Best Glamping near North Little Rock, AR

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

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

19th Airlift Wing is the host for the base and supports the largest C-130 fleet in the world.  The wing supplies humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disaster in both supplies and troops.  They also provide C-130 training to over 40 allied nations.

The C-130's are the work horse of the Air Force and hero's in and of themselves.  The flight crews are amazing and will fly anywhere.  The C-130 is recognized all across Arkansas and a pleasure to watch lift off and touch down at the base.  Lumbering giants flying the skies over Arkansas they can be seen flying as far north as Mountain View in the Ozarks.

Building began in 1953 and opened on 24 January 1955.  Landowners donated 6,100 acres worth over one million dollars. Back in the day the base was responsible for 18 Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles located throughout the state.  

To me the jewel in the crown of the Little Rock Air Force Base is the C-130 you will find next to the entrance of the base alongside in the interstate.  The majestic C-130.  On A day in 1975 you would find this C-130 touched down in Saigon during the drawdown of the Viet Nam war/conflict. The payload, Humans.  Brave locals that were fleeing the Viet Cong.  The load on that last C-130 out of Saigon was more than the mighty C-130 could handle but with a fine flight crew at the helm it lifted off and numerous lives were saved.  I have flown on a C-130 and I feel honored to have done so.

While in North Little Rock check out the "Old Mill".  Drive toward Little Rock and get off at the McCain exit, go right, pass through residential area and follow signs for the "Old Mill".  The Old Mill is located in a small beautiful park and during the spring is ablaze with color.  The Mill is a recreation of an 1880's water powered gristmill.  It is famous for its part in the opening scenes of "Gone With The Wind".  It was built in 1933 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  One thing that is so fascinating is to see what was used to create toadstools, stumps and tree branches on the mill and in the park.

The base has an outstanding golf course, equestrian trails to include boarding facilities, hunting, fishing, bowling, great gym facilities, ITW, library and more.  In Little Rock you will find the Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock Zoo and so much more.

The campground is very open, as you can see by the pictures, and can be considered an oasis for military personnel and retirees.  There are some sites that I would love to spend a month in but there are more sites that are good for a night or two. Some sites are very nicely shaded but others little to none. The sites are nicely spaced. Bath house with flush toilets and showers with a laundry. Doors have a key pad entry which is nice since the camp is open to base traffic. Lots of trails and entertainment watching the planes overhead. Pretty pond with a nicely shaded children’s play area. No WiFi. NOTE the main exit out of the base is closed (repair work on the road not sure how long it will be closed) so you have to leave the base following a detour. Ever time we went out there was a very long line but it moves fairly well.

Happy camping and stay safe.

This was our first time at Petit Jean and definitely won’t be the last! My 1st suggestion: RESERVE EARLY to get a spot in Loop A or Loop B. We stayed in Loop C and I felt a little too secluded. The sites in C & D appeared to be a little smaller. I noticed several sites in B & C were uneven from roots pushing the asphalt up. Beware! Loop A is full hookup while B-D have electricity & water only. We stayed on Site 64 in a pop up style camper. It was fairly level and there were a couple good places for tents. Everyone around us was tent camping. My main complaint was the bathroom. The showers are not very private other than a nasty mildewed shower curtain, but there is no where to dry off or dress that is private. The showers were nasty on the weekend that we went, but it was also a revolving door of a massive group of 30+ tent campers that was using the showers. They were a lot cleaner on Sunday thankfully. The park itself is absolutely breathtaking! We went to the Cedar Falls Overlook, Palisades Overlook and Stout Point Overlook. We also made the hike down to Cedar Falls. It was absolutely incredible, but you should be somewhat in decent shape for this hike as it was not easy! We also hiked Bear Cave. It was nice with lots of exploring around the cave. We ate dinner at Mather Lodge one night. I had the Catfish Platter and it was excellent. I’m already ready to plan another trip here during the summer so we can utilize the boat house and a few other amenities that are closed during the off season. Well worth a fall visit though!

Catherine’s Landing is a great RV park with lots of amenities and things happening. This park is an RVC Outdoor Destination property which is known for their “resort” amenities. The park is set on 400 acres with one mile bordering Lake Catherine and about eight or nine miles from downtown Hot Springs. 

All roads, sites and patios are paved and this is definitely a big rig-friendly park. Every site has water, 50/30 amp, sewer, cable, and wifi. Fire pits and picnic tables accompany all sites. There are a variety of sites ranging from waterfront back-in, pull-thrus, or interior back-in. Waterfront sites have a nice view of the lake from the back of the site and access for fishing. The park also has yurts and cottages (some of which are pet-friendly). Adjacent to the yurts is a nice, large covered picnic area with grills, a dish washing station. 

Lots and lots of amenities here. Hiking trails, swimming pool, fitness center, lounge, playground, dog park, zip-line, boat rental, boat launch, store, and disc golf. Some amenities (boat rentals and zip-line) are an extra charge. 

Hot Springs is a nice little town nestled in the Ouachita Mountains with interesting history and natural beauty. We found plenty to do from hiking the National Park to learning about the bathhouse history to discovering the gangster influence. We spent four nights and could have stayed longer with all that the town offers. Most people come here to bathe in the soothing warm mineral waters but there is also a horse racetrack, science museum, off road track, water/theme park, alligator farm, and a few museums. Hot Springs National Park has miles and miles of great hiking trails and a great place to spend an afternoon. The town of Hot Springs is very dog-friendly and we found many places that would allow them in and on the patio for lunch.

Pros:

• Very nice, clean, well-manicured
• Lots of amenities
•  Paved level sites with paved patios 
• The dog park was a decent size for running and mingling with other dogs
• The hiking trail(about 3 miles) was a big plus and got used a lot. 

Cons:

• Price. We booked late and didn’t have too many sites to choose from we had to pay for a waterfront site