Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mena, AR

Driving back from Mena, AR to Texas, we happened upon this river by mistake. We came in from the backway and it was a long trek but worth finding this end result. Quiet, river was beautiful and calm. Some rapids where we were, a lot of rock. We did not camp but plan to next time!

Driving from Mena to Talihina along this stretch of highway is a treat when it comes to the spectacular views.   But stopping at places like this campground even further explain just how much of an amazing place this part of Oklahoma really is!   This area was once logged to the point that it was basically worthless before the Forest Service took it over and started to replenish the land and create public spaces like this campground.    It now is a thriving place for recreation and viewing.

The campground is a series of pull ins and thru sites which vary in size allowing for tent camping with single cars or even some larger rigs.    There are vault toilets centrally located at the entrance in addition to extra picnic tables for those wanting a little extra space to enjoy.    

A few spigots are around camp that are not in the best of shape, but they do still work, so don't be fooled.

The roadways through camp and the sites themselves are very well taken care of, however because of recent rains the grass was a bit more wooly than it typically would have been.   Despite this the sites were still clear of grass for the most part.  

Each site was equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, lantern hooks, grills and prep stations and large spaces for tents, should you have one.  Additionally you can find trash cans around camp in a few places.

From the campground you can easily access the scenic point which additionally has more picnic tables with a view, definitely suggest checking it out!!  

Campground is first come first serve and does have a senior discount with the park pass.   Envelopes are provided at the main kiosk.

We love visiting! Campgrounds are clean and well maintained. Sites are roomy with full hook-up. Beautiful wooded views, hiking trails, and pet friendly.

This place is a beautifull forested remote area and you have to drive over 4.5 miles to get to the campsite, its a two lane dirt road, lookout for deer and other critters crossing. We stayed at the walk in campsites, they have those and a few where you can park next to your site, don’t expect very much privacy, you can’t make reservations, they are all first come first serve and you pay at your site. All are tent only. we stayed at #20 with a short walk from the parking area but a little bit too close to #21, 18 and 19 seem to be the ones with more privacy. We did have a nice shaded site with a fire ring, a barbecue grill, a picnic table and nice surface for your tent. the camping area is just a short walk to the sandbar where you can enjoy the cool floating water. The bathrooms are adequate but no running water, therefore don’t expect showers. We camped with our dog Lulu, the sites are pet friendly and she had fun in the water too. There is an abundance of wild life, keep an eye for snakes and thicks!

The campground is small with limited pads. Each site is close to the next and are generally occupied with RVs or camper trailers. I would suggest that this campground is most appropriate for the camper who prefers a more modern feel. There is ample cell phone service, WiFi is nearby, facilities are clean and modern. It is approximately a 15 minute drive into Mena, AR where you can find significant shopping. The campground is also near a large hotel. There are many hiking and mountain bike trails available in the area. A few miles down the road you can find an old fire tower which is interesting and can be accessed if you are daring. This area is dog friendly, dogs can access the trails as well. There are also some very neat driving trails, the bypass is a popular destination for motorcyclists which can offer some noise during the day. The park is also approximately a mile from the Oklahoma state line. This is a nice area for the avid cyclist, hiker, and motorcyslist.

The views are beautiful. The campsites are very well maintained and very level. Limited activities for younger children, but we enjoyed the hiking trails. We also went on to Mena for a day and rented UTVs at Wolf Pen Gap.

This campground is located right off of Hwy 71 for easy access. Plenty of room for big rigs. Just a short ride to the Wolf Pen Gap trail system. Located in the heart of the Ouachita Mountains, 7 miles south of Mena. 

After hours checkin is still by the honor system!!

Many flock to Broken Bow for their cabins and beautiful outdoor spaces.   What better way to take advantage of those spaces than with a trip to Carson Creek!!   

Carson Creek is a bit removed from the State Park access points and with that comes a unique charm which is fun for the family without quite the large crowds which sometimes can bottleneck into the State Parks.    

There are three camping areas at Carson Creek, referred to as Quail, Turkey and Hawk.   Both Quail and Turkey allow you to set up in an RV for $16 while Hawk is designed for primitive camping and is only $8. The sites cannot be reserved so much like other portions of the lake I do recommend arriving early on weekends during warmer months.  

The camp offers great amenities for those camping here including standards such as fire rings and picnic tables and access to restrooms.    Additionally they do have community style events at the campground which are nice for those visiting.

My favorite point of this campground was the access to the water.   From the shore you can easily fish, swim or put a small boat in the water to explore.    

The town of Hoochatown is just a short drive from this campsite and has everything you will need for supplies as well as some very fun and unique attractions to even further your experience.   I spent an entire afternoon at the Hoochatown Petting Zoo enjoying the wildlife which includes a variety of species you won't find just everywhere.     

A great way to spend a day, a weekend of a week away with a bit less crowds.

We stayed in Loop C at the very back past the group campsite, which is tent camping only and a short walk from the bathroom. The campsites were more isolated and there was easy access to and great views of Walnut Creek. We had water access and trashcans in this area and every campsite was well-shaded. Very pretty and easily accessible with all campsites being empty besides ours and one other in the loop. Provided enough distance from the RVs for peaceful sleeping and raccoons were active at night and grabbed any food or trash accidentally left out. Bathrooms were clean although there is only one shower per bathroom and toilet paper ran out one day. Campground is a short distance from Brady Mountain, Joplin, Hickory Nut Mtn, and other areas on Lake Ouachita. Swimming area is nice and is accessible by car or a short walk from any campsite.

I some other reviews that described it as more like a small RV park. That’s unfair in my opinion.

I’ve been stuck using a couple of RV parks out west and they packed us in tight.

These spots aren’t super roomy, but you aren’t bumper to bumper either.

The spots are paved and all seemed pretty level. Spots 1-35 back up to the forest. Higher numbers back up to an open field.

Restrooms and showers were spectacular. Everything was clean and well kept.

The lodge is a pretty short walk up hill. It has a restaurant and small gift shop. It also has a lookout, and two trailheads. The lobby is spacious with a great view.

One of the trails connects to Ouachita trail. The drive in from Oklahoma is stunning and the drive to Mena, AR is only about 20 minutes. Several shops and restaurants and a Walmart.

There is a mini golf course, ice cream shop and train ride - but they said it’s only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and they haven’t gotten word of it will open for 2021.

Also has a playground and an Old Steam Train to explore.

This park is awesome for multiple reasons. The lodge is fantastic, great food and great views with a friendly welcoming staff. The views (worthy of mention again) are top notch, with some incredible sunsets. The mini train and mini golf were closed for the season but it looked like a great time. The bath house was clean, warm (it was cold AF outside), and had great water pressure. The town of Mena was a short scenic drive away, with a brewery and a couple restaurants worth checking out.

Now, the reason for the downgrade to 4 stars. The campsite layout is…weird. It’s like most of the sites were designed for a motorcoach to drive into, not for a travel trailer to back into. For example most of the camp amenities are on the utility side of the trailer when backed in, as opposed to the party side. Some of the sites are reeeeeally close together, as others have mentioned. I might even go so far as to say that if we would have kept our original site it might have garnered a 3 star review. The back rows have the amenities on the rear of the rv, which I actually kinda liked. Yes there is no sewer…but it’s a state park that’s expected.

A lovely off-peak hours place. Manicured and maintained and was safe with my two working dogs.

Really pretty area up in hills/mountains. Park has a lodge, restaurant, mini golf, ice cream shop and a train. Would be a great place for families with kids. Trails are short but have nice views. Forest trail is overgrown once you leave the state park and go into the national forest.

Only downside is the sites are right next to each other and have odd configurations. Our site has a picnic table and grill behind the site and the fire pit in a separate area on the drivers side of the camper. Our next door neighbors fire pit is also right there but closer to our propane tanks (yikes).

Those with dogs should be aware that we found quite a few ticks on our dog, us and in the camper.

Such a dreamy spot on the lake. Facilities were nice and close enough by. Other people weren’t too terribly close. My dogs enjoyed it just as much as I did. We will definitely be back!

The campground is tricky to locate, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the directions especially if you are arriving after dark. There are several miles of driving on a gravel forest road between the main highway and the campgrounds.

The campsites are relatively private, we pretty much had the campground to ourselves until after the first night. A very large family arrived and decided that the best campsite available was immediately next to us. Had it been full this wouldn't have been irritating, but there were more than a dozen other sites to choose.

Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire pit, there are toilets available but no showers and phone signal is sparse. River access is within a very quick walk, this section of the river is very calm. Overall the campground is isolated. Its about a fifteen minute drive to the park headquarters, popular trails, and other activities. The park is dog friendly, the surrounding trails are accessible for dogs.

Me, my wife and lil dog, drove into the campground to find out more information to stay the night. We met an employee who was on a golf cart. He (Mike) was super friendly and informative. He directed us to go find a comfortable tent spot, set it up and they would get with us later on the payment. He stressed there was no urgency, which was very appreciated! We set up near the multiple shower room and toilets on a hill near the facility. Unfortunately we got rained out hours later. The manager (John) even wanted us to stay in a storm shelter room if the rain got worse. Nonetheless, we left due to the rain, but will definitely go back if we could! Thankyou staff for being so courteous!

I camped here last year November 2016 with my boyfriend and dog. It was an easy drive from Dallas. We wanted to go to a campground with good hiking trails and a lake. The camp sites were great and hiking trails were within the park so we didn't need to drive anywhere. The fire ring was great with the added grill top. We reserved our campsite on line but many were available on a first come first serve basis. It was difficult to get fire wood. The campground didn't have any available but a local stated we could call a guy who would deliver some - we didn't have cell service so that wasn't an option. We drove about 30 mins to the closest "town" to get firewood from a gas station quick stop. Views from the lake and trails were great.

Army Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Ouachita. Not far at all off Hwy. 270. They are first come/first serve sites without hookups. There are bathrooms with sinks and flush toilets. You will see a large boat launch area and the campground is to the right of that. The campground is a loop and some sites are next to the water. Most are very level and spacious. There is a nice partially covered wooden deck for sitting and enjoying the view of the main lake also. Even the boat launch isn’t far you do not hear a lot of noise from the boaters. The rangers patrol several times during the day and night as well. One caveat while it is extremely beautiful it can be very dusty if it hasn’t rained and if there is a burn ban in effect you won’t be able to grill or build a campfire for S’mores or hot dogs. Very shaded area, lots of trees

Stayed over Thanksgiving weekend and had a really nice time! If you want to be out in the middle of nowhere, this is the place for you. After Sunday morning, most people cleared out, leaving the whole loop to us for Mon/Tue. There are multiple nice RV sites with access to small beaches as well as tent sites on small peninsulas. Bathrooms were clean, warm, had good showers and dish sinks. Our site had 50, 30 and 20 amp electric as well as a frost hydrant with decent water pressure. Phone service was OK on AT&T, Sprint was 'roaming' and pretty slow. No sewer hookup, but between the multiple bathhouses and dump station, we were ok. Arrived in the evening, did self check in and rangers came by the next day to verify. Hosts were friendly and made sure we were all set up for freezing temperatures and/or making sure we didn't break the spigot. Dog friendly!

This campground is one of my all time favorites!! It has everything you want in a campground and more. Hiking here is definitely the best, because the views are amazing!! The campground is always really well kept as well which I appreciate. The campsite spots themselves are pretty big in size and are separated by trees and bushes. Feels very private. They do have a quiet hour which is after 10pm. This is nice because there aren’t people partying all night long. There are tent spots and also RV. We camped, so I’m not sure if th RV spots are set up for electricity. The lake nearby is great. We brought our kayaks and had so much fun hitting the lake in the morning. It does get busy as the day goes on, especially in the summer on the weekends. Hiking is great, and there are multiple good spots nearby. Again, go early to beat the crowds! Dogs are welcome but must be on leash. Vaulted toilets on site and a place to fill up your water! Can’t wait to come back.