Malvern, AR is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Malvern is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Malvern, reviewed by campers like you.
$15 - $25 / night
"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"
"Lake Catherine is a popular spot that’s on a first come first serve basis so arrive early. Most campsite have fire pits and grills. Nice space in between campsites."
"The park is set on 400 acres with one mile bordering Lake Catherine and about eight or nine miles from downtown Hot Springs. "
"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."
"Would like to revisit without our dogs to check out the theme park nearby next time!"
"Had a double bed and bunk bed. Heat /air and cable tv. They advertise WiFi but we didn’t get good reception even though our cabin was very near the office/pool/bathroom. Clean and well kept."
"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."
"Well maintained, lodge on site, family and pet friendly."
"There is a loop on a peninsula that are reserved for walking in your gear to a tent site. These sites have GREAT views of the lake."
"Camping in the state park of lake ouachita in a tent. never. been. better. was on site T04 for tents and basically sites t01-t11(maybe 12) are on a small peninsula with the lake on both sides. you can"
$30 - $50 / night
"Full hook ups, big campsites with table, fire pit, and level gravel. River is close by with playground. Booked up fast for us on the weekend. 20 to hot springs."
"We arrived at this wonderful little COE with 9 sites and headed into back-in site 3 with FHUs. After we settled, we self-registered per instructions on the information board at the entrance."
$13 / night
"$12 a night, full hookup potential AND you are walking distance to the mine!!! For $20 you can go spend the day diggin through dirt and finding crystals."
"I don’t think camping at this RV park is about the camping experience; it’s about the proximity to the crystal mines. It is a good campground for the price, but it is not anything fancy."
$50 / night
"There are no water hook-ups at the sites. only electric. The cell signal on the “down the hill” portion of the campground is pretty non-existent."
"On the lake and perfect for canoeing, but close to Hot Slrings if you want to tour the bathhouses or Dane the night away at the hotel."
"This quiet campsite is more tailored to primitive/tent camping with spread out spots including picnic tables and grill pits."
RangerThis state park sits on one of the prettiest and clearest lakes in the state of Arkansas. The area that I will be focusing on is the primitive tent sites. There is a loop on a peninsula that are reserved for walking in your gear to a tent site. These sites have GREAT views of the lake. A few of the sites even have access to the water for swimming, fishing, or putting in your kayak.
The sites are pretty close together and not very level. The more level sites are in the loop nearest the parking area. There are two shared water spigots. One near the parking area and one near the end of the peninsula. There is no electricity at these sites. The two best sites, in my opinion, are sites 7, 8, and 9. They have great access to the water and wonderful views of the lake. If you decide to camp here be warned that the sites are not very large. We typically bring a canopy for our outdoor kitchen, these sites are not large enough for a big canopy. Also, this lake tends to be very windy. There are trees around the sites, but the fire pits on sites 7-9 are very exposed. This poses are problem when trying to build a fire.
There are plenty of activities to do while visiting this SP. Some of the activities may still be suspended due to Covid 19. In July they have a boat tour that costs $10 per person. They take you out to "Bird Island" to see the purple martins. It's a neat tour. There are also plenty of hiking trails, swimming, fishing, and other typical state park activities. You can't go wrong with the views here, but there are some things to consider.
GuideCamping in the state park of lake ouachita in a tent. never. been. better. was on site T04 for tents and basically sites t01-t11(maybe 12) are on a small peninsula with the lake on both sides. you can go swimming in the lake right off the back of your campsite. they have charcoal grills at each site as well as a fire pit that has a grill over itnfor cooking things over the fire. there is a concrete pad with a picnic table as well as a separate pad on compacted dirt for your tent and then plenty of space in your campsite for other things. you can’t beat the views. the bathrooms are the cleanest an moat upsated Ive seen in a camp ground (and I’ve worked in one) and the showers are great. never felt afraid of wild animals roaming the sites while walking to the bathroom in the dark or anything. the staff in the office is friendly. they offer boat rentals for cheap as well as expeditions to partake in. theres also camper and rv sites and cabIns available, a marina to bring your boat, and fun activities for kids! theres a few different trails to hike around the campground. we went on a moderate 4 mile hike and walked to the trailhead from the campsIte. a great hike with awesome views of the lake and you dont have to drive to the trailhead! couldn’t recommend this place enough!
LegendPROS
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
Traveler$12 a night, full hookup potential AND you are walking distance to the mine!!! For $20 you can go spend the day diggin through dirt and finding crystals. I don’t think everyone has the luck we had but we came after a rain and cleaned up. Hundred bucks in gems. Ok bathrooms and laundry... serves the purpose you’d expect from a $12 a night place. The REAL draw here is the mine and we had a blast! I do recommend. We took the spot up top the hill [upper left corner] and found crystals in our campsite around the fire pit :)))
TravelerEasy to find and was a nice community spot. Would like to revisit without our dogs to check out the theme park nearby next time!
LegendLake Catherine is a popular spot that’s on a first come first serve basis so arrive early. Most campsite have fire pits and grills. Nice space in between campsites.
This campground is also home to some very intelligent raccoons who have adapted to campers being around. Be smart, they are not scared!! If you leave your food out they will get it.
There is total shade over the swimming area after 2pm which makes for very enjoyable swimming.
RangerStayed 2 nights in a basic one room cabin. Had a double bed and bunk bed. Heat /air and cable tv. They advertise WiFi but we didn’t get good reception even though our cabin was very near the office/pool/bathroom. Clean and well kept. Porch swing, fire ring and water at the site. Friendly staff. Clean facilities. Pool is small. Dog play area and kids playground. Good location for exploring hot springs area.
LegendCatherine’s Landing is a great RV park with lots of amenities and things happening. This park is an RVC Outdoor Destination property which is known for their “resort” amenities. The park is set on 400 acres with one mile bordering Lake Catherine and about eight or nine miles from downtown Hot Springs.
All roads, sites and patios are paved and this is definitely a big rig-friendly park. Every site has water, 50/30 amp, sewer, cable, and wifi. Fire pits and picnic tables accompany all sites. There are a variety of sites ranging from waterfront back-in, pull-thrus, or interior back-in. Waterfront sites have a nice view of the lake from the back of the site and access for fishing. The park also has yurts and cottages (some of which are pet-friendly). Adjacent to the yurts is a nice, large covered picnic area with grills, a dish washing station.
Lots and lots of amenities here. Hiking trails, swimming pool, fitness center, lounge, playground, dog park, zip-line, boat rental, boat launch, store, and disc golf. Some amenities (boat rentals and zip-line) are an extra charge.
Hot Springs is a nice little town nestled in the Ouachita Mountains with interesting history and natural beauty. We found plenty to do from hiking the National Park to learning about the bathhouse history to discovering the gangster influence. We spent four nights and could have stayed longer with all that the town offers. Most people come here to bathe in the soothing warm mineral waters but there is also a horse racetrack, science museum, off road track, water/theme park, alligator farm, and a few museums. Hot Springs National Park has miles and miles of great hiking trails and a great place to spend an afternoon. The town of Hot Springs is very dog-friendly and we found many places that would allow them in and on the patio for lunch.
Pros:
Cons:
GuideFrom 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Malvern, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Malvern, AR is Lake Catherine State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 83 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Malvern, AR?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 glamping camping locations near Malvern, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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