Tent camping opportunities near Holly Grove, Arkansas include several primitive options in nearby wildlife management areas and state parks. Mike Freeze Wattensaw Wildlife Management Area offers free dispersed tent camping with multiple sites scattered across the area, while Delta Heritage Trail State Park Campground provides designated tent sites with more basic amenities approximately 30 miles southeast of Holly Grove.
Campers at Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA should look for small signs marking "designated camping areas" along gravel roads. The sites feature variable terrain with some located near ponds and others in more wooded settings. No drinking water is available, and the gravel access roads can be rough in places. Road navigation can be challenging, with multiple turn-offs from the main highway and sometimes unreliable GPS directions. Sites are primitive with no facilities, making this suitable for self-sufficient tent campers prepared for backcountry conditions.
The walk-in tent sites at Delta Heritage Trail State Park Campground offer more structure with tent pads, picnic tables, and fire pits at each site. A camper noted, "This place has nice pads to put tents on and picnic tables and fire pits at each site. Only 10 sites though and it is first come first serve." These sites provide vault toilets and drinking water access at the visitor center. Both camping areas experience significant mosquito activity, particularly during warmer months, making bug spray essential equipment for tent campers. Sites at Delta Heritage are shaded, providing relief from summer heat. The primitive nature of these tent camping options offers a quieter experience compared to developed campgrounds, with multiple reviewers noting the peaceful surroundings and natural setting, though road access and navigation challenges require advance planning.
"Soft ground. Quick to get to off highway"
"This is a Wildlife Management Area and believe this to be a fairly large spot for camping, boon docking, hunting, fishing etc...."
$13 - $15 / night
"This place has nice pads to put tents on and picnic tables and fire pits at each site. Only 10 sites though and it is first come first serve."
"We were on motorcycles so they let us drive them to the campsite otherwise they are a walk-in it's a really short walk."
"Everyone spends their days out on the water but there’s some trails too and tourist attractions outside the park for all ages. The lake has a lot of inlets to explore by canoe."
"The site was right on the water with a good amount of space between us and the next site. There were less than 20 sites I'm guessing which made for a calm atmosphere."
TravelerSuper quiet, not equipped for many activities. Some covered picnic tables interspersed. Outdoor cooking allowed unless there is a fire ban. One small commercial washer and two dryers available. Water and electric 50 amp at each site. Dump station. Showers and rest rooms are nice. Great overnight for travelers and good price, $25. Propane available. Ok stay if visiting casino.
LegendPROS
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
Guidevery nice spot found it quickly at night. Soft ground. Quick to get to off highway
GuideIt 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!
Legendlove this place camp here alot nice roomy sights plenty of shade ,quiet and relaxing. plenty of wildlife showers were cold but covered picnic tables, fire ring,grill ,paved level spots and it is closed in winter opens back up in March went by today 1-12-2021 and saw pelicans
RangerArrived after hours to Campsite area A (sites 1-41). Note: reservation app does was not allow same day reservations, so find "available" site and pay at kiosk at visitor center. Hard to see park at night but in the morning found clean restrooms and shower --a happy find. Park offers nice large sites for tent and RVs with power, water, picnic table & fire rings. Really nice campgrounds with golf and equestrian facilities near by.
GuideThis was one of the last parks available on the Memorial Day weekend. One of the great things for us was the proximity of some Arkansas State Parks such as Cane Creek and Arkansas Post. First we were in E campground and it was not very well taken care of. The pads for the campers were starting to become covered up with grass and tree debris. Our picnic table has a corner busted off and the water hydrant was combined for two sites to one hydrant spot. Our 25 ft hose was too short so we borrowed a hose from the camp manager till we were able to buy another 25 footer. There was no showers in E and the restrooms were just toilets, no sinks to wash your hands. We were told by several people that we would be all but guaranteed to see an alligator but we never did. Not that they aren’t there, we just never got that lucky. The dump station is probably a mile and a half from the campground so if you have a grey water tote tank that you pull behind the truck like me, expect a fairly long drive. Overall it was an ok park but the campground E was definitely on the decline. Other campgrounds seemed to be in better shape but still sad that part of the park is in such shape. I would not put this on the top of my list but it’s not the worse either.
Legendwe stayed in e10 Thanksgiving 2020 it was very quiet only 2 other campers in our area .it looked more like an overflow area had some broken picnic tables and bathrooms had no shower but it was great now area a,c,d where awesome showers, great views really nice park along of wildlife
GuideI stopped here for one night with a travel trailer and was in site B-01 for $16. The sites are spacious. For example, the water hookups are half way between the sites to be shared, and my 50ft hose just barely could reach. It is pet friendly and we had fun sitting on a dock and watching the cargo boats. There is absolutely no cell phone signal and no WiFi, so have physical directions on you. The park is only a couple miles from Arkansas Post National Memorial which was very beautiful and worth a visit.
Tent camping opportunities near Holly Grove, Arkansas center around the Delta Heritage region with several primitive options within 30-40 miles of town. Located in the flat Mississippi Alluvial Plain at about 190 feet elevation, the area features numerous waterways, seasonal flooding patterns, and thick hardwood forests. Most sites experience high humidity with summer temperatures often exceeding 90°F, creating challenging camping conditions during peak mosquito season from May through September.
Fishing opportunities: Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA contains multiple ponds suitable for fishing. According to Sky R., "There was a large pond with nearby primitive camping for free... Ducks, beavers, frogs and more."
Trail hiking: Delta Heritage Trail State Park Campground offers access to a developing rail-trail. Hook C. noted, "The staff is very knowledgeable and kind. Small place, mosquitoes were bad other than that it was great. We were invited to watch them feed the pet snake that was caught in the area."
Wildlife observation: The natural wetland environments support diverse bird populations. Jennifer H. reported at Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA, "It wasn't too buggy this time of year and we only saw two other cars passing by. We were able to make a little fire pit and were happy to see it so well kept with no trash."
Solitude and quiet: Many campsites offer isolation from other campers. Daniel S. shared about Wattensaw WMA, "From what I can tell, there is noone else out here. There is some highway noise in the distance at the site we chose, however, there were many other sites that were farther away."
Affordability: Most camping options are either free or low-cost. Andrew K. described Wattensaw WMA as a "very nice spot found it quickly at night. Soft ground. Quick to get to off highway."
Natural surroundings: Maple Flat Group Campground offers a rustic camping experience. Shana D. mentioned, "Large trees, lots of moss and no overgrowth make this a beautiful place to explore for an hour or so. There is (1) vault style toilet in the center of camp."
Navigation challenges: GPS directions to dispersed sites can be unreliable. Tavi C. warns about Wattensaw WMA, "You cannot trust either Apple or Google maps to get you here by these coordinates... The reason the reviews are so disparate, is because there are dozens, if not hundreds of campsites over what I'm guessing is hundreds if not thousands of acres of woods."
Site identification: At Wattensaw WMA, campsite markers can be difficult to spot initially. Jennifer H. advises, "There are a ton of campsites down the gravel road and they are well marked. There are signs for designated camping and the trees have a blue ring painted around them, so it stands out."
Access road conditions: Road quality varies significantly between camping areas. Janice R. reported about her attempted stay at Wattensaw, "The road access is gravel, but LARGE gravel that we are surprised didn't ruin our tires. Flies so thick we didn't want to get out of our truck."
Permit requirements: Some areas require documentation. At Beagle Club Road Pull-Off, Rachel S. observed, "Noticed a sign in the morning that said hunting, fishing, or camping permit required but no one came by to check."
Shade availability: Families will appreciate protection from summer heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Holly Grove, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Holly Grove, AR is Mike Freeze Wattensaw WMA with a 4.2-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Holly Grove, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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