Best Tent Camping near Mayflower, AR

This recreation area is as close to off-grid as you can get with so many great options right off the pavement. This campground has no water or electricity but has 4 drive-up campsites with picnic tables, fire circle, and rock shelters that overlook the beautiful Illinois Bayou. I only recall seeing trash receptacles on the lower loop.  An upper loop is accessible by hiking in. These are tent sites only with no rock shelters on the sites. The rock shelters have a large rock fire area.  There's also a vault toilet on the lower loop. A pavilion onsite is reservable and has electricity. There's also several small trails through the campground but it's most fun when the water is low enough, to go down to the water and walk along the creek. The area is close to many great hiking trails and dirt roads to explore around Hector and makes a great home base. Just up the road is a great area to explore with Jeeps or ATVs. Look up Lindsey Mtwy. This area is not on many people's radar so it's possible that you may only see a local or two while you're here. I still had cell service with my Verizon network while I was in the campground but I lost service when I went down by the Illinois Bayou.  Overall, this is a heck of a nice campground for the non-electric camper. If you visit the area, please leave no trace. :-)

Small open Campground with no specific sites (Tent Only Area). There is a small lot nearby to park then you must walk everything in. This can be anything from right next to your car to a few hundred feet away depending on where you want to set up. Picnic tables, fire rings and campground grills located throughout but again nothing is marketed as far as site numbers. The area allows for up to six camp permits per night. Could be good for smaller groups. It’s up away from the lake unlike the rest of the campgrounds in the park. There are restrooms nearby with flushing toilets and sinks. Also a playground is located close to the campsite. Overall it was clean but felt cramped among other campers and parking away from the tent made for multiple trips back and forth.

The Bayou Bluff Recreation Area is now called the Bayou Bluff Point of Interest (POI). In summary, there are only 4 campsites, including a group site. Also, these sites are free, first come, first serve. Here's is info directly from the Bayou Bluff  page on the National Forst Service Web site: "Effective October 2021, Bayou Bluff became a Point of Interest. The fees are suspended for camping and day use and is now open all year. Upper loop is closed to camping and will be eliminated completely. Use of the vault toilet, large pavilion, three shelters, and a small pavilion will remain. The pavilions are managed on a first-come, first-service basis. Trash services are managed by visitors as "pack-it-in, pack-it-out," and Leave No Trace ethics are posted on information kiosks. Active partner groups and volunteers are helping extend the life of the current amenities, excluding trash services." Also: "Open all year. No fees. Upper loop closed. Pavilions available on a first-come, first-served basis only. No trash services. Pack it in- pack it out." The NF page also indicates that there is no water available, but there may water in the group site. The vault toilets are clean, and the campground grounds appear to be reasonably maintained. I recommend only tent camping here, as well as car/truck/van camping. Sites appear to be too small for RVs & trailers.

Toad Suck is a great campground- with some caveats. All of the sites are reservable and have concrete pads. This makes it impossible to stake down a tent but also provides a great level spot. There's no foragable wood at the sites, but there's a quick stop type gas station very nearby that sells it cheap and locally sourced. The bathrooms can be a trek from your site or right next door, depending on where you're staying, but theyre immaculately clean. They service them twice daily. It's right next to the lock and dam at Toad Suck on the Arkansas River so there's a constant roar of water and the sound of barges throughout the night and day. I don't mind it but keep that in mind if you don't like those sounds. The campsite is peaceful otherwise. Dogs are allowed! ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL.

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

Popular dispersed campsite in the Ouachita National Forest. Only one site; not a campground. Located on the gravel Brown Creek Road in Perry County, Arkansas. The South Fork of Brown Creek runs behind this campsite. Located next to the trailhead for Brown Creek Cascade - a short 1/4 mile hike (includes a creek crossing). This campsite is suitable for tent camping, car camping, camper vans & truck campers. Two vehicles can easily fit on this level site. There are other dispersed sites along Brown Creek Road. The site is close to the road; there's a large mud puddle covering one of the 2 entrances to this site. 2-wheel drive passenger cars can make it to the site. Large pine trees on the site. Hammock camping is possible. No water (except for creek). No toilets nor showers. No trash - take out what you bring in. May need to hike a ways in the woods to find firewood. Large rock fire ring on site. No AT&T and T-Mobile cell service. Very quiet; no vehicles passed by during the night. The sound from the creek was soothing.

PROS 

No reservation transaction fee 

Senior discount 

Quiet 

Moveable metal picnic table on a concrete pad, pedestal BBQ grill, fire ring with cooking grate, and one hook lantern pole 

Site 14 partially shady 

Good condition asphalt parking pad with gravel and grass surrounding 

Good view of lake from Site 14 

Sites well spaced 

Campground A toilet/shower building clean and sufficiently stocked. Heated but not air conditioned. 

Site 14 more than long enough for trailer and tow vehicle 

Dark sky friendly as there are no street lights in Campground A 

Very nice 6ft wide asphalt bike trail from Campground B to Mather Lodge

(approximately 1.75 miles) CCC Hike and Bike Trail 

New Visitor Center built 2021 

Beautiful CCC built Mather Lodge

(restaurant added in 2012) 

Grass throughout campground mowed 

Firewood sold in the yards of residences along State Road 154 

CONS 

Site 14 extremely unlevel side to side 

No privacy from other campsites 

No entrance security gate to the park or any campgrounds as State Road 154 cuts thru the park 

No park ranger drive thrus 

Mather Lodge Restaurant OK. Don't expect much from the menu or service but it has a full bar 

3 of our 4 day stay there was a religious group prophetlytizing at the Park Visitor Center WIFI only at Lodge and Visitors Center 

NO TMOBILE service

Lake Sylvia recreation area offers a lot of fun and relaxation within an easy drive from Little Rock. We ate dinner in town at Izzy's on Highway 10, and got to the campground with enough time to set up before dark.

The primitive camping loop is especially attractive and not a single soul was utilizing it last weekend. Even those tent camping seemed to want access to the electrical outlets on the main loop. Or possibly the hot showers: the primitive sites have their own bathroom with lights and plumbing but the showers are not heated except in the main bathhouse among the hookups sites. The sites in the primitive loop are $5/night lower than the sites with water and electric.

The main camping loop is nice for small to medium campers. No Class A rigs here. Nobody claimed the campsite on either side, affording us plenty of privacy, and just a short walk to the bathhouse. We enjoyed the hiking trails around the lake, and hiking a short way up to the Ouachita Trail.

The swim beach is a great spot that is used as a day area. There are also fishing spots down the bank. The rules say that dogs are not permitted at the day use area, but we saw a couple of dogs with their owners and the ranger who drove by either didn’t notice or didn’t enforce it, I guess. Which isn’t a big deal, except that I wish they’d either enforce it or change the rules to match the practice. If it’s permitted I’d have brought my own dog to join in the fun instead of leaving it behind.

Several paces up a trail from the campground is a small amphitheater with a wooden stage. It looked like an awesome place to set up a portable projector for a movie night.

If this campground were open year round, I would give it five stars - with access to good hiking here (including the Ouachita Trail), it is a shame that the campground is closed in late fall and early spring. Its website even states that the best time to visit is Fall-Spring. Still a wonderful place to try; just make sure you check that it's open before you go.