Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Hot Springs National Park, AR

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. Great camping site, enough space for two tents. Beautiful trails to hike and bike. The fishing was equally as good.

Typical national park facilities, but I just expected Hot Springs national park to be cooler than it was. It doesn't live up to the grandeur that other NPs make you expect.

We stayed here Spring Break 2021 and had a wonderful time. Our site was on the water at the end of the swim area. The kids spent hours in and out of the Kayaks on their own. Great hiking, close to Hot Springs National Park and some scenic overlooks, clean enough bathrooms. The campground was full and plenty quiet. We had a wonderful few days.

Gulpha Gorge is a great campground. There are lots of good hiking trails in the Hot Springs National Park. While they do have nice restroom facilities, they do not have showers. The campsites are first come (not reservable). The sites could be a little better spaced apart, but it is still a nice campground. There are mountain biking trails and a disc golf course just up the road at Cedar Glades Park, which is nice.

Beautiful brook side campgrounds right on the Hot Springs national park. Camp sights are first come first serve at noon (find an empty sight, claim/park, and pay at the front) and all drive up standard sights. Good for tenting, hammocks, or RV. All sights have power/water/septic, fire pit, and picnic table. Connects to the park trails so it’s great for hiking. Can easily go up the mountain or walk into town. Has bathrooms, but no showers.

Nothing but great things to say about Lake Ouachita State Park. We were headed that direction to visit Hot Springs National Park, but chose to stay nearby at Lake Ouachita. It was phenomenal! The views were breathtaking, the bathrooms were pristine, the trails were glorious! We decided on a walk-up campsite and did not regret that decision at all. We brought our pup with us and she had a blast too! Next time, we'll be sure to bring kayaks or paddle boards and take off right from our campsite. We will for sure be back!

I'm giving four stars just because the campsites were nice and there were a few trails that were okay to hike. In my quest to visit every national park I've come to expect amazing hikes and scenic views and lots of nature. Unfortunately, Hot Springs National Park is primarily a historical site. I was not at all interested in Bath Row and it seems to be the primary feature of this park. If you're looking for something akin to RMNP or even Mammoth Caves, this probably isn't your idea of a good time. If you ARE looking for some history featuring natural hot springs, definitely stop by.

I prefer to stay in COE, USFS, NPS and state parks but for my first time in a commercial park this wasn’t bad. It accepts Passport America so I paid approximately $17/night. Has cable, WiFi, full hookups and a very nice bathhouse. 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. It was a nice shelter in a storm (literally a huge thunderstorm system rolled through the area) so it was nice to just hang out and relax. No complaints and would definitely stay again. This is a great RV park.

We had a great time! Yes there is a huge power plant across the lake but it didn’t bother us much. We had a water view site #032 loop B and there are many more. If you want to avoid the view of the power plant a bit , pick water edge site 25,26,27.

We were able to put our kayaks in right at our site and swim in the lake too. Nice trees for our hammock . There is a hike along the lake that leads to a waterfall where we could swim. Visited Hot Springs National Park, and this is a nice campground that is nearby.

This park is on a little peninsula that juts out into Lake Ouachita, the largest lake system in AR. It’s near the edge of the giant National Forest and close to Hot Springs National Park. 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. There are a few different areas to camp, some are very close to the water and some are a little further.

Yay: ranger programs, educational displays, swimming beach, cabins and traditional tent/RV camping. You can rent boats onsite and you will want to! Clean and renovated facilities, nice and simple.

Nay: campsites are not very private, make sure you have a boat!

Surprise: Exceptionally lovely views, good wildlife, amazing sunsets.

We used this State Park as our base camp for visits to Hot Springs National Park and Garvan Woodland Gardens

We stayed in the walk-in section of the park. It was not a far walk from the parking lot and easy to transport gear. There was also a bathroom with-in close walking distance.

The campsites themselves had a tent pad, a table, and fire ring. There were two communal water spouts along the path that were shared by the 12 sites.

The sites aren't too close to each other, which allows you to have some privacy.

Each site can have a maximum of 8 people on each one.

The walk-in sites are on a peninsula, which makes for great views, but the wind can be an issue.

The Park itself also has a play ground, a marina, a beach, a spring, cabins, and geocaching.

I really enjoyed my stay here! I spent a week in an E/W hookup site. The park was clean and quiet (even when full). People were generally kind and respectful. Facilities were well cared for and it was just a generally nice atmosphere. The staff were all very kind and friendly. There are a few close hiking trails with some beautiful views and of course it’s only about a 20 or so minute drive to Hot Springs National Park. The town of Hot Springs is fairly small, but the main drag along bathhouse row has a lot of cool little shops to browse. Cell reception with Verizon was good along with reception for my T-Mobile 5g internet. It worked even better with my booster. I would definitely stay here again. My only complaint was the hot water in the showers…it lasts for about a minute and then the rest of the shower is generally somewhat (not ice) cold. I took some record showers!

Top notch RV campground that is well maintained and has a friendly professional staff. Lots of amenities like disc golf, hiking trails, pool, zip line course, lake access and two dog parks that were the cleanest I’ve seen at an rv park. We had site 204 which is a back in site with FHU on driver’s side. We loved this site because it was on the back side of the campground, near the dog park and lots of open space behind us to play with our dog. All of the sites are very spacious, concrete pads, well maintained hook ups, and most are full sun. This was our second visit and we will definitely be back.

Great location, noisy from all the traffic on the road lots of commercial vehicle use on a 2-lane road. Don’t notice inside an RV if you’re running your a/c but hard to ignore if you’re outdoors or in a tent. Some sites are tight and you’re wedged in to small spaces, some larger and more spread out. Great location to explore downtown, bathhouse row, and the hiking trails in the Hot Springs National Park. There are bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks with running water but no showers. I personally like the first come, first serve, no reservation policy because it makes it so much more fair to get a campsite. I hope they keep the policy in place. Automated check in system inside a small building. Campground hosts or the rangers will come by later and check your tickets on the posts if no one is in the office when you pay. No need to hang around your campsite just out the paper on the post and go on with your life. Great location. Hope to stay again when I am in the area.

Everything is awesome. Sites are in pristine condition. Managers are so friendly and helpful. Located in Hot Spring proper. Easy access to everything. The Dog Park, laundry facilities, and restrooms/showers are of course new and clean. Casino and Racetrack are right around the corner. Easy access to everything in HotSprings.