Best Tent Camping near Marion, AR

Tent camping opportunities near Marion, Arkansas include several primitive options within a moderate driving distance. Kellys Crossing Campground in Coldwater, Mississippi offers tent-only sites with boat-in, hike-in, and walk-in access options. Maple Flat Group Campground in Marianna, Arkansas provides another tent camping option with walk-in access and more secluded surroundings.

Most tent sites in the area feature minimal amenities focused on primitive camping experiences. The campgrounds generally allow fires and provide picnic tables, but campers should bring their own drinking water as this is not available at these sites. Toilet facilities are basic, with vault toilets available at both Kellys Crossing and Maple Flat. None of the area tent campgrounds offer showers, electric hookups, or reservations. Pets are permitted at all locations. The lake access at Kellys Crossing makes it particularly appealing for those interested in combining water activities with tent camping.

Tent campers at these sites can expect relative solitude and natural surroundings. Maple Flat Group Campground offers shaded sites under large trees with minimal undergrowth. According to one visitor, "The site was right on the water with a good amount of space between us and the next site," highlighting the campground's spacious layout. Kellys Crossing serves primarily as a boat ramp with some adjacent tent camping areas, making it less crowded than typical campgrounds. A camper noted that "it's technically a boat ramp that accesses Arkabutla Lake with picnic and camping areas nearby," and described it as "off the beaten path." Pleasant Hill Campground, while listed, has been reported as overgrown and poorly maintained, with minimal usable tent sites. Tent campers seeking seclusion will find these primitive areas offer a genuine outdoor experience away from more developed camping facilities.

Map showing campgrounds near Marion, Arkansas

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Best Tent Sites Near Marion, Arkansas (3)

1. Kellys Crossing Campground
2 Reviews
O.C. Fisher Lake, MS
34 miles
Website
+1 (662) 562-6261
"This is an off the beaten path area for standard recreation. It’s technically a boat ramp that accesses Arkabutla Lake with picnic and camping areas nearby."
2. Pleasant Hill Campground
1 Review
O.C. Fisher Lake, MS
30 miles
Website
+1 (662) 562-6261

3. Maple Flat Group Campground
3 Reviews
LaGrange, AR
44 miles
Website
+1 (870) 295-5278
"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."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Marion, AR

402 Reviews of 3 Marion Campgrounds

Napunani
Legend
Jun. 26, 2022
Lake Poinsett State Park Campground
Small, Tight Campground
PROS

Senior discount

Reserved on-line 346 prior to arriving

Good overnight stop for$25

Very small park and campground

Site#4 totally level

Site#4 some shade 100% gravel site

Metal picnic table that was moveable

One hook lantern pole

Metal fire pit with cooking grate

Pedestal BBQ grill (looked brand new)

CONS

30amp electrical breaker bad.

Tripped twice in 8 hours.

Single lane campground road extremely tight. If campsites across from ours wasn’t empty, it would of been extremely difficult to get our 28ft backed-in

Our reserved campsite#4 was occupied upon our arrival and campers tried to convince us to take another site that they were suppose to move to, but it was much smaller, so we declined

Never saw any rangers patrolling campground

Train noise from tracks in Harrisburg

4 unisex toilets/showers for all 26 campsites PLUS 4 tent sites!

One-lane dump station

No TP in campground toilets

No camp-host or even a full hook up site for one

No security gate closure overnight

No WIFI

1 bar LTE
Denise B.
Traveler
Dec. 31, 2021
Hollywood Casino RV Park - Tunica
Super quiet
Super 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.
Napunani
Legend
Dec. 13, 2022
Village Creek State Park Campground
No Cell Service; No Public Phones: No WIFI Calls at Visitor Center
PROS

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
Shelly S.
Legend
Apr. 3, 2018
Craighead Forest Park
Chilly Camping
Excellent weekend camping at Craighead Forest State Park outside Jonesboro, Ar.

The park offers four trails, one gravel pedestrian only, one paved multi-use with excercise equipment, a forest trail and one dirt trail for bikers and runners. Three large playgrounds, pavilions and several small playgrounds. A dog park/beach access area and dog dock. Fishing and watercraft access. Camping and a nature center.

When we arrived at the campground we had the choice of several primitive campsites. There is limited parking in the small gravel lot. There are three sites near the lot and then several others about 200 to 300 ft down the gravel trail.

This is the same gravel trail, approximately 3 miles long, that circles the lake. Needless to say there is a lot of foot traffic on it.

There was plenty of room at the site. We set up two tents and a hammock plus had the picnic table, fire pit and gravel pad which is right on the lake. If you bring your fishing gear or water craft it’s easy to tie off right at your campsite.

Directly across from primitive camping are two very large , active playgrounds a pavilion and restroom. There’s a snow cone vendor with loud music who frequents that parking area too. In addition the park is not closed during the night so we got to listen to several loud conversation, music blaring from a car stereo until about 1:30am and a rather colorful argument at one point.

You drive through the RV area on your way in to the primitive area. There is a nice new bathroom facility with uncomfortably warm cranking heat, the metal fixtures were warm to the touch. One drawback to there being only one restroom about 1/4 mile from the primitive area, you know people aren’t walking that far at night when the need to go…, just saying.

So Pros: centrally located, water access, nice trails, good size sites, a lot to do

Cons: foot traffic, noise, no privacy, noise, not limited access
Michael W.
Guide
May. 16, 2021
Fort Pillow Historic State Park Campground
Great little hidden Gem
Let me start by saying that the Rangers who run this place are top notch folks. The head Ranger stopped in a couple times every day to ask if we needed anything and to inquire about our opinion of the new site (more on this later). The facilities were well maintained, and a pleasant surprise for such a small state park.

So, we stayed on site #3. According to the head Ranger, we were the first to camp on this site since its renovation. Previously it had been a tent pad, but was now a concrete pad with a new 50A post and new water hydrant. Online, it lists the site as being 40’ long and 15’ wide. What they don’t tell you is that only the pad is this size. I had another 30’+ of gravel to park on in front of the pad. It was large enough for the biggest of fifth wheels with slides on both sides. There are now 11 total sites like this in the park thanks to recent renovations. All seemed very level. Site #3 and it’s neighbor #2 seemed perfectly level laterally, but required dropping the nose quite a bit to get level longitudinally. I still believe any length RV could pull it off easily. Each concrete site had a charcoal grill with adjustable height grates, a lantern pole, a fire pit with grill grate, and a picnic table that is bolted down (this might be my only nitpick complaint, as I like to move my picnic tables under the awning and on top of my mat... but I understand why it’s done.). The two bath houses are basically single occupancy Men and Women side facilities, but are almost brand new and heated for winter use. The Ranger said they added to accompanying porta potties for extra toilets until they can add an extra stall on each side to the buildings.

There is no playground in the campground, but a short drive into the park gets you to a very nice picnic area with a playground that looks as new as the bath houses and RV pads. Drive a bit further and you can visit the museum dedicated to the Fort after which the park is named and the men who died there. Get a map and hike the well marked trail to see a recreated portion of the fort (yes, it well marked with colored flashes and signs). Along the drive you will also find a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River and a small lake you can fish in. Canoe, Kayak, and Paddle Boat rentals are available at the museum.

For those wishing for a more rustic camping experience, the primitive sites here are among the best I have ever seen. Ever site is level, and graveled with smooth pea gravel. They all have the same fire pit, grill, and table as the RV sites. Some Require a bit of a walk from your parking spot, but you will well rewarded with some isolation. The only down side for some is that these sites have no on site water and only a few offer an electric post. There are community hydrants around the park for filling up bottle or tanks.

My personal favorite spot for primitive tent camping would have been site number 27. It is accessed via a short gravel road off the main paved road and past site 26. While it is a haul to get water, it is almost completely isolated from the rest of the campground and you can drive rite up to it with no walking. It has low ground on three sides. One side is the road leading into the park, but traffic here is light and it shouldnt be an issue.

Speaking of roads, this place is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and the roads in can be narrow when meeting oncoming traffic. It’s not terrible but can make you a bit nervous when you meet another RV heading the other way.

All in all, I would say this park is a gem of a find since the remodeling of the RV sites and a solid 7/10 for those primitive tent campers. My only knock is the lack of a playground for those with kids. If you are empty nesters or young adults or just generally travel without kids, this is a solid 10/10 kind of place.
Curren C.
Scout
Jun. 28, 2022
Tom Sawyer's RV Park
Motorcycle Friendly & Free Laundry
Found this campsite on the Dyrt and was pleasantly surprised with the location and family friendly atmosphere. Right on the River but not swimable water. In an industrial park but felt very safe. Just a few minutes from the interstate.

The tent site is just a primitive grassy group area but had tons of shade from giant oak trees and is right next to the bathhouse.

Laundry is free on the second story of the bathhouse which was a wonderful treat.

The bathrooms weren’t awful but could use some TLC.

Tent sites do not get picnic tables. No fire rings.

Overall a decent night’s stay - whatever you do don’t forget your bug spray!
Taylor C.
Ranger
Apr. 18, 2024
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
Loved it here!
Just so beautiful. Trails were well marked but not for faint of heart. Campsites were pretty close together and bathrooms not too great. Little black bugs swarmed on warm nights right a dusk for an hour. There’s an airport nearby and planes were constantly flying over one of the nights. We were the only tent there. Tent pads aren’t clearly marked but plenty of level ground to set up. Lake was gorgeous too, I was literally the only one out there.
Lee D.
Legend
Dec. 7, 2022
South Abutment Recreation Area
Gorgeous sunrises (and the sunsets aren't bad either)!
We arrived just before sunset in late November (dang Daylight Savings time) so quickly got to our site and set up. Did not see anyone to check in but had reservations as now are required at all CoE campgrounds (a ranger drove through the next morning). The water level looked to be very low, but we still had a nice view at the end of the loop.

Sites are FHU and other amenities include a large concrete picnic table, lantern hook, fire pit, BBQ grill, and food prep table. Sites are paved, generous in size, and spaced a very decent distance apart from each other; even though all the leaves had fallen and there were other campers in our loop, I did not feel a lack of privacy.

The restrooms were clean and although there were paper towels, the soap dispensers were empty (my only beef with this campground)! The showers looked to be reasonable, but it was below freezing the next morning, so I didn’t try them out. There was also what appeared to be a utility sink in the bathroom but no shelves or other place to stage dishes.

I can only assume that water sports are in-season and not sure about other recreational activities. Because the ground was frozen the next morning, I was able to walk down to the water and get some great photos of the sunrise and birds.

This was just an overnight stay for us but for $12 (with the Golden Access Pass), it is a real bargain and the reason we often seek out Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
Suzi T.
Traveler
Apr. 15, 2018
Hernando Point
Great experience
Very clean restrooms and shower areas. Site had grill, fire ring, and picnic table. Water and electric hookup