Best Tent Camping near Hector, AR

This park is pretty much spotless. I tent camped in the fall and loved it. All the tent sites have a gravel pad, picnic table and fire ring. Lots of trees to set up your hammock. They have a swim beach and small boat rentals in the summer. There’s a nice paved walking trail too. I highly recommend.

Lake is nice. Didn’t catch many fish though. Swim area is very well kept. Adorable pedal boats. Tent camping sites are right at the entrance on the road. You have to park in the parking lot and carry all your stuff to the camp ground. Definitely don’t recommend using a tent site at all. The entire park is very well kept and very clean. Park staff were very nice and helpful. Mountain biking trail is in good condition. North loop was even good for my 8 year old while I did trail running. Cute little state park.

Great state park. Checked out Arkansas high point of course. Hike some trails, enjoyed the views and rock formations. Tent camping area was very clean, with nice flat tent pad surface to set up tent on. Also ate a very nice meal on Easter Sunday at the lodge. Saw several deer while we were there. Definitely recommend this state park to others. Hope to go there again some day.

Arkansas’ first and most popular state park. Lake with rental boats, trailer and tent site loops, lodge/hotel/cabins. Outstanding natural features, some of which are easily accessible. Very popular in the fall. Big waterfall with rugged trail to the bottom. Can’t see it all in a weekend!

We have tent camped there many times. Definitely a favorite place for gorgeous views, good Ranger-led Activities and great hiking. The lodge is amazing.

Great place for hiking and taking in nice variety of views at Arkansas's first state park. Cabins can be rented, RV & tent camping sites available. Modern bath houses with showers and toilets were clean. Cedar Creek flows through this park and Cedar Falls is impressive. We were there in late March and the creek was flowing good after recent rains. But it can be only a trickle during dry periods. Enjoyed the trail along the creek. Another nice view was from a point looking down over the Arkansas River and valley below.

My husband and I tent camped here in November. Pretty cold at night but the weather was perfect for the hikes which were absolutely stunning. We had a delicious breakfast with a view at the lodge. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

The Buffalo National River in northeast Arkansas was the first National River. The river runs for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. When paddling the river you'll pass by some steep canyon walls. There are a number of developed as well as primitive areas to camp. We stayed at the Steel Creek Campground which had a large open field for tent camping. It was surrounded by a groove of trees that ran along the river. There's plenty of space for tent camping and some space for hammock camping, but all the sites are available on a first come first served basis.There are some great hiking trails in the area, but the real attraction is the river and the opportunity to paddle it. In the small town of Ponca (pop.13) there is an outfitter/gas station where you can get equipped and arrange shuttle service for a drop-off and pick-up paddle trip. When hiking around the area you'll often hike in the surrounding mountains which overlook the river. It lends perspective to see the topography up close and personal while paddling the river as well as from a distant while hiking in the mountains.

I tent camped at site 61 in 2015:

• We were pretty close to all the amenities and the campsite checkin/store
• There is a nice, flat tent pad
• Grill and fire ring were nice
• Paved driveup spot
• It wasn't very crowded; the two sites across from us filled up, but that was about it

I would 100% stay at this site again.

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.

Located along Forest Road 132 (Winona Scenic Drive) in the Ouachita National Forest, Saline County, Arkansas. Flatside Wilderness Area located across the road from the site. Access to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail located nearby. Free dispersed site, no facilities. Rock fire ring. Should be enough parking for 2 vehicles. Suitable for tent camping, car camping, truck camping & van camping. Mostly level. There was plenty of firewood left by the fire ring. Camped here in February; very quiet. Only 2 vehicles drove by. Had a few bars of T-Mobile service.

This a a great park with direct access to the Buffalo River and hiking trails including one with a cave to explore. The Rangers are very helpful and a great resource for new visitors.

The park has RV sites, walk-in tent sites and group sites.

The tent site that we had was great. (Site 37) It was right by the water with tons of room and a nice, level ground. Some hammock trees were nearby as well.There was a shared water spigot near the site.

You park in a small lot behind the tent sites and carry your things a short distance.

The bathrooms were clean, but they were quite a distance from the tents. This was my one and only complaint about this SP.

In the warmer months, starting in May, they rent out kayaks, paddle boats, and canoes. There is also a small concession stand you can order from.

My husband caught one fish while we were there from our camp site. It’s very handy being that close to the water.

There is a great hiking trail around the lake. About 3.5 miles if you combine the cabin trail with the Huckleberry trail. It was an enjoyable hike. There were people of all ages enjoying it.

We would definitely camp in this spot again!

Beautiful river among bluffs and forests. This campsite does allow reservations so it’s the safest bet for your trip through the park in the summer. There are some walk-in tent sites too but you won’t be very far from your car. Nice and simple campground, clean, actual hot showers.

This is a fantastic state park on the top of Mt. Magazine. Some really cool hiking trails. Fall is an amazing time of year to go while the leaves are changing colors. The overflowing camping area probably has the best tent spot to camp overlooking the valley. There are black bears in the area so use caution. Sites provided bear boxes to lock up food and scented items if tent camping. Go! It's a beautiful place to visit!

Typical State Park Campground. They have 3 separate loops with approximately 15 sites in each. The sites are shaded, but VERY close together without anything in between.

They also have a late check-in box, in case you arrive after hours without reservations (us).

Minus our tent camping neighbors arguing into the night (not the campground’s fault) it was a nifty last minute spot to sleep for the night!

This park is by far one of the most well taken care of parks I have ever visited. Accommodations for everyone. Tent camping, yurts, rv campground, cabins, the lodge rooms, if you can't find something that suits you its on you not the park. Lol. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Hiking trails for everyone. Waterfalls, caves, canoeing, fishing, and even have gift shops. So much to see and do here. Highly recommend.

There are a handful of tent sites, a primitive bathroom, and direct access to the Buffalo River. 

There is limited shelter during bad lightning storms.  The road in is very dicey and a long way off the main road. Does provide a good place to take out or start a canoe trip and it is free.

Near Oak Mtn Vista overlook. Great spot; fantastic unobstructed view of the hills to the south. Some shade in the summer. Fantastic view during the winter season. Large site; can comfortably accommodate 2, maybe 3 rigs - truck camper & smaller. Not level; some leveling is required. Dirt surface with exposed embedded rock - may be uncomfortable for tent camping. Close to road, which can get busy at times. Nice rock fire ring. Clean site. T-Mobile cell service.

This was our second trip to Woolly Hollow. The first time was in April, and the trails and waterfalls were better maintained and more beautiful in April. We still enjoyed our trip though. They have great trails for hiking and mountain biking. There is a nice swimming area with a shop to order drinks/snacks. The park rangers and staff were super friendly and helpful. The bathroom facilities were clean. Although we stayed in the RV camp area, the tent camping area had some great sites, some right on the water.

the drive in is something you have to be thoughtful about. I went with a group from my school and we had vans and it was a very rough gravel road. so this is definitely more of a tent camping spot. It is in a valley and is quite beautiful. we stopped there on our way from backpacking the buffalo river trail and it was a great stopping point. There are bathrooms but no showers. there is a fee to stay in the camp but is not ridiculous.