Norfork Lake, AR is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Norfork Lake is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Norfork Lake, AR. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$50 / night
"There is plenty of wildlife around and a lake not too far away from you. It is around 20 -25 dollars a night. I think this place is perfect for a wedding"
"This is primitive camping at its best. They have one vault toilet, 12 tent sites, and a water spigot. Right on the beautiful buffalo river. The sites were patrolled by rangers on a regular basis."
"Plenty of shade options. Restrooms are pit-style, so dont expect anything fancy. Did not see shower facilities where we were at."
"Passing through to Tennessee and found this gem of a spot with 2 vault toilets, trash and it’s free! Arrived at sunset in a Wednesday and only 2 other campers."
"This one had all the necessary items, picnic tables and fire rings along with pit toilets which were not in bad shape. "
"This primitive campground was perfect for me and my dog. We stayed three nights in October 2020."
$25 - $45 / night
"Beautiful private campground with access to Bull Shoals Lake. The campsite is lake view, and I took my kayak into a private lake cove."
LegendVisited here on Oct 7, 2025. Did not camp here. There are a handful of first-come, first-serve primitive sites. I only saw one drive-in site down near the creek. There are about 4 walk-in tent sites up a driveway into a parking area. The walk-in sites are close to the parking area. One site, which is not quite level, has a picnic table. The walk-in sites have metal fire rings. There are 2 clean vault toilets with tp at the campground. No potable water. The tent sites have a dirt and grass surface. There are a few shade trees. Starlink connectivity is possible. No AT&T and T-Mobile service. Nice swimming hole down by the creek. Access to the North Sylamore Creek Trail is at this recreation area. Note that the unpaved forest road approaching the recreation area from highway 14 is sketchy in spots due to Spring storm damage. Sections were being regraded during my visit. Low clearance, 2wd passenger vehicles can make it, but should tread carefully. Also note that, due to storm damage, Tie Ridge Road between Barkshed and Gunner Pool Road was only open to 4x4 vehicles at the time of my visit.
LegendCamped at site #3 for 3 nights in early October 2025. This site was really good for my camper van; just about level. The site backs up to a beautiful forest. The campground in this recreation area has 27 sites in 3 separate sections. There are some sites at the "pool" which are appropriate for car and tent camping. There is a section down a dirt road along the creek bottom that has a handful of sites; these sites are also good for car and tent camping. I camped in a wooded loop; the sites here can accomodate car, van and tent camping. A few towables may fit in this section. This is a beautiful wooded campground; clean and very well maintained. Most sites are level. Hammock camping is possible in some sites. Most sites have a table, tent pad, lantern pole, metal fire ring and a grill. Some sites are open, some shaded. No hookups. Potable water is located in a central area of the sections; the water was turned on during my visit. There are 4 vault toilets - clean and supplied with tp. Parts of the campground is prone to flash flooding. Very peaceful; the campground wasn't too busy midweek. The campground has access to the beautiful North Sylamore Creek trail. Access to campground on the gravel Gunner Pool Road from Highway 14 was very good during my visit. This forest road goes through the recreation area; it is busier than you would see on typical forest roads. Love this recreation area. One of the best that the Arkansas Ozarks has to offer for outdoor recreation.
LegendLovely spot in Missouri. Passing through to Tennessee and found this gem of a spot with 2 vault toilets, trash and it’s free! Arrived at sunset in a Wednesday and only 2 other campers. There’s about 6 spots to pull in with a camper/ RV then at least 6 tent spots. Most spots have a fire ring and picnic table. 2-3 bars of LTE with AT&T. Little bit of road noise but no issues sleeping in my van. Everyone we came across was kind. No electric or water so come prepared. Closest town for supplies is around 25 minutes. Would definitely stay here again!
RangerAverage space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.
LegendVan-camped in site #3 in mid-October, 2025. Free National Park Service primitive campground along the Buffalo Ntional River. The property serves as a drop-off and pickup location for kayakers and canoers. Outfitters may be coming and going. Not all sites are level; varies from site to site. Some sites are walk-ins. Clean vault toilet, supplied with tp and hand sanitizer. No potable water. Sites include table, metal fire ring, and lantern pole. Dirt surface. Good separation between sites but no privacy. A handful of armadillos were scrounging around during the evening. There is a partial view of the river through the trees. The road approaching the campground, CR99, is about 3 miles long and gravel, narrow in places. The last 1.5 miles has some minor erosion and rocky in places. There are no hiking trails at this location. No cell service. Starlink connectivity possible depending on the site. Tent and hammock camping possible. Fishing along the river bank. Overall, this is not a bad campground in a beautiful area.
LegendGeneral: We were apprehensive about planning to stay at this campground as the nearby one in Blanchard Springs was closed, we could not make reservations, five of the 27 sites were closed due to potential flooding from Hurricane Laura, and access is via a three-mile winding dirt road (not recommended for large RVs but it was navigable for our campervan), so we made alternate backup plans. There was no need to worry, however, as there were plenty of open sites, including some overlooking North Sylamore Creek when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October for a hike.
Sites/Facilities: Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, tent pad, and lantern pole. There is a central water source.
Activities/Amenities: This is a no-frills campground – no electric or water hookups, dumpster, playground, or flush toilets – just vault toilets. What struck me most was how quiet it was. There is access to the Sylamore hiking trail; you can hike five miles to the Blanchard Springs picnic area.
LegendWe hiked in to this campground from Blanchard and were pleasantly surprised. It is primitive in some aspects but not overtly so. They have vault toilets that were manageable and spickets for water. We grabbed a site that had a bi-level for the tent and picnic table. There was a fire ring as well. Overall, it has some stuff to do being by the river and a longish trail to explore. We may have been to tired to care about some of the finer details so we were pretty happy with this site!
LegendFor Full Video Review. CLICK HERE
While traveling through this portion of Arkansas I stumbled upon a small roadside for Gunner Pool Recreation Area just a short distance past Blanchard Springs. 3 miles down a gravel, but well maintained roadway, the campground sat nestled between to sections of the water way. On one side, slow moving water is met by the dam forming the blue toned pool and on the other a gentle flowing stream flanks the massive mountain side.
Along the camping loop, spaces are well separated and have plenty of room to spread out. Each site is equipped with standard camping amenities such as picnic tables, lantern hooks and fire rings. Vault toilets are centrally located in several areas of camp both on the upper and lower loops. In addition locking style garbage cans are placed near restrooms.
When I visited the Forest Service was on property trimming trees and clearing debris from recent rain. Their office is located just a short distance from the entry of the roadway, so they are often here to work on the property.
A little gem in the midst of the campground is located just across from the pay kiosk, the story of the property and the CCC camp which actually created not only this property but also worked on neighboring sites at Blanchard. Definitely check out the story!!
Tips:
LegendFREE
FCFS
Sites: 13
This is a dispersed campground with picnic table, fire ring and sitting on the top of the mountain giving a great view. NO WATER but there are two pit toilets. When it comes to the toilets I guess you could say
"any port in the storm" but they could use some TLC. There is also a trash dumpster but trash." Come on people there is a trash dumpster USE IT. Pads are grass and the road is gravel. The site is situated along side the highway.
LNT
BTYFI
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Nestled in the scenic Ozarks, Norfork Lake in Arkansas offers a fantastic backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts. With a variety of campgrounds nearby, adventurers can enjoy nature while engaging in numerous outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Norfork Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Norfork Lake is Rippee Conservation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
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