Springhill Park in Fort Smith allows pets throughout its 44 campsites divided between two loops, with both 30-amp and 50-amp electric hookups available. Dogs must remain leashed while exploring the park's hiking and mountain biking trails that connect directly to the campground. Devil's Den State Park Campground accommodates pets at tent sites, RV spots, and cabins, though some visitors note enforcement of barking rules can be strict during quiet hours. Most campgrounds in the area provide basic pet amenities including water access, waste disposal stations, and designated walking areas. The leash law applies at all public campgrounds, with Riverfront RV Resort and Queen Wilhelmina State Park enforcing standard pet policies. Campsites are generally spacious enough for pet enclosures, with some offering grassy areas specifically for dog exercise.
Cedar Lake Equestrian Camp and Heavener Runestone Park feature pet-friendly trails directly accessible from campsites, allowing dogs to explore wooded areas and scenic overlooks. Several campgrounds back up to water features where dogs can cool off, including Springhill's location between the Arkansas River and Massard Creek. Campers should be prepared for ticks during warmer months, as multiple reviewers mention finding them on dogs after hiking park trails. Wildlife encounters are possible, with bear warnings posted at Queen Wilhelmina State Park, though staff report bears are rarely seen on trails. Most campgrounds maintain clean facilities with accessible bathrooms and showers, though pet owners should bring their own waste bags and portable water bowls. The region's varied terrain offers excellent opportunities for dog-friendly hiking, with trails ranging from easy lakeside paths to more challenging mountain routes.
$16 - $75 / night
"It’s in between the Arkansas river and Massard creek. You can launch a boat or you can go kayaking in Massard creek. There’s Cat fish, Perch and, Bass."
"Really nice campground you have two options in the A section you are right one a small river and one the B side it’s more of the wooded option but most sites have the Arkansas rive close by with mountain"
$15 - $20 / night
"We stopped to see the runestone on our way back home from camping at Lake Wister. Wooded and clean, with a small gift shop (closed when we got there)."
"Totally worth the drive from Tulsa. The park is beautiful and secluded, very clean and well kept. It has some really fun little themed touches in keeping with the Viking Runestone."
"The campground is set among tall trees adjacent to the John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake and James W. Trimble Lock and Dam of the Arkansas River."
"Nice area with many spots that back up to an outlet of the Arkansas River. Great bank fishing! Friendly staff. Highly recommend."
$22 - $25 / night
"Contacted owner late in the evening looking for a spot after a 9hour drive. This place had everything and the bathhouse was just like taking a shower at home!"
$20 / night
"Very pet friendly. And close to so many attractions in Northwest Arkansas!"
"Devil's Den is a gorgeous parked tucked in the mountains of Arkansas. The primary campground for RVs is one of the better campgrounds I have seen. The facilities and amenities have been great. "
$23 / night
"Trails are short but have nice views. Forest trail is overgrown once you leave the state park and go into the national forest."
"Driving through this part of Arkansas you can quickly get taken aback by the winding roads the ample beauty, but until you visit the campground and park you will only have a portion of the beauty of the"
"Conveniently located near Fort Smith AR."
$35 - $40 / night
"They have hiking trails and 2 private lakes. The RV area looked new because all of the power boxes had 50/30 and 120 outlets and breakers which is super cool."
"Beautifully maintained, sits right on the Arkansas river. Pool is cold but clean and well maintained. The park was not even 1/4 full while we were there. I hope business picks up because it’s nice."
"Only one year old on Arkansas river great location if you like being close to restaurants staff very friendly"
$15 - $40 / night
"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."
"we took a group of Trail Life boys there and we had a good time. There are plenty of good trails near by and we used Cedar Lake as our basecamp."
RangerDevil’s Den SP had a great campground with full hookups available. The natural beauty of this area is breathtaking! Plenty of hiking opportunities and tons of activities. Very pet friendly. And close to so many attractions in Northwest Arkansas!
TravelerThis park is located on the Arkansas River. There’s a boat ramp, so bring your boat and enjoy the beautiful Arkansas River. Pets are allowed, there is a leash law. Bring your own firewood. Campsites are both Electric and primitive. Flush toilets and Warm Showers are available. Good cell service. Very clean and peaceful.
LegendThis is KOA, not my favorite place to stop, but they have good, basic facilities, sort of like Motel 6. They are just off I-40, so it was convenient for a one night stop. The sites were level, and were Pull-Thru so we didn’t even unhook. Full hookups, Some shade, a dump station. The shower/bathroom was clean. There is a small store. They also have cabins and tent sites; Free Wi-Fi, cable tv, a pool and playground, and a pond for fishing. There is a small Kamp K9 (dog park). When we were there everything was wet, and the smell of wet creosote from the log yard next door was terrible.
TravelerSimple, but nice. No frills. Quiet. If you are looking for a peaceful, quiet place, away from the city, this is a great place. I love it. Have stayed several times in several different sites. Will stay again. About 13 campsites, all gravel. Has a wooded trails for walking and a big open are for walking and playing with pets. Water, sewer and 30/50amp electric are easy access and to hook up. James the owner is great and has a U-Pick orchard as well.
RangerWe found this quiet spot with a small waterfall on Mountain Fork Creek that has a fairly large (semi-level) gravel parking lot right next to the natural waterfall which gives good noise cover for the road nearby. There are a few small trails along the creek and a few small bluffs with climbing spots for those who like some verticality.
Not great for solar panels but we had a good view of the north sky so Starlink works great here!
Also, a few stray dogs and cats came to see us a couple times.
ScoutI have been camping out here for years but never took advantage of the A side. A12-14 are premian spots to camp. I tent camp and the view is amazing. It’s in between the Arkansas river and Massard creek. You can launch a boat or you can go kayaking in Massard creek. There’s Cat fish, Perch and, Bass.
LegendSpringhill Park in Fort Smith is yet another great U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground and recreation area. We are huge fans of Corps parks for numerous reasons and this one did not disappoint. The campground is set among tall trees adjacent to the John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake and James W. Trimble Lock and Dam of the Arkansas River. The park is located in Barling, Arkansas which is just a short drive from downtown Fort Smith. The area offers plenty of sights to see (especially for history buffs) and interesting things to do.
The campground is open year-round. Campsites can be booked on-line at recreation.gov except during the off-season (Nov- Feb) when all sites are walk-in. The park has 44 total sites divided into two loops– one with 30 amp electric (A loop) and the other with 50 amp (B loop). Water is available at some sites and at the centrally-located dump station. Finding out which sites have water on recreation.gov is a bit confusing. When looking at the “site list” page you will notice no sites have water listed as an“amenity” but it does list the electric. To find out if a site has water, click on the link for specific details of a particular site and it will indicate if there is water hook ups.
All sites and roads are paved and easy to navigate in a big rig. Many sites are very long with only eleven sites being less than 45’ in length(and only seven under 40’). One major downside of this park is that only about half the sites(in Loop B) were not flat enough for us to get level without having the wheels off the ground. Smaller RVs or trailers that use blocks instead of automatic leveling jacks should be able to get level. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit. The sites in A Loop(pictured below) have a paved parking space adjacent to the paved RV pad. Campsites are closer together and have fewer trees creating a more open feel than in the B Loop but do back-up to a small pond that makes for a nice view.
We stayed in site B1 and loved the privacy and tall trees surrounding the site and the large grassy field next to us. Sites B9 and B11 have great views of the water and offer plenty of room between you and your neighbor while others are tucked nicely into the trees. The patios in B Loop(pictured to the right) have a concrete patio on a cement pad. Most of the patios are located at the back of the campsite. We picked up roughly 15 television channels (including the three major networks) with our antenna. Trees may prevent you from getting satellite if your dish is fixed on the roof.
Located in both loops are a bath/shower building(which were very clean), playground, and pavilion. There are hiking/mountain biking trails that leave from the campground. Mountain biking is a big deal here and there is a 10-mile"fast" trail where experienced bikers race frequently. Other amenities include basketball courts, boat launch and picnic pavilions.
The park is a few miles from Fort Smith proper and about eight miles to downtown attractions including the National Historical Park. Within two miles are a few restaurants, gas station, and a super Walmart is less than four miles away. The area immediately surrounding the park is a nice part of town that felt safe to us. What we liked was that this park has well-spaced sites, a nice wooded setting and a site with the amenities of electric, water, and a pavement. The location was great to downtown Fort Smith so you didn’t feel isolated if you wanted to go sight-seeing, out to eat, or shopping. Being right on the lake meant we could easily go kayaking or fishing and there were plenty of places to walk throughout the property. Access to the park is easy and manageable for a big-rig towing a car. The price$20/night (or$10 for senior pass holders) is quite the deal. This park is great for dogs with lots of room to walk, trails, and places to swim.
The only ding was that if this park would have had sewer at the site. But we loved it anyway and would definitely stay here again. The other ding this park gets is the fact that so many sites are unlevel.
ScoutI have been to devil's den MANY times. I've always loved it and have never had any issues. I send many, many friends to the park to go camping. We drive nearly 5 hours to go. Well, until my trip this weekend. I'm a covid front lines worker and haven't had a weekend off in far too long, so I brought a friend with me and my dogs to go camping. The campground claims to be dog friendly. Also, quiet time is at 10 pm, which is fine. Long, long after 10 pm there are people up partying, playing loud music, screaming and laughing and walking all around the campground. Each time they'd get near our site, or walk through our site, my dogs would bark....as dogs do. Also, there were at least 4 other sites with dogs that were barking as the parade would walk through as well. The next day, the super trooper park police come by and tell me that there were complaints of dogs barking. I explained the situation and that their barks followed after the late night frat party going on, accompanied along with other dogs. I ask if they're going to talk to the partiers who broke quiet time rules,"well, no. They're allowed to walk around"(completely disregarding the noise part of it). I asked if they're going to talk to other dog owners,"well, we didn't see any other dogs"(mind you, I could see dogs from my site while we were talking). They told me I had to keep my dogs quiet or we were gone. I motioned towards where I had hung up tarps around their kennel, and said this would fix most of it as long as the parade doesn't walk around loudly again. They said if I can't find a solution, we were gone. Two of these super troopers came up while my friend and I were napping, onto our site, one of them towered over me with an attitude and a complete disregard for my personal space, as if he were trying to intimidate me(no masks). The other one was appropriate and kind. This was absolutely ridiculous. They didn't address any of the other problems. They chose our site, 2 young females. Perhaps a course on conflict resolution for the 7 foot super trooper would be in order. I'm beyond disappointed in this experience, and doubt I will be back. NOT a dog friendly park.
GuideWe only stayed here 2 nights on our way to Colorado. Beautifully maintained, sits right on the Arkansas river. Pool is cold but clean and well maintained. The park was not even 1/4 full while we were there. I hope business picks up because it’s nice. A little pricey ($81 per night), but with Good Sam or Military discount, it helps. Ladies in the office were fantastic, each going through their purses to find enough quarters so I could wash and dry a load of clothes! Very nice! It was just TOO HOT to do much outside, especially with dogs.
Midland area campgrounds span across eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, offering varied terrain from pine forests to riverside locations. The region sits in the Ouachita Mountain foothills with elevations ranging from 500-1,500 feet, creating diverse camping environments between the Arkansas River valley and mountainous wilderness. Weather conditions vary significantly between valley campsites and higher elevation locations.
Mountain biking trails: At Springhill Park, trails connect directly to the campground for immediate access. "I have been camping out here for years but never took advantage of the A side. A12-14 are premian spots to camp... You can launch a boat or you can go kayaking in Massard creek," notes one visitor who appreciates the multi-use trails.
Historic exploration: Fort Smith National Historic Site sits less than 2 miles from Riverfront RV Resort, making it convenient for history buffs. A recent camper mentioned, "This campground is only about a year old and everything seems to still be in good shape... less than 2 miles from the Fort Smith National Historic Site."
Lake activities: Cedar Lake offers excellent fishing and water recreation options. "The lake was absolutely beautiful and so were the campsites. Our camp host was super nice and got us a great spot to spend the weekend. I needed an electric hookup to charge the batteries on my boat every night and he was able to give us a site with hookups close to the boat ramp," reports one satisfied angler.
Affordability: Military families appreciate the value at Fort Chaffee. "Stayed here over a non drill weekend, and the whole place was deserted. Nice spot on the end with trees and the fishing pond. Must be self contained, no bath house. Conveniently located near Fort Smith AR," notes a visitor who paid just $18 for full hookups.
Unique historical features: Heavener Runestone Park offers camping with educational elements. "We came to Heavener Runestone Park with three families and nine young children and had the BEST time! Totally worth the drive from Tulsa... The history around the Runestone is so interesting, the kids loved hearing about the Vikings," explains one family who appreciated the historical context.
Premium water sites: John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake sites provide excellent waterfront access. A camper noted, "I had site B09 which was far away from any other sites, had good shade, and had a view of the river. There are great trails on site for mountain biking or hiking. I saw deer, a snake, and what looked like a coyote on the trail."
Seasonal closures: Some area facilities close without notice. At Springhill, one camper reported, "Site is still charging campers full price for extended camping (14 days) was told showers and restrooms available then suddenly they closed the facilities without notice."
Limited cell service: Devil's Den State Park Campground has connectivity challenges. "Devil's Den is a gorgeous parked tucked in the mountains of Arkansas... There's no cell service whatsoever but Wifi (paid) is offered by the park. Make sure to stock up on supplies beforehand - there are not many options within that area as far as food and services."
Weather preparedness: Cedar Lake requires appropriate gear for shoulder seasons. "When we lived in Oklahoma we would camp out regularly in March, bring jackets and stuff to keep warm because it is still very chilly, but warm enough during the day for some nice hiking."
Best pet-friendly trails: For pet-friendly camping near Midland, Arkansas, Heavener Runestone Park offers well-maintained trails suitable for children and pets. "The hiking was beautiful and just challenging enough to be fun while accessible for little kids. Bathrooms were clean and easily accessed from our tent sites. The views were spectacular."
Playground access: Riverfront RV Resort provides recreational facilities for kids. "Our kids enjoyed the playground, outdoor gym, and pickleball - it was too cold to swim. There is only one bathhouse, but it was clean."
Water safety: Springhill Park offers water activities with supervision required. "There's Cat fish, Perch and, Bass" notes one reviewer about the fishing opportunities, while another mentions that "Five star experience, except for the showers, which were gross... My favorite part was the rock outcropping at the river by our site. It felt like we had our own little dock to cast off from."
Site selection: Choose carefully at John Paul Hammerschmidt Lake. "The park has 44 total sites divided into two loops– one with 30 amp electric (A loop) and the other with 50 amp (B loop)... One major downside of this park is that only about half the sites (in Loop B) were not flat enough for us to get level without having the wheels off the ground."
Levelness challenges: Devil's Den sites require planning. "If you want the best experience - grab one of the sites along the ridge (83, 85, 87) - these have a great view off the back and offer incredible space... If you have a large rig - make sure to take the West Fork exit off I-49 vs. the south exit (Winslow)."
Site spacing: Cedar Lake provides well-separated campsites. "Each site has a tent pad, picnic table, grill, lantern poles, fire pit, parking spot and small counter-like food prep area... Asphalt and gravel sites. Clean bathrooms. Water and electric only."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Midland, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Midland, AR is Springhill with a 4.1-star rating from 21 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 102 dog-friendly camping locations near Midland, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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