Best Equestrian Camping near Hot Springs, AR

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. It has several camping spaces with water and electric hook ups (about $22/night), yurts (about $55/night), a lodge (about $100/night), a marina to rent boats or buy bait, several daily activities for children or adults of all ages (some free and some about $5-15/person), horse riding stables (no experience required, about $30/ride 1 hour trail), a full golf course, playgrounds, pavilions, overall clean facilities, and a restaurant. Although our bank fishing experience wasn’t so great, I’m sure with a boat it would have been better. And for those that want to make the camping trip into the ultimate family vacation, this park is about a 30 minute drive from Hot Springs, AR where there is tons to do like restaurants, mini golf, shopping, and we even decided to get ice cream at Scoops (24 homemade flavors and delicious)! We will definitely be back for a visit!!

VOTED BEST HIPCAMP IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS! 

My mom and dad, Debra and Mike Erwin, have been enjoying welcoming campers to our little slice of heaven in Magnet Cove, Arkansas for a couple of years now. We have had many happy campers and are extremely proud to win this award! We hope to increase awareness about our listing and beautiful camping location. We boast the highest point in Southern Arkansas- Our“High Point”. You can camp on the tower or around it and enjoy one of the best views in the state of Arkansas. Debra and Mike Erwin truly care about their guests and make sure that they are taken care of with true Southern hospitality and safety in mind. 

As of late, there is considerable wildlife to view and great fishing in our pond. 

Occasionally, we even have a Golden Eagle that will make an appearance! HipCamp is like the camping version of Air BnB. Pitch your tent in our Erwin Estates High Point and have access to the lookout tower with a swing.

• Just 15 minutes from beautiful Hot Springs, Arkansas! 

• 180+ degree view overlooking Benton to Malvern to Greater Hot Springs.

• Cattle roam the pastures.

• Our natural spring pond is a place to fish where it's an almost guaranteed catch as we have stocked it well! 

• Great for nature, vista, and sunset photography. 

• Nearby river and lake fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking 3-15 miles away. Private vendors available. 

• Wildlife sitings: Eagle, White-tail Deer, Wild Hogs, Birds, Squirrel, and more. Onsite catch and release pond bass fishing(bring your own gear). 

• Bait, gas and convenience store within 3 miles. 

• Walmart and restaurants 10 miles. 

• Kiting is excellent atop High Point with great winds year round. 

• Star gazing at night with a very romantic sunset. 

• Novaculite and Quartz geology, mineral exploration.

• Take home a piece of this mineral rich area of the world! Free rocks to all! 

• Drone flying is superb! 

• Great cell phone reception. 

• Major hospital within 13 miles in nearby Hot Springs. 

• Bath Houses and downtown historical Hot Springs. Music Festivals. 

• Oaklawn Racing and Gaming(horse races and casino) all within 15 min drive. 

• GREAT FOR PROPOSALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS! 

• To view and book through our official HIPCAMP listing, visit: https://bit.ly/2i1AQ6k 

• NOW AVAILABLE ON AIRBNB!!! BOOK NOW WITH AIRBNB: http://bit.ly/2LXf8NT 

Thank you!~ Susan Erwin Prowse and The Erwin Family

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. When I reached my campsite my booking tag was already there and there was some firewood placed on the fire pit for me already. I was only a minute walk from restroom facilities. I also found it was very easy to book last minute after receiving a recommendation from a local barista.

Huge sites Beautiful waterfall Close to downtown Hot Springs

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!

We stayed in the Yurt and it was  great.   The lake is beautiful and it was quiet.  There was actually a camp host nearby.  Didnt get to go fishing, but it looked very good.  Very close to Hot Springs depending on where you come in from.  We'll be going back.

Lake Catherine State Park was absolutely beautiful! Well priced with full hook ups, lots of space and beautiful views. Plus it's still plenty close to Hot Springs. Hiking was gorgeous but depending on which route you take it can be kind of long. The waterfall was beautiful and worth seeing.

I really like this campground. Really pretty location. Great hiking trails, waterfall, a marina where you can rent a paddle board, kayak, canoe or pedal boat. It also has cabins, a camp store and seasonal riding stable so you can take a trail ride. It’s also convenient location to visit Hot Springs.

Lake Catherine offers many different outdoor options close to Hot Springs.  The camp sites are spaced for privacy and are level for both campers and tents.  The facilities are updated and well maintained. The park has a couple hiking options along with the lake activities.  This SP will fill up quickly in the spring and fall, reservations are recommend.

This park is beautiful, wooded, many amenities.  There are lakefront, lake view, and other sites. There are full hookup, electric and water only, and tent areas. There are cabins, a lodge, and an amphitheater. The lake is beautiful. There is plenty of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, and others.  It is located near Hot Springs to the north,  I 30 to the south. Garman Gardens is near. There seems to be a nice breeze most of the time. Our only problem was the water source was on the opposite side from the electric hookup.

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.

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Easy 5 of 5 Bunnies. I will return!

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.

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. I’m betting the fishing is better if you have a boat. We did not use the restrooms/bathhouse. This site is smaller but fit our 22’ trailer perfectly. We had our ebikes with us and road around a little, but the campground is not ideally set up for using them like we did at Petit Jean. We did have some pretty tall weeds that we wished would have been taken care of before we arrived, but not a deal breaker for sure. We hiked several trails that were challenging and beautiful. Close proximity to Hot Springs so spent one day there. If I had it to do over again, I would have skipped it. Casino close by for those folks so inclined. Wish we would have brought our kayaks🤨

PROS 

Senior discount 

Reserved on-line 365 days prior to arriving 

Site #68 allowed parking RV 12 feet from water edge which was fabulous 

Totally level site 

Asphalt campsite pad 

Pea gravel and grass around asphalt 

Good night sky viewing 

Squirrels ate from our hand 

Saw ranger patrolling campground frequently 

Waste containers every other campsite 

Metal picnic table on concrete slab 

One hook lantern pole 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

Pedestal BBQ grill 

Clean restroom/shower and adequate TP and hand soap. Women had 2 showers, 2 sinks, 3 toilets 

Weekend campground nearly filled to capacity 

4 bars Verizon LTE 

Hike to waterfall a bit tricky, but worth the effort 

Hot Springs National Park 15 miles from campground; nice to watch the crowds from Superior Bathouse Brewery 

Free water from the springs next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center- must have your own containers to fill 

Enjoyed Red Oak Fillin’ Station so much we dined there twice 

Diamond Head 19th Hole Restaurant, open to the public and very close to park entrance 

CONS 

Damn Canadian geese crap everywhere 

Fire pit was filled with oversized logs and once removed there was unburned charcoal and lots of ash 

Unable to move picnic table 

Site#68 no shade what so ever 

No privacy from other sites 

Lots of speed boat and jet ski noise, even after sunset 

Morning train noise 

Power plant lights and humming noise 

No security gate closure overnight 

No WIFI

From our stay in Mar 15 2021. Lots of activities here, we stayed at the De Roche Ridge campsite area, love the view of the lake no matter which site you stay and enjoyed beautiful sunsets from ours. Full hookups, level pads, clean and well maintained picnic benches, fire pits and grills.

Enjoyed brunch at the Lodge's restaurant, beautiful view of the lake here. They had cleaned all play areas and set up toys for young kids.

We enjoyed paddle boating, horse back riding and disc golf. Each trail had a information board where you can scan a QR code to know more about the trail, what made it unique and what to look out for while you are out there. This was new to us and kept us curious.

Some trails were soggy but it had been raining for a few days making it difficult to get past. Some signs indicating this could have helped us stay off the trails.

I love waterfront camping! There are some amazing sunset views here! Also, the wildlife is abundant. 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!

Lake Catherine State Park, like all Arkansas state parks, is immaculately clean!  Most RV sites have close access to the water and there are small stationary docks to park your boat. 

 A short trail leads you to a waterfall or take the longer trail for a fun hike through the woods.  Swimming, fishing, boating and kayaking are all a part of the fun. 

The cabins are rustic but well-appointed.  All cabins have water views.  

No matter the time of year, Lake Catherine State Park is a wonderful place to visit.

Lake Catherine is a beautiful park in Arkansas. I only stopped by for a hike as I was passing through, but this place looked like so much fun for day water adventures. There is a large swimming area on the lake where you can also boat, kayak, canoe and do any other water sport. The facilities were nice and there is a cute store and area to view animals. The campground was large with a lot of tent and RV campsites. The hike I went on took me by the lake and to a small falls where you could swim. The views were very nice.

We came on Saturday and are leaving on Friday. We stayed in Area A, all the sites are full hookups. The bathhouse is very clean and warm (useful since it was in the 40s). The campsites are spread apart with lots of trees for hammocking. The spots by the water had docks every couple of sites. There aren't a lot of trails but several of varying distance and difficulties (1 is ADA compliant). The waterfall is very pretty and looks like a great swimming hole in summer. There is a marina for renting boats. Cabins and yurts are also available. The only draw back is that Arkansas seems to be completely void of fish.;)

Lake Catherine provided a relaxing spring break! Beautiful scenery, nice hikes and very peaceful. The campground was quiet. Bathhouses were in good shape. Lots of space between sites to play frisbee, etc. 

There were some hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty. You need to be part billy goat for part of it. I recommend the path that runs along the lakefront and heads back to the waterfall. 

Only downfall was seeing the factory across the lake.

We really enjoyed our stay at lake catherine. We hiked to the waterfall with 5 children all under the age of 6 and it wasn't too bad. The campground was nice.

We have visited Lake Catherine in the past and had wonderful experiences when we were in a camper. This go around we used our tent and the overall experience was OKAY. The camp sites are spacious and typically clean when you arrive. The site we stayed at was a little far from the bathhouse but it was lakefront. The bathhouse had clean showers but the stalls for toilets was dirty every day, even the day it was closed TWO HOURS for cleaning. During our stay, the animals were a little bit of a nuisance because they weren’t really afraid of people so we constantly had squirrels, ducks, and geese begging for food when we ate and raccoons got into our food supply (they ate just about everything) and our tent. The main staff at the marina and visitors center were very friendly and helpful. However we went on an hour long lake tour and our tour guide only talked about 10-15 minutes. We have been on a lake tour before and it was much better so it just depends on who does the lake tour. The fishing at Lake Catherine was good, mostly caught baby brim, rock bass, and a 3-4 pound catfish on a trot line. Unfortunately, we were unable to catch a “money fish” that is stocked at the beginning of the season that you can turn in for cash!

Greeted by raccoon..beautiful place..arrived late and tent situation was not described well online or in reservation..only reason for 4 not 5 stars

We stayed at this camp ground in March of this year(2018) and I fell in love with this state park! It is so clean and well maintained! There are multiple sites close to the water. The sites are all a good size and level and easy to get into. The bath houses are clean. There are water and sever hook ups at each site. There are three walking trails and a waterfall to hike to as well. So quite and peaceful. We already have reservations for two weekends next year!

I heat two weeks at this greatpark. It was clean with no trash anywhere. Bathroom were so clean... warm, clean. Not sure the vent fan was working.

There always seemed to be a breeze blowing across the lake. Such a nice place to relax.

Our favorite place to camp so far.