Best Equestrian Camping near Helena-West Helena, AR

We camped at Village Creek State Park in the Crowley’s Ridge region of Arkansas over Labor Day weekend. We booked two class B RV sites - one for ourselves and one for my husband’s parents - in advance. On our way to camp we got a call informing us that they had accidentally deleted one reservation assuming it was a duplicate (same name), and that there were no longer two sites together in that loop. They offered to re-book us in the only section that still had side-by-side campsites available. Village Creek is a somewhat unique park in that has an Equestrian Camp offering with stables, exercise corrals, water, mounting blocks and the like available for those who would like to travel with their own horses. While it was not what we originally booked, staying in “Horse Camp” was really cool and different - a BIG hit with our kids. The park has over 30 miles of equestrian trails and is a popular destination for horse owners. While all of that made for really cool atmosphere, the sites themselves left a lot to be desired. It almost looks like major erosion has occurred since these sites were first built - at every site in this loop, the picnic table and fire ring are IN the woods, and often partway down a ravine, with lots of brush, branches and vines hanging around them. We tried to use the table and fire ring on our first night and abandoned it for the rest of the trip. Our inlaws’ table was in such a dangerous location that we couldn’t access it at all, and we quickly realized was a cozy home for copperheads. Our water hookup had a wasp nest inside it. All of these details made it hard to relax as we were constantly on our guard with our kids and dog. We checked out the other camping areas and they were in much better shape, recently renovated and with full hookups. The trails at Village Creek were BEAUTIFUL. There is a particularly stunning trail that includes one of the most well-preserved sections of the Trail of Tears. This made for both an lovely hike and a history lesson for our seven year old. The Crowley’s Ridge region of the state is home to unique geological formations, soil and plant life unlike anywhere else in Arkansas. The Big Ben Nature Trail offers a great opportunity to identify these unusual plant species and is a short, easy hike. However, erosion is a big issue on the ridge, and sections were somewhat washed out after recent heavy rains. There are two small lakes that are popular with anglers. A couple of boat ramps are available for fishing boat launch. There is a small swimming area for campers only, but this lake is not great for swimming as it is pretty muddy. Take lots of bug spray in summer, and maybe only consider horse camp if you HAVE a horse. It’s worth a walk through in the morning or late afternoon when riders are tacking up or returning from rides.

Very nice place to stay. Quiet. Serene. Peaceful. Glad we stopped in for the week. The staff, Vicky, Nina and others, made us feel very welcomed. We had a small issue with our site and they were very accommodating in helping to resolve it. Thank You! There are plenty of places to stay that are very nice, from just water and electric to full hook-up. They even have an equestrian area if you have a horse. The restroom/bathhouse are cleaned daily and well kept. Many campers used it for their morning shower! There is lot's to do, if you wish. You can hike, bike, fish, boat, rent kayaks or just walk around and enjoy the peaceful setting! Heads up.... The Verizon cell service is sparce. We bought the Via-Sat WIFI svc for a few days while here. It's a bit pricey so be prepared. It's has a decent download but a slow upload.

This huge park and campground area were easy to find. Check in was a breeze and we headed to back-in site 56 with FHUs. Backing in was easy in this premium campsite with stand up bbq, separate fire pit and patio. The sewer is at the back of most of these long pads so you need about 20’ of sewer hose. There are 3 campground areas in the park, A, B, and Equestrian. Area A is situated at the bottom of the hill that leads up to Area B and the Equestrian camping. The 2 loops of A sites are a little closer together than the B area. We definitely preferred the B area up on the hill. Site 56 is one of the best(spacious and private) sites in the park. Another good site is 65, though its near the main campground road, it has privacy the way it backs to the woods. We were here during a mid April weekend and there was not a horrible amount of vehicle traffic moving about. All the campsites in our little cul de sac were spacious. Directly across from us were 2 long and straight pull through sites, 58& 59. There’s also another cul de sac loop where sites 42-49 reside. That loop is where the swim beach and a play ground reside. All sites are pretty nice with 47 having the best lake view over the swimming area. Heads up on site 48 as this back-in has a pretty steep incline with evidence of asphalt scars from longer rigs. I wouldn’t put anything over 35’ in that site. We walked through the equestrian area and the campsites were very nice with horse stables available. We got 1 bar each on Verizon and AT&T. You can pay for WiFi but we did not. We got a fair amount of OTA channels. With all the tree cover satellite could be iffy in a lot of sites. The sites along the road between the two B loops have a pretty good shot to the south sky. We saw deer near our campsite plus evening visits by a raccoon. We would definitely stay here again.

Bring your horse, bring your bike, bring your yak and pole, decisions, decisions. Camping areas and day use are more or less on seperate sides. Horse camping complete with covered stall area and trail. Camp sites are spacious and bath houses co located. Well maintained areas and friendly helpful staff.

It was such a lovely place. Beauty everywhere we looked! We stayed in the horse camp which was WONDERFUL! People were pleasant, lots of horses and children, simply magical. There was a Halloween party which we opted out of because we had travelled all day. All The children in the campground sure were excited. Great thing to remember if you have littles.

We loved our stay at Viilage Creek State Park. It was beautiful! We rode our bikes all over the park. It was so green, so pretty and lots of area and trails to walk and enjoy. It had its own equestrian camping area as well. The sites were large, full hookup and there was lots of wildlife. We would definitely go back!

There are nearly 100 sites here at Village Creek State Park. They are Spacious, paved and well maintained. The campground is spread out on plenty of land. 2nd largest park in Arkansas in such a tiny town. Many deer walking freely at night. Water and electric hookups, bathrooms and a museum too. They have concerts occasionally here in the big field. Cabins are great too above the rim of the lake. Many hikes to take here and so peaceful. There are stables and horse trails as well as mountain biking. The park is located in Wynne, Arkansas. I have visited here many times camped in RV and stayed in the cabins. The rangers are always friendly and it is close to my relatives in Forrest City.

This was our first stay at an AR state park and it will not be the last! Making a reservation was easy, staff were hospitable, and check in was a breeze. We chose to stay in Loop B which offers all concrete pads and both water and sewer hook up. The campsites were very well kept and spaced apart nicely. The bath houses were well maintained. The park is large and offers a number of opportunities for activities but we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out around our site by the lake. Highly recommend this park. We will be back for sure! A few FYIs: park was very dog friendly! Big plus, loop A does not offer sewer hook up and some pads are dirt, loop C is the equestrian loop with stables, pens, etc.

Lots of spaces, tons of trails, nice and flexible staff and very affordable. I was clear I had to have connectivity to stay and they let me come out and pick my spot before staying and gave me my.best options.

I'm up in the horse campground which is fine and. The only camper here. The bathroom is warm, water hot and all clean so frankly, with 33 miles of trails, we are staying and working for the week. I had to reply my starlink to get online and it took a few tries to find a workable direction but I did and plugged in to the bathroom which they said was fine. Spent Sunday exploring this huge place.

Village Creek is becoming one of our favorite campground that is close to home! Great for hiking, fishing, kayaking and general outdoor activities!

Choose from 3 different campgrounds within the park: The Lower Loop is more rustic and offers water & electric hookups. There is a nice, small creek that runs along the back of the campground behind the sites opposite the main road. Plenty of flat ground for football, baseball or badminton. Very nice “suite style” bathrooms.

The Upper Loop has larger camp pads with full hookups. There is walk up water access at the end of the cove between sites 46 & 47 with a swim beach (looks like it is about to undergo some renovations) and playground. The bathroom is extremely clean.

The Horse Camp looks nice, but I don’t know any details on that.

The park office offers WiFi (very limited cell service in the park), wood for sale, ice for sale, other snacks and bike rentals.

Several tennis courts, a basketball court and a baseball backstop can also be found within the park. There is also a beautiful golf course for the golfer campers!

General: This large state park has three camping loops, including one equestrian loop, for a total of 96 sites. All sites are reservable up to a year in advance (we usually try to camp during the off or shoulder season, but it was still necessary to make reservations as the loop filled up by the end of the day). Absolutely no cell service in Area A (weak signal in Area B) but you could purchase mediocre WiFi for$8/day (no thanks).

Sites/Facilities: The sites are spaced a good distance apart even if there is no physical separation between them. We stayed in Camp Area A but after checking out Camp Area B the next day, I think that loop would be more desirable as it is on Lake Dunn with some of the sites having filtered water views. Sites have a long, paved driveway, picnic table, and fire grate, along with a water spigot and electric hookup. There are also 10 fully outfitted cabins and a lodge.

Bathhouse: Both camp areas have two bath/shower houses. During Covid, they alternated closing one each day to clean and sanitize it. They were very clean during our stay.

Activities/Amenities: As for activities, there are two lakes for fishing and boating, tennis courts, golf course, and a large network of multi-use trails. I hiked the Lake Dunn trail, and it was well marked with blazes on the trees. There was a playground in Area B although it appeared to be closed; there was no playground in Area A.

Conclusion: There was an occasional train but the noise was not too loud. Village Creek is a nice park and campground, even if we didn’t partake in all of the available activities.

We stayed on a super cool double decker campsite in Loop A. This particular site wasn’t very level for a camper, but we made it work because we wanted this site! It would be super cool for several tent campers to use. We love the privacy of the suite style bathrooms! There is a creek that runs behind sites 1-22. We explored behind the single digit sites to check out the creek. Not sure how much water is in it during the summer, so it could be a mosquito trap!

We took a wonderful guided hike on a portion of the trail of tears. I hear the golf course is amazing, but we didn’t have time to check that out. The park offers several planned activities throughout the day. They also offer tennis courts and 2 different lakes to fish! Boat rentals are available, but we didn't look into any of that. They have wood for sale at the office.The Class AAA campground (loop B) was really nice. Loop C is a Horse Camp. The only draw back was that we had absolutely ZERO cell service (AT&T). Zero. Zilch. Nada. 

We really enjoyed our Fall Camping trip here and love the proximity to Memphis. It was only about an hour drive for us.

Village Creek has nearly 7,000 acres of forest hills, 33 miles of multi-use trails, playground for children, 2 lakes, Andy Dye designed 27 hole golf course, & visitor center & gift shop. The park has cabins as well as rv sites.

There are three main campgrounds: Loop A (no sewer hookups & mostly dirt pads), Loop B (full hookups & concrete pads), and an equestrian campground with stable facilities. Multiple bathhouses located throughout the park; however, in Loop A the bathhouse as you enter the loop has hot showers, where the lower Loop A bathhouse only has cold. As for the bathhouses they were clean and up to date.

The sites in Loop A were not level and some were very steep. Loop B sites seemed to be mostly level. All the sites contained a picnic table and fire pit.

We stayed in Loop A site 23 at the very end of the loop. This site was probably the steepest site at the park and we had difficulty getting our camper completely level. There is also a sign at the end of the loop that states this area can have storm damage and to watch for falling trees. While we were there a tree limb fell not even 20 feet from our camper and broke in two. If your willing to take a risk though this site is secluded and more private and right at the entrance to the Lake Dunn trail.

This campground also has no cell service or internet. You can pay to have internet and they have different options available but to get cell service you either need to leave the park or find the right spot and stay still.

Pros: •Beautiful campground •Multiple trails to hike •Two lakes to fish in and designated swim areas •Clean bathhouses and showers •Ampitheater with multiple education programs •Rent kayaks/canoes, fishing boats

Cons: •No sewer in Loop A area •Watch for falling tree limbs •Ticks and other insects-do tick checks and bring insect repellent •No cell/WiFi service

Great facilities. First time at an Arkansas state park and impressed.

PROS 

Senior discount 

No fee assessed to make on-line reservations 

Quiet 

light view of lake from #57 

Site 57 has no site next to it or behind it 

Good distance between campsites 

Dark sky friendly except for sites near toilet/shower facilities where there is an actual street light 

Climate controlled toilet/shower facility in campground B 

Both campground B toilet/shower facilities very clean with ample supply of TP, soap and paper towels 

Wood picnic table (on concrete pad), pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire ring with cooking grate and metal lantern hook 

Wide roadway in campground B 

Small playground 

Access to lake swimming area from campground B 

Trash receptacles at toilet/shower facility 

Lots of deer


Smaller Walmart in Wynne AR 

Pops Grill in Wynne real good

CONS 

County burn ban in place upon arrival but no signage anywhere alerting of ban. We saw the Arkansas burn ban website and inquired upon checkin if it was enforced and park clerk affirmed ban but we saw many campers had a wood fire burning all the time. So without any signage we understand the confusion and noncompliance. Park should at least place burn ban signage at campground entrance. 

Site 57 unlevel side-to-side 

No cell service. 

No public phone in park. 

Parks signage states WiFi at park visitor center could be used to make phone calls. We found this not true with our T-MOBILE service as we purposely went to the visitor center to make a WIFI call. There is WIFI at visitors center but only one bar and too weak to transmit a call. So if there is an emergency after visitor center is closed and you need to make a call, good luck, as there is no public phone nor any camp hosts. We drove approximately 8 miles towards Wynne to get sufficient cell signal to make calls and connect with internet. 

Only free WiFi is at park visitor center. We purchased WiFi from park vendor Viasat $20 unlimited for 3 days for one device. Viasat delivered a good signal within 200 ft of toilet/shower facility so it was useless in our campsite#57. Don’t waste your money! Sewer connection at rear of site pad so bring the looooong stinky slinky! 

Pets not kept on leash 

No security gate closure overnight

Our favorite campground ever! Everything is clean and beautiful. There are 14 full hookup sites that all have a water view, some actually by the water. Very small campground but up to date. We go here 4 or 5 times per year!

Absolutely a hidden Gem! Amazing views and everything is so clean and beautiful! We were even able to spot an Eagle!! Just perfect in every way.

Beech Point Campground is an amazing lakeside spot. Our site came with a bench to view the lake and tent pad is in the perfect spot. It was peaceful and provided the perfect place to recharge our batteries! The bathrooms were very nice. Throughout the campground, sewer hook-ups are available.

 Very nice wooded campground and good space between campsites. We took one of the hiking trails to a lake within the park. We only stayed one night but would definitely consider returning.

Very nice park, NO cell phone service though (C-Spire).  Enjoyed the hiking trails and views.

This park was stunning the drive though a little narrow at times was scenic from the drive to the RV site. Pull Through with own area not to close to other sites. Also a short walk to the lakeside beach and park.

Two things l loved:

1. The site setup is a really nice paved driveway with perfect patios area private and plenty of space from neighbors.
2. The stunning views with multiple deer walking close by but not too close.

Nice campground along rt 65, surrounded by river on three sides. The campsites are not immediately next to the water, but still close enough to enjoy. You can see a lot with a very short walk and the drive is also pretty.

Yay: very peaceful place, some educational programs, kayaking, fishing, small hiking trails, quite clean

Nay: very open and sunny. The water can be dangerous so talk to the rangers.

Surprise: Go in autumn!! It’s open all year.

It was a pleasure camping in our RV at Village Creek. We were initially given a spot in loop A, but moved to loop B to be closer to the playground and lake. Loop A was about 2.5 miles away - park is huge! The bathrooms in A looked brand new and really nice. In B, they were more average, but I still enjoyed a nice hot shower. If you have kids, definitely stay in B. Park staff was very accommodating about switching our site, and it no doubt helped that the park wasn’t very busy midweek.

We ended up in a spacious, level pull through site with a little patio with a picnic table, grill, fire ring and lantern hook. There’s a little beach swimming hole there and a lot of space to run around.

There is a lot of wildlife living in the park and the insects are no joke. Make sure to do tick checks when enjoying the hot showers!

The roads leading to this campground are fantastic for bikers, and the lakes have produced state record fish. It's well maintained, and has a lot of options. Not the biggest or best park in the state, but a good one, with plenty to do, and usually not very heavily populated, even by the locals.

Only an hour from Memphis, this campground is VERY nice - three camping areas, two lakes with boat rentals, 6 cabins, and a gorgeous 27 hole golf course. It is always well kept, the staff is pleasant and they have a small store at the visitor center.

We went on a Monday, and it was quiet and peaceful. We checked in at the office, bought some ice and drove around to look at the scenery. Lots of deer, and squirrels. There are day use pavilions, a swimming beach, boat dock, and lots of trails. Our campsite was near Lake Dunn Trail head so we decided on that one. It was absolutely beautiful in the evening and in the morning. Signs warn to be prepared entering the trails, as it is a 33 mile trail system. The campsite was well kept, and clean. I did not have phone service at all, but I was able to pay for wifi. $8 for 24 hours.

This is a huge Campground with lots of available activities such as hiking on the Trail of Tears, boating, fishing... the RV sites are flat and they have water and electricity, the bathrooms are clean, the staff is friendly and the area feels safe. There is a dump station as she exit each Campground loop. We had no signal on ATT but there is free WIFI by the office which you can connect to day or night.