Best Tent Camping near Hensley, AR

Recent Tent Reviews near Hensley, Arkansas

431 Reviews of 6 Hensley Campgrounds

• 

  Shannon W.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2018

  Hot Springs National Park KOA

  Close to everything!

  If you’re tent camping, beware! We had a torrential downpour and all of the runoff rainwater runs right into the tent sites. They were accommodating at moving us into a cabin but obviously at a higher nightly rate.

  The campgrounds are close to everything there is to do and very clean!

• T

  Tammi

  Traveler

  

  May. 29, 2022

  Little Rock North KOA

  Campsite 1

  Location good. Site: one tent camp site. Which was Off to self. Had covered picnic table (all of which was positive to us) Power and water. Bathrooms; great. Clean warm showers. 1(favorite baths of trip) Arrival; very nice folks.

• 

  Nancy F.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 21, 2021

  Hot Springs National Park KOA

  Wonderful Experience

  This was our family’s second camping trip in a tent and our first Fall/cold weather experience.

  We arrived well after midnight and had no trouble finding our reservation and tent site. The campground is well-lit, the tent pad was level and clean, and the bathrooms were incredibly clean. It’s also very close to the national park and Bathhouse Row.

  The highlight though (especially for our kids) was the staff, especially Emmitt. He showed our kids where to find quartz (our son is obsessed with finding rocks), provided great suggestions for things to do in town, and even gifted our kids a neat piece of crystal (which was probably the highlight of the trip for them!).

  We are now hooker on tent camping, in large part thanks to our great experience here. We’ll be back for sure!

• 

  Roxy V.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2020

  Hot Springs National Park KOA

  Nice Campground

  We stayed here only as an overnight on our trip cross-country trip, but overall nice campground. It is about 20 min off the main highway. Things close up early here and once off main highway there really is nothing as you drive to the park. Make sure you come in with all of your supplies otherwise you will be driving back out a ways for groceries, supplies, etc. Everyone there was very friendly- families, seniors, etc. We were late check-ins and they were extremely accommodating by placing our paperwork on the check-in board for us. Even in the dark our site was easy to find. They offer RV, cabin rentals, and tent sites. We tent camp and the pad was of good size with a fire ring, picnic table and pea gravel. Most all of the tent sites are located with tree shade above them (note: not enough trees that you could hang hammocks or tarps though). There is a small pond that looked as though they allow family fishing in. "Grandpa's Griddle" is a small kitchen on site that they offer home-cooked breakfast to be purchased from in the morning. Mostly simple items: biscuits & gravy, breakfast sandwiches, eggs & bacon, etc. The restrooms / showers were all very clean. We did not go in to the National Park, but it looked very pretty from what we could see. The view of the mountains in the morning was very pretty to wake up to.

  Pandemic note: Even though the pandemic was still going on (visited on 5/28/20-5/29/20), no one was really wearing masks here. We did since we were traveling but were the only ones I saw.

  The photos are of the pond and some of the super cute vintage RVs that we saw there.

  I would recommend staying here.

• H

  Heather

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 1, 2021

  Willow Beach

  Lovely weekend

  This was a nice facility, not for RVs than tent camping. Great play ground but quite a walk for bathroom facilities if tent camping.

• 

  .! E !.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Hot Springs National Park KOA

  Perfect!

  The tent site was perfect! With fire pit, power, and water. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean.

• 

  Jake B.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 3, 2021

  Maumelle Park

  Maumelle Campground

  Camped here at a tent site. Clean heated bathrooms with a shower, and we had a great spot on the river! No complaints, good spot while driving through Little Rock on a road trip!

• 

  Shannon M.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 10, 2019

  Lake Catherine State Park Campground

  Great weekend getaway!

  My husband, myself, our dog and two friends tent camped for the weekend. We were lucky enough to have a site on the water. It's a nice park we hiked, rented a canoe and did some swimming. Very peaceful and nice campground. We will be back for sure.

• a

  andrew P.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 9, 2022

  Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park

  Great site

  I stayed at two different sites for two separate nights in a tent. Both of these sites had minimal space for tent camping and barely fit my tent, but it works. However, it was beautiful because I could sit and look/listen to the creek. The bathrooms were well maintained, landmarks for sites were obvious, and the volunteers that work there were incredibly helpful and nice.

• 

  Ariel & John W.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 5, 2020

  Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park

  Beautiful, clean, great location

  Beautiful, clean, great location. Camped here in Feb 2020, right on the river. Full hookups, mostly back-in but some pull throughs. Paved, level. Tent sites, too. Clean bathrooms, little camp store. Close to town. Would camp again.

• P

  Penny B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 1, 2023

  Little Rock North KOA

  Only 1 Tent Site on the property !

  It was great. I have the only tent site they offer. It’s away from the RV area. The couple that runs the KOA are super friendly. There is a pool but not open for some reason. Small dog park. Camp store. Clean. And an ice cream shop! The only drawback is it’s close to the freeway and you can hear a LOT of traffic.

• 

  Catherine C.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 25, 2019

  Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park

  Adequate

  This campground was pretty and it was clean. Arrive early because it is first come first serve and gets full. Sites are close together but overall I have no complaints. Apparently there is $10 primitive camping, but I did not see it and in the office where you pay (by machine) all I saw were $30 flat rate for all sites. So it’s quite expensive to tent camp here. No showers, but a relatively clean bathroom.

• 

  Lindsey M.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 8, 2024

  Hot Springs Offroad Park

  Cheap, Convenient, & Fun!

  Car camped at tent site to visit HSNP and trail ride. Staff were plentiful and friendly. My only issues were noise from a fast road near my site, walking distance from sites to restrooms, and most sites seemed quite tight for SUVs/trucks to park within. Even so, I highly recommend checking out this place. I really enjoyed my nights here and hours in the woods!

• 

  april W.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 25, 2024

  Little Rock North KOA

  It works for a pinch

  Arrived in town looking for somewhere to tent camp, found here. It works for a night Pros: Clean bathrooms Friendly evening staff and wife is friendly Has a small store with basics Wifi Laundry area Cons: Quite noisy with city noise Camp store is expensive ( 2 Gatorade, a pack of. Hot dogs, buns and ketchup came up to 13 dollars...and. Mustard was almost 6 dollars.... Tent area is more of a storage area We had it to ourselves, which was nice, but, felt as if we were the unwanted guest in the park. At $38 dollars a night, we felt it's not really worth what they ask.

• 

  Lucy N.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2018

  Lake Catherine State Park Campground

  Great for water sports and fishing.

  I rented a yurt one night and a tent site the next night. The yurt was clean, spacious and comfortable. We arrived a lot later than I planned (1:30am!) and the code for the yurt didn't work, so I had to rustle the night watch. The next night I got a spot on the lakefront. It's pretty, but there's a big factory building across the lake and at night you can hear generators, which I assumed was from the factory, since it was an electric loop. You can hear everything in a tent. My main disappointment, not being able to hear nature at night. Otherwise, it's beautiful.

• 

  Monica C.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 5, 2023

  Catherine's Landing

  Amenities Galore in the beautiful Ouachita River Valley

  We stayed in a lovely cottage at Catherine’s Landing Resort on Lake Catherine. As we approached the resort, we were greeted by towers of green. The hills of the Ouachita River Valley envelop the immaculate property. The property offers large pull-through RV sites, tent sites, yurts, and cottages. The resort is right on Lake Catherine and very close to the 800-acre Lake Hamilton. Amenities include a pool, splash pad, zip lining, a ropes course, disk golf course, boat ramp and slips, catch and release pond, golf cart rentals, workout room, free popcorn, and yard games for check out in the gift shop. Check out my full review at ChampagneOnDeck.com

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 23, 2024

  FR132/152 T-Junction Dispersed, Ouachita NF, AR

  Convenient Dispersed Camping 2 Miles from Lake Sylvia

  Large dispersed campsite located 2 miles west of Lake Sylvia State Park, where Forest Road 152 meets Forest Road 132. Clean site with one rock fire ring. Can fit a couple of vehicles. Because of the position of the trees on the site, maneuvering a truck camper into the site may be a challenge; don't recommend anything larger. Tent camping is possible. This is a level dirt site with some embedded rocks jutting up. Nice wooded area around site to stroll through. Seasonal track FR132C is adjacent to the site; this track is hikeable. Since the site is at the intersection of popular forest roads, there will be vehicles driving by. The site is set back enough that dust may not be a concern. No T-Mobile cell service. This is convenient, pretty campsite.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 14, 2022

  Brown Creek Cascade Dispersed Campsite

  Free dispersed camping in the Ouachita National Forest

  Popular dispersed campsite in the Ouachita National Forest. Only one site; not a campground. Located on the gravel Brown Creek Road in Perry County, Arkansas. The South Fork of Brown Creek runs behind this campsite. Located next to the trailhead for Brown Creek Cascade - a short 1/4 mile hike (includes a creek crossing). This campsite is suitable for tent camping, car camping, camper vans & truck campers. Two vehicles can easily fit on this level site. There are other dispersed sites along Brown Creek Road. The site is close to the road; there's a large mud puddle covering one of the 2 entrances to this site. 2-wheel drive passenger cars can make it to the site. Large pine trees on the site. Hammock camping is possible. No water (except for creek). No toilets nor showers. No trash - take out what you bring in. May need to hike a ways in the woods to find firewood. Large rock fire ring on site. No AT&T and T-Mobile cell service. Very quiet; no vehicles passed by during the night. The sound from the creek was soothing.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 19, 2024

  FR132-Grindstone Rd Dispersed, Ouachita NF, AR

  Nice semi-private dispersed campsite near Ouachita Trail

  Coordinates: 34.84175, -92.97123.  Good dispersed site set back from Forest Road 132. The site is located at the corner of FR132 and Grindstone Rd (Y47A). Grindstone Rd is closed to all vehicles at this time, but it is hikeable. The Flatside Wilderness Area is accross FR132 from this dispersed site; easy access to the Ouachita Trail. The site has room for one rig. Access into the site from the forest road is a little eroded; non-high clearence vehicles may scrape. Access into the site beside the rock fire ring is tight. Best for rigs smaller than truck camper. The site is not quite level; some leveling may be required. Clean site with a clean rock fire ring. The area surrounding the site is wooded; plenty of shade in summer. Surrounded by beautiful forest; easy to explore. Tent camping is possible; the surface is not too rocky. I had sporadic T-Mobile cell service. I am looking forward to retrurning here, especially in the fall, early spring and winter.

• 

  Cheri H.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 29, 2020

  Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park

  Beautiful campground with a creek running right through it

  Convenient location. I stayed here in a 30’ Class C motorhome. It’s first come, first serve RV/tent site campground sites and you pay at an automatic kiosk. $39/night unless you get the senior discount. Lots of road noise from the Gulpha Gorge Road. Lots of 18-wheelers and commercial vehicles use it to cut through to and from Hwy 7 to Hwy 270. Lots of traffic day and night. You don’t notice it inside but you can really hear it outside and especially if you’re in a tent. I recommend a hike up to Goat Rock. Lots of trails start right past the amphitheater. You can hike up to the mountain tower or downtown. The interior sites can be tight and there is no bathhouse but the creek sites are spacious and very nice. The picnic area is clean and nice too. One caveat lots of foot traffic here. People (non campers) just walk through your campsite. This area also sees a lot of day use traffic. All in all though I really like it and it’s a great place to make your base camp especially if you enjoy hiking.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 9, 2025

  Forest Rd 179 Creekside Dispersed

  Large creekside dispersed site

  Coordinates: 34.82029,-92.82184. Large creekside dispersed campsite located on a rocky, bumpy track, about 150 yards east of Forest Road 179 (aka Wildcat Mountain Rd). If going southbound on FR179, the track is on the left immediately after crossing a bridge. The track may look sketchy to some drivers, but I drove down it okay in my Subara. Good spot for car camping. The site itself is very rocky, so it may be uncomfortable for tent camping. There are trees for hammock camping. There are 3 large rock fire rings. This site is prone to flooding. The site appears to be popular and well used. There are no hiking trails, but the access track passes the site and continues along the creek - good for an easy stroll. Tried fishing here, but no luck. I do know from previous experience that there is fish in the creek. The creek is nice for a summertime dip when its running high. The site is mostly shaded; may be difficult to get a Starlink connection. I received no cell service. This is a pretty nice site, offering some privacy from the forest road and a wonderful sound of the creek.

• 

  Taylor D.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 26, 2020

  Catherine's Landing

  Summer Camp for the Whole Family

  Gorgeous setting on pristine Lake Catherine close to historic Hot Springs. I was in lakefront site 123 for one night but would have liked to stay longer. The water front sites near the boat dock were my favorite and easy to back into. All sites appear to be spacious with grass and fire pits. The canoe, kayak and boat rentals are in good condition, the paved sites and roads are very smooth and level, the office/lodge and facilities are definitely above average here and quite modern. While the setting is gorgeous on its own, this park has spared no expense on their facilities. The pool and adjacent waterfall are 5 star resort level. The climbing and ropes course is enormous and will make any kid’s jaw drop in disbelief. There’s an affiliated zip line just outside of the park. The hiking paths are lovely and wooded, and the tent campsites are on their own in a grassy meadow away from the RVs. The Yurts looked very nice from the outside. The shower rooms are large and stone tiled, however it looks like the ceiling needs some drywall attention or is amidst a construction project during my stay.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 15, 2018

  Lake Catherine State Park Campground

  Camping on any terms tent, cabin, rv all with comforts and outdoor play

  Let me just start this out by saying, selecting a spot in Arkansas you are overwhelmed with options. State parks flourish and individual campgrounds seem to be countless. When traveling to the Hot Springs area It was a toss up as to which location would bear suit my journey, not only as a campground but as a part of the adventure. I elected to try Lake Catherine State Park, located just 10 miles outside of Hot Springs.

  What sold me on this site were the numerous hiking trails, but what surprised me when I arrived were the lakeside water rentals located on premise as well as the actual beach recreation area.

  I arrived later in the day and quickly made my camp in the primitive tent area. These sites have no water or electric hook ups however a very nice restroom facilities within 100 yards. They also boast a playground for the kids, not the only of the site. I was greeted by other campers and the sense of community was high at this facility.

  My campsite included a table and grill and was nearby a fire ring. The area was much flatter than many camp areas and made for a quick site selection. In the distance deer grazed as the sun was setting.

  The next morning I ventured toward the marina and was excited to find they have numerous boats for any level of experience available. Larger units available for full or half day use and smaller units for full or half day along with by the hour.

  Hiking trails were my next stop after learning of the various skill levels including ADA accessible, moderate and difficult.

  In addition to primitive camping the park offers RV and non-primitive tent camping. Also available are Yurt and Cabin rentals.

  Office contains limited food and beverage options as well as supplies for lake visitors and a full picnic area overlooking the beach. Bathrooms and washrooms are scattered throughout the park and are kept impeccably clean with high water pressure.

  Cell signal was good even on the remote trails during my stay.

  This is by far one of the nicest parks I have camped not only on this journey but on any. Staff was knowledgeable about the park and others of the state and very helpful.

  🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰

  Easy 5 of 5 Bunnies. I will return!

• 

  2SHOE S.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 27, 2018

  Lake Sylvia Recreation Area

  Easy getaway from Little Rock

  Lake Sylvia recreation area offers a lot of fun and relaxation within an easy drive from Little Rock. We ate dinner in town at Izzy's on Highway 10, and got to the campground with enough time to set up before dark.

  The primitive camping loop is especially attractive and not a single soul was utilizing it last weekend. Even those tent camping seemed to want access to the electrical outlets on the main loop. Or possibly the hot showers: the primitive sites have their own bathroom with lights and plumbing but the showers are not heated except in the main bathhouse among the hookups sites. The sites in the primitive loop are $5/night lower than the sites with water and electric.

  The main camping loop is nice for small to medium campers. No Class A rigs here. Nobody claimed the campsite on either side, affording us plenty of privacy, and just a short walk to the bathhouse. We enjoyed the hiking trails around the lake, and hiking a short way up to the Ouachita Trail.

  The swim beach is a great spot that is used as a day area. There are also fishing spots down the bank. The rules say that dogs are not permitted at the day use area, but we saw a couple of dogs with their owners and the ranger who drove by either didn’t notice or didn’t enforce it, I guess. Which isn’t a big deal, except that I wish they’d either enforce it or change the rules to match the practice. If it’s permitted I’d have brought my own dog to join in the fun instead of leaving it behind.

  Several paces up a trail from the campground is a small amphitheater with a wooden stage. It looked like an awesome place to set up a portable projector for a movie night.

  If this campground were open year round, I would give it five stars - with access to good hiking here (including the Ouachita Trail), it is a shame that the campground is closed in late fall and early spring. Its website even states that the best time to visit is Fall-Spring. Still a wonderful place to try; just make sure you check that it's open before you go.

• 

  Keith W.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Donna's Hammock Hideaway

  Wild hunting trip!!!

  I’ll start by telling you a story.. my friend and I have always wanted to go to Arkansas to hunt. So we finally got our chance and headed out. We planned on roughing it  a little and stay in tents. When we got close to grant county Arkansas we found this place on the map. Omg!! When we got there and saw “” Donnas Hammock Hide away”” We could not believe our eyes !! It should be called “Donnas major junk yard”!!!! One thing about it is. In a year or two, when we get over the shock it will be something to look back and laugh about.

• 

  Heather N.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2018

  Catherine's Landing

  Better RV

  We did have a great time with the camp grounds! The lake was beautiful and very natural. However if you like roughing it and being close to the water, you better have an RV of some sort or you'll miss the good spots. The tent areas were in a disk golf field. No really ideal for your dogs if you are in a tent. they really like RV owners better. But the all in all very nice, swimming pool, hot showers, and electric. Let's not forget the zipline that's also there but extra. Loads of natural trails! Have fun in ARKANSAS

• K

  Kim B.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 30, 2016

  Cane Creek State Park Campground

  Cane Creek State Park

  Ok this is the most beautiful place we’ve found in Arkansas with kayaking among the trees and flowers. They have tons of events like moonlit full moon kayak, we didn’t get to do it - next time! They have all kinds of boat rentals here including some with motors. The camp sites have trees and shade, water right next to your tent, wasn’t too much of a trek to the bathrooms and shower houses, which were clean and modern.