Best Campgrounds near Hot Springs, AR

Campgrounds near Hot Springs, Arkansas span from well-maintained national park sites to state park facilities on scenic lakes. Gulpha Gorge Campground in Hot Springs National Park provides tent and RV sites with electric hookups within minutes of the historic bathhouse row. Lake Catherine State Park and Lake Ouachita State Park offer more diverse accommodations including tent sites, RV hookups, cabins, yurts, and glamping options approximately 10-20 miles from downtown. Catherine's Landing, a private RV resort on Lake Catherine, features premium amenities including boat rentals, a swimming pool, and zip lines for visitors seeking more luxurious accommodations.

Many campgrounds in the Hot Springs area are open year-round, though summer months bring higher temperatures and increased visitation. The region's developed campgrounds typically require reservations, particularly for weekend stays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Most established sites include water and electric hookups, with some offering full sewer connections for RVs. Hot Springs National Park's Gulpha Gorge operates on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservation option, making early arrival essential during peak periods. As one visitor noted, "Arrive early! Basic, well maintained and close to Hot Springs. With close proximity to the town, this campground is well maintained and convenient but lacks in privacy."

Waterfront camping locations receive consistently high ratings from visitors to the Hot Springs area. Lake Ouachita State Park, about 30 minutes from downtown, offers sites with lake views and water access. "A short drive from Hot Springs you will find this park with amazing views. The best tent sites are closest to the water. The park has a marina where you can rent boats, kayaks and paddleboats," according to feedback on The Dyrt. COE (Corps of Engineers) campgrounds like Crystal Springs and Twin Creek on Lake Ouachita provide more primitive experiences while still maintaining basic amenities like flush toilets and boat launches. Many campers appreciate the balance between natural settings and proximity to Hot Springs attractions, allowing for days spent hiking park trails or exploring the historic downtown followed by evenings at lakeside campsites.

Best Camping Sites Near Hot Springs, Arkansas (191)

    1. Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park

    75 Reviews
    Hot Springs National Park, AR
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 620-6715

    $34 / night

    "There are not a lot of National Parks located smack in the middle of a town, but Hot Springs is an exception."

    "With close proximity to the town of Hot Springs, AR, this campground is well maintained and convenient but lacks in privacy. I stayed here as an overnight while driving north through the Midwest."

    2. Lake Catherine State Park Campground

    83 Reviews
    Jones Mill, AR
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 844-4176

    $15 - $25 / night

    "I am quite fond of the state parks in Arkansas and this was a clean, quiet, beautiful and safe location near Hot Springs. I was very happy that I could also bring my dog."

    "We stayed in site 54 (w/e/s) that was right on the lake. We could walk to the dock right behind the site to fish, although did not have very good luck."

    3. Lake Ouachita State Park Campground

    47 Reviews
    Mountain Pine, AR
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 287-2757

    "A short drive from Hot Springs you will find this park with amazing views. The best tent sites that are not close to the water are 82, 83 or 84; however, we recommend the ones closest to the water."

    "One of the best lakes/ parks I’ve visited. I went to Arkansas to visit the Hot Springs National Park, and left wishing I had stayed longer in Ouachita rather than visit Hot Springs."

    4. Catherine's Landing

    25 Reviews
    Hot Springs, AR
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 262-2550

    "Well kept park on Lake Catherine right outside of Hot Springs. It has a quiet remote feel with easy access to sightseeing in Hot Springs."

    "The park is set on 400 acres with one mile bordering Lake Catherine and about eight or nine miles from downtown Hot Springs. "

    5. Hot Springs National Park KOA

    22 Reviews
    Hot Springs, AR
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 624-5912

    "Laundry was a bit small especially in a world of social distancing but clean. You have to drive through the entire campground to get to the lower sites."

    "Very nice place to stay if you want for hook , Easy access to Hot Springs"

    6. COE Lake Ouachita Crystal Springs Campground

    45 Reviews
    Royal, AR
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 991-3390

    $14 - $80 / night

    "Nice lake with beach area. Playground for kids. Clean restrooms. Some of the sites are small so check the length. Not far from Hot Springs."

    "Great hiking the lake is always fun.  It is near enough to Hot Springs.  Also near plenty of quartz mines.  My favorite place in Arkansas."

    7. Treasure Isle R.V. Park

    16 Reviews
    Royal, AR
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 767-6852

    $45 - $95 / night

    "Very quiet, beautiful area, and lots of attractions in Hot Springs. The Office has been kind and helpful."

    "Sites are very level and it’s convenient to Hot Springs National Park. All sites are pull through and some are located on Lake Hamilton."

    8. DeGray Lake Resort State Park — De Gray State Park

    31 Reviews
    Bismarck, AR
    17 miles
    Website

    "This weekend we camped at DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Bismarck, Arkansas. We had a blast! DeGray Lake has a lot to offer for groups large and small wanting to get away."

    "Great ranger led boat tour of the lake. Lots of nice level sites. Super cool yurts for rent that have the best views! Arkansas has the best State Parks!"

    9. J and J RV Park

    8 Reviews
    Hot Springs, AR
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 321-9852

    $41 / night

    "It is right on a little creek, and there are turkeys somewhere nearby. The RV Park is very very close to Hot Springs National Park, and there is an amusement park right across the highway."

    "It’s a short drive to Hot Springs to see the attractions"

    10. Stephens Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Mountain Pine, AR
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (501) 767-2101

    $30 - $50 / night

    "River is close by with playground. Booked up fast for us on the weekend. 20 to hot springs."

    "After we settled, we self-registered per instructions on the information board at the entrance."

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Recent Reviews near Hot Springs, AR

1084 Reviews of 191 Hot Springs Campgrounds


  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 7, 2025

    Cherokee Park (Arkansas River) — Arkansas River Rockefeller Lake

    Best Corps of Engineers campground

    A beautiful spot with both lakeside campsites and shaded sites. All spaced for plenty of privacy. Each site has  power and water. Bathrooms are clean and have showers. $26 per night or $13 if you have a federal pass. I used my senior lifetime pass. Strong cell: 3 bars of 5G Verizon.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 6, 2025

    FR94 Dispersed Campsite

    Peaceful site in the Quachitas

    Coordinates: 34.86190,-92.90667. Camped here Sept 9, 2025. Large dirt and grass site; very clean. May accommodate a truck camper or 2 smaller vehicles. Mostly level. Tent and hammock camping possible. No privacy from the road. The site has a rock fire ring. The site is surrounded by forest with the Flatside Wilderness Area just across the forest road. There are no hiking trails near the campsite, but there are opportunities to stroll and explore in the forest. The site is mostly shaded; Starlink connectivity may be a challenge. AT&T LTE service. Sporadic T-Mobile service. Quiet location. No one drove by during our stay. Note that there are a couple of dead trees in the middle of this site; choose the position of your vehicle and/or tent carefully. The Flatside Pinnacle hiking trailhead and parking for the Ouachita National Recreation Trail are located 3/4 of a mile north of the site along FR94. The forest roads approaching the site from the south are in good condition. In my opinion, I don't recommend anything larger that a truck camper. The approach from the north, however, is not as good. FR94 and FR805 are eroded at the higher elevations; lots of exposed embedded rocks. I believe a 2wd passenger car can very carefully get through this area with air-downed tires.

  • Benjamin S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Toad Suck

    ACOE Toad Suck

    Great little campground. Decently maintained. Most of the sites have concrete pads big enough for a couple tents. Solid concrete picnic table with a roof over it was nice. Parking was not very level but our 38ft schoolie fit fine with enough room for our car.

  • mThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2025

    COE Lake Ouachita Crystal Springs Campground

    Must visit !

    Beautiful campground! Sites are spacious. Area is clean and lots of things to do. Near Hot Springs so we did a lot of exploring there.

  • Kenneth F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2025

    Hot Springs Arkansas Finish Line RV Park

    Nice little park

    This is a nice little gated park. Close to the national park in Hot Springs Arkansas. And right next door to the flat track/casino. It’s pretty new, but not really any extra amenities. 20/30/50 amp full hookups. Concrete pads, and paved streets. Laundry and bath house. Inexpensive. We’d definitely stay here again!

  • Ray & Terri F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 18, 2025

    DeGray Lake Resort State Park — De Gray State Park

    Very quiet and secluded CG

    We have a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and stayed in site 12 for 1 night in mid September. The CG is clean and well maintained but showing its age. The CG roads are paved, but narrow, winding, and fairly bumpy in spots. Few if any of the sites in this section of the CG were anywhere close to level and our site, one of the few pull-throughs, was one of the worst, I mean seriously sloped even after ratcheting up the front levelers as far as they’d go. The CG is very quiet and peaceful. There was only one other camper in this section of the CG while we were there. 

    AT&T coverage was basically nonexistent with 1 bar of LTE service but very little if any throughput. The CG is heavily wooded, so Starlink was unusable.

  • alicianlv The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Crater of Diamonds State Park Campground

    Diamond Mining Fun

    What a lovely state park campground. Sites are just close enough not to be crowded. Facilities on site were clean and well maintained. Nice to have a hot shower after mining for diamonds. Will make note that best time to come is October-November. Visitor center was somewhat dated, would have thought they would have basic food stuff and more camper supplies. Other than that it was a nice place and we will come again!

    PS if you have a dog who likes to dig this is a nice place for them to help you dig.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Toad Suck

    Lock & Dam

    Small clean campground. Some spots are very private Some not so much. Spots are large. Great views of lock. Multiple playgrounds and pavilions. Basketball, volleyball and store across the street.


Guide to Hot Springs

Lake Ouachita offers camping spots near Hot Springs, Arkansas with over 40,000 acres of clear water and 970 miles of undeveloped shoreline. Most campgrounds in the area sit at elevations between 600-800 feet, creating moderate temperatures that range from mid-30s in winter to upper 90s in peak summer. Sites along Lake Ouachita's eastern shore provide the quickest access to Hot Springs attractions, typically within a 20-30 minute drive.

What to do

Water activities at Lake Ouachita: Lake Ouachita State Park Campground offers boat rentals directly from their marina. "You can rent boats onsite and you will want to! Clean and renovated facilities, nice and simple," according to Lynn G. The clear water makes for excellent swimming and fishing opportunities.

Zip lines and adventure courses: Catherine's Landing features an elaborate climbing and ropes course on property. "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," shares Taylor D. Rates for the zip line start at $45 per person with advance booking recommended.

Hiking trails: Several campgrounds connect to trail systems with varying difficulty levels. "We enjoyed hiking the Falls Branch Trail with my nieces (8 and 10 years old). I would highly recommend this trail," notes Alison C. about Lake Catherine State Park. Many trails are under 5 miles, making them accessible for day hikes.

Crystal hunting: The Hot Springs area is known for quartz crystal deposits. "We went crystal digging at Coleman which was also unbelievable," mentions Ber M. from Crystal Springs Campground. Several commercial mines within 30-45 minutes of Hot Springs allow visitors to dig for crystals for $20-25 per person.

What campers like

Waterfront access: Campers consistently rate sites with direct water access highest. At J and J RV Park, guests appreciate the small creek that runs through the property. "Nice views and love the river stream flowing along the camp sites," Josh H. notes. Many sites offer fishing access directly from camp.

Clean facilities: Bathhouse cleanliness gets frequent mentions in positive reviews. "The facilities were clean and well kept. I did laundry and took showers during our stay - they were fine for us - nothing fancy but we had plenty of hot water and clean facilities," reports Mitch at J and J RV Park.

Proximity to attractions: Campgrounds within 10-15 minutes of downtown Hot Springs receive high marks for convenience. "This is a beautiful spot to camp on a nice creek in the mountains. No showers all sites have sewer. First come first serve only. No reservations," explains Heather S. about Gulpha Gorge Campground.

Wildlife viewing: The wooded settings around Hot Springs support diverse wildlife. "Exceptional wildlife, amazing sunsets," says Lynn G. about Lake Ouachita State Park. Campers regularly report seeing deer, eagles, and various waterfowl, especially during early morning hours.

What you should know

First-come, first-served limitations: Gulpha Gorge Campground in Hot Springs National Park doesn't accept reservations. "Beautiful location next to a stream, although the sites are tightly packed in comparison with most state and national parks. Lots of hiking trails accessible from the nearby trailhead," Patrick M. explains.

Lake temperatures vary significantly: Lake Ouachita's temperature changes considerably based on depth and season. "The lake was gorgeous! I wish we had more time to walk trails, but we were just stopping for the night," notes Hannah L. The main lake body remains cool even in summer, while shallower coves warm more quickly.

Cell coverage inconsistency: Service varies widely between campgrounds. At Stephens Park Campground, "We got 2 bars on Verizon, which was manageable for internet and phone calls," reports MickandKarla W. Many campgrounds have better reception near entrance areas than at individual sites.

Limited grocery options: Most campgrounds have basic stores with limited supplies. "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," explains Roxy V. about Hot Springs National Park KOA. Stock up on supplies in Hot Springs before heading to more remote campgrounds.

Tips for camping with families

Sites with play areas: Lake Catherine State Park Campground offers family-friendly amenities. "We took my nieces on a weekend trip in our camper to Lake Catherine State Park. Our campsite backed up to the lake, so we had a great view. The campsite was a great size and well spaced out from our neighbors. There were trees to hang our hammocks," shares Alison C.

Educational programs: Several parks offer ranger-led activities. "Ranger programs, educational displays, swimming beach, cabins and traditional tent/RV camping," Lynn G. notes about Lake Ouachita State Park. Most programs run Thursday through Sunday during peak season.

Best swimming spots: Look for designated swimming areas with gradual entry points. "The lake is beautiful with very ragged edges and islands so there is a lot to explore by boat, plus two or three hiking trails that take you to a lovely overlook," Lynn G. explains about Lake Ouachita.

Fishing access for kids: Campgrounds with fishing piers provide easier access for young anglers. "We fished at night for catfish and caught what we needed. The campground is pet friendly. My dogs are like my kids and they had fun," Melanie W. shares about Crystal Springs Campground.

Tips from RVers

Site leveling considerations: Many campgrounds in the Ouachita Mountains require leveling blocks. "We stayed in A35 which is a triple A site with level site with all the trimmings! Wooded campsite with adequate shade, picnic table, fire pit and raised grilling station," Don L. shares about Lake Ouachita State Park.

Hookup placement: Water hookup locations can be unusual at some campgrounds. "The water spigot was in the back of the site away from the sewer and electric so we needed about 30' of water hose," notes MickandKarla W. about Stephens Park Campground.

Water pressure regulation: Some campgrounds have high water pressure that requires regulation. "Recommend using a water pressure regulator, one of my pipes started leaking from the pressure," warns Josh F. about J and J RV Park.

Dump station access: Not all campgrounds offer full hookups or convenient dump stations. At DeGray Lake Resort State Park, "Our campsite was a great size and well spaced out from our neighbors. We had trees to hang our hammocks," according to Alison C., but some RVers note the need to plan for dump station timing during busy checkout periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Hot Springs, AR?

According to TheDyrt.com, Hot Springs, AR offers a wide range of camping options, with 191 campgrounds and RV parks near Hot Springs, AR and 33 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Hot Springs, AR?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Hot Springs, AR is Gulpha Gorge Campground — Hot Springs National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 75 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Hot Springs, AR?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 33 free dispersed camping spots near Hot Springs, AR.

What parks are near Hot Springs, AR?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 31 parks near Hot Springs, AR that allow camping, notably Ouachita Lake and DeGray Lake.