built the whole park with the exception of some of the newer cabins .
What a beautiful park! Spacious level site. Clean bathhouse. Rangers were very helpful and knowledgeable about the park. Plenty of adventures to be had (Cedar Creek falls, Seven Hollows Trail, etc.).
Tent camped in spot E-2. And easy walk to the bathroom/showers and beach area. Spot is less than 20 feet from lake with easy access for fishing and launching kayak. Perfect spot for watching sunrise and sunset.
Beautiful place to visit and camp. So much history of CCC camp in this area. Plenty of waterfalls and trails to find.
Camping near Hector, Arkansas, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to explore.
Camping near Hector, Arkansas, offers a variety of experiences, from serene nature to family-friendly activities. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Hector, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hector, AR is Petit Jean State Park — Petit Jean State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 100 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Hector, AR?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Hector, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
