Best Glamping near Mount Judea, AR

Beautiful area near the Buffalo National River. Lost Valley Canoe & Lodging has a yurt, campsites, cabins with hot tubs on the deck, bunkhouse, showers, allows pets, and is family owned. Loyal customers return year after year. Canoeing, kayaking, or hiking. LVC store has groceries, even organic, supplies, and friendly folks.

The campground and the shower house/bathrooms were very nice and clean. The site we had was on a hill so I wouldn’t pick that one again.Most are flat. They have a yurt that you can rent and a deck with a heavy duty tent over it close to the water. If you want to walk nearby and get in the water it is rocky so bring your water shoes! There is a marina store nearby if you need something. We would camp here again.

The campground is a hidden gem. The RV and primitive camping are clean and well-maintained. The bathroom/shower requires a passcode to enter and is always clean to use. It's a great escape for off-roading and overloading. Be sure to stop by the Oark Cafe in Oark, Arkansas, which is a 25-minute drive from the campground. They serve one of the best burgers in Arkansas (Wednesday-Sunday).

Near the Mulberry River and White Rock recreation area, the facility is an off road enthusiasts playground! Trails directly into the outback from the facility. Plants of space to stretch out and enjoy the deep Forrest areas of Arkansas

State park with swimming pool in summer. Playground and swings for young ones. Several hammock friendly sites. Hang gliders frequently use the bluffs to launch. Beautiful views of Arkansas River/Lake Dardanelle.

Campsites are close together with little privacy. Several rental cabins as well.

Mt. Nebo reminded my a lot of Mt Mag. Both overlook the Arkansas river valley. The camp ground is a little dated and when we were there, full. Reservations are recommend. The sites looked level and the facilities were clean. The hikes are worth a trip to Mt Nebo.

Such a beautiful park and amazing view from our campsites! The trails were nicely kept and the waterfall we hiked to on Lizard Trail was so picturesque! Not a big park and like how the community blended in with the park. We aren’t cyclists but it’s a great spot to bring your bikes.
My favorite park so far in Arkansas.

How do you start describing Mt. Nebo State Park?   The view from 1800 ft. above the Arkansas River basin?  The wonderful campground with a well maintained swimming pool?  The hiking trails that are not difficult?  The hang gliders taking off from Sunrise Point?  The cozy cabins for those friends or family that are not true "campers".  Deer everywhere to be viewed and enjoyed.  When describing Mt. Nebo State Park, the questions are the answers.  Robin Doyle

Stayed here on a motorcycle trip in May 2018 and had some beautiful weather. The campsite was large with an asphalt path and a nice spot for my tent. First weekend in May and the park was pretty much full. My campsite close to the facilities. It was a nice state park campground, similar to all of the others in Missouri as far as amenities. Cell phone service and lots of walking paths. Close to lakes, the Arkansas border, and Branson was just 15 minutes away.

This campground was very nice, bathrooms and showers were clean. The pool was nice and the kids had a great time going down the water slide over and over. Although it's summer in Arkansas and the highs were in the 90s, it still felt great. There's so much less humidity than where we live (southern AR). We enjoyed our time here. The trails were well maintained and had great views. The campsites were a little close together. Luckily no one was occupying the sites right next to us so it wasn't a big deal.

A great Arkansas destination for outdoorsy people.The steep road climbing to the top of Mount Nebo keeps the big RVs away. Stop your car at the lookout point before you reach the top. When you arrive, walk into the Visitor's Center and right through the other door on the back to take in the view and step right onto a nice hiking trail. The campground has an open feel, so you might see cars going by on the main road, or strike up a conversation with your camping neighbors. It is nonetheless a nice place, particularly the sites that overlook the bluff. If you have kids, there are two sites that back up directly to a playground. For tent campers, the real draw is the hike-in campsites, which are easy to hike to on a flat, wide trail that circles the top of the mountain (similar in width to a fire road), or the various other well maintained hiking paths that parallel or criss-cross it. Wake up and check out the view at Sunrise Point, enjoy a day of hiking and other activities, then top it off with the view at Sunset Point.

I am extremely disappointed with our recent stay at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park in Ponca, Arkansas. After a 7.5-hour drive, we arrived on June 29, 2024, eager to enjoy a week-long stay. Unfortunately, our visit turned into a nightmare within just one hour of our arrival. While setting up our 5th wheel trailer, there was a loud pop followed by smoke pouring out of our TV. Thankfully, my husband was able to unplug it before our trailer caught fire. To our dismay, none of the outlets on one side of our trailer were working, and our TV, microwave, and fan were all fried and non-functional. We immediately contacted an employee who came to our site, inspected the outside meter post by looking at it, not testing it, and nonchalantly stated that since there was no smoke coming from it, the problem must be on our end. When my husband asked for immediate assistance, the employee told us we would have to wait two days, until Monday, and go to a nearby town to find someone to help us. This response was unacceptable and showed a complete lack of concern for our safety. Moreover, the employee had the audacity to shame us by asking if we had a GFI power surge protector plugged into the meter. None of the other RV sites had this, and in our 23+ years of camping, we have never encountered such an issue. Feeling unsafe and unsupported, we decided to pack up and drive the 7.5 hours back home, after being at the site for just one hour. The lack of assistance and options provided by the Buffalo Outdoor Center was disheartening, especially considering we were in a completely different state with no information on what we could do. Upon arriving home, we hooked up our camper at our local campground, and everything worked fine. We also went on another camping trip to a local RV campground, and again, everything worked perfectly. This clearly indicated that the surge was on Buffalo Outdoor Center's end. When we requested a refund, they refunded all but one day. This is unacceptable considering the distress, inconvenience, and financial loss we endured, including having to purchase a new TV, microwave, and fan. Our experience at Buffalo Outdoor Center RV Park was nothing short of a disaster. The lack of customer service, concern for our safety, and willingness to provide immediate assistance was appalling. We will not be returning and cannot recommend this RV park to anyone.

What it's like....

The campground has sites available for camper/RVs, tents, and also has six platform tents that you can rent to sleep at.  The platform tents have electricity available in the tents, but thats about it.  The platform tents are pretty big and they do have cots, chairs, tables, inflatable mattresses, etc.. available to rent if you want to up your platform tent experience.  Each site has a fire ring and picnic table, and there is access to a dump station for the RVs and campers.  They have an onsite general store that has about everything you could want from sandwiches to spark plugs you should be able to find what you need.  There are also some disc golf holes set up, a basketball goal, and a "hammock city" area in the middle of the primitive campsites.  The bathrooms are pretty magical with access to 25 cent/min showers and the campground even has WIFI, which isn't a reason to go camping, but when you don't have any cell service it comes in pretty handy.

What to do....

The campground is located about 10 miles north of the Boxley Valley in Arkansas which has some of the best hiking and canoeing you will find in the US.  If you like to canoe or kayak and you haven't been on the Buffalo National River, you are truly missing out on one of the most scenic rivers out there.  There are also ton's of hiking trails many taking you to the various waterfalls in the region.  If you are stumped on which trails to go on my two go-to hikes in the area are the "Lost Valley Trail" and the "Whittaker Point (Hawks Bill Crag) Trail".  Both are pretty accessible to all and will not disappoint.

What I thought....

I've been to the area before so I knew the hiking / waterfall chasing would be amazing, and it was, but I had never heard about the campground before.  I was more than pleased with campground. Everyone we ran into who worked there was extremely helpful and I could not have been more impressed by the cleanliness of the park and its amenities.  I was especially impressed by by the bathrooms at the grounds and that the campgrounds had WIFI.  The only reason I gave this campground a 4/5 and not 5/5 was how close it was to the highway.  Being in the middle of know-where helped keep the traffic down at night, but if there was anyone passing you were going to hear it.   Regardless, I would 100% go back and probably do so pretty soon and take the whole family.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW:: Mount Nebo State Park, Arkansas https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/mount-nebo-state-park

Turning off I-40 at Exit 88, Mount Nebo is viewed less than 10 miles southwest…a stand-alone mountain.

At the base of the climb, signs posted numerous times, “Crooked and Steep, no trailers over 24 ft”. I have driven up a lot of steep and twisty mountain roads, and these warnings are to be heeded. Grades are up to 18%.

The State Park rests up its summit.constructed by the CCC, many of their stonework craftsmanship can be seen in the buildings and trail system.

The “Rim Trail” is just that…a 3 1/2 mile trail running the top rim of the mountain, with long views. There are two distinct areas of the “Rim Trail” that can be driven to…to capture those special photos…Sunset Point and Sunrise Circle.

Different sections of the Rim Trail range from easy to moderate to strenuous. They are marked. Bicycles are not permitted on the Rim Trail but are permitted on other trails as are horses. So know and exercise proper trail etiquette.

There are bear in this area, and precautions are taken by the park. Park staff informed us of numerous venomous reptilian, too…so be aware on the trails, or if you choose to wander off them.

A large rentable enclosed stone pavilion sits on the end of the mount, between Site 17 and the pool. Yes, a very nice pool (separate daily or annual fee). A standard picnic pavilion also sits out front of the larger stone pavilion beside public parking area.

The beautiful Visitor Center is deeper into the park to the right. You can sit on its back porch and look out over the valley. There are numerous cabins that are available for rental…and appear very inviting.

When you crest the top of the mountain, the camping area is directly to the right, as are the pavilions and pool. Cabins dot the summit, but private residences are interspersed among them. As mentioned, the Visitors Center is further up the road to the right…on the right.

Being on an 1800 ft elevation summit, surrounded by valley…its quiet and enjoys a constant breeze. Enjoying blue skies, the shade trees are appreciated in the camping area.

On a Wednesday, the 1st of August, we had our pick of beautiful and spacious sights. Very few campers on this day. So we chose site 17, directly on the Rim with unimpeded long views and unobstructed breezes. It was a toss-up between 16 and 17 …even 14 is directly on the Rim. $22 + tax a night.

Each of these sites had separate electric, water spigot, fire pit, standing grill, picnic table and lantern post. Metal bear cabinets and resistant trash receptacles were clustered conveniently among the campsites. Though I was surprised they didn’t have timber outlined leveled tent areas. In fact, you need to be somewhat creative in locating a level tent spot.

Restrooms are clean and stocked. The pool showerhouse has but one shower a piece for men and women. The entire park is well-maintained and clean.

Overall, a very enjoyable and relaxing campground.

My Drive to the campsite was beautiful. The new owners are extremely kind & accommodating.

My cabin was perfect for my dog & I. I’m excited to see the updates to visit again.