Best Glamping near Sherwood, 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

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!

Let me just start this out by saying, selecting a spot in Arkansas you are overwhelmed with options. State parks flourish and individual campgrounds seem to be countless. When traveling to the Hot Springs area It was a toss up as to which location would bear suit my journey, not only as a campground but as a part of the adventure. I elected to try Lake Catherine State Park, located just 10 miles outside of Hot Springs.

What sold me on this site were the numerous hiking trails, but what surprised me when I arrived were the lakeside water rentals located on premise as well as the actual beach recreation area.

I arrived later in the day and quickly made my camp in the primitive tent area. These sites have no water or electric hook ups however a very nice restroom facilities within 100 yards. They also boast a playground for the kids, not the only of the site. I was greeted by other campers and the sense of community was high at this facility.

My campsite included a table and grill and was nearby a fire ring. The area was much flatter than many camp areas and made for a quick site selection. In the distance deer grazed as the sun was setting.

The next morning I ventured toward the marina and was excited to find they have numerous boats for any level of experience available. Larger units available for full or half day use and smaller units for full or half day along with by the hour.

Hiking trails were my next stop after learning of the various skill levels including ADA accessible, moderate and difficult.

In addition to primitive camping the park offers RV and non-primitive tent camping. Also available are Yurt and Cabin rentals.

Office contains limited food and beverage options as well as supplies for lake visitors and a full picnic area overlooking the beach. Bathrooms and washrooms are scattered throughout the park and are kept impeccably clean with high water pressure.

Cell signal was good even on the remote trails during my stay.

This is by far one of the nicest parks I have camped not only on this journey but on any. Staff was knowledgeable about the park and others of the state and very helpful.

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Easy 5 of 5 Bunnies. I will return!

We took our little camper out to Petit Jean for the first time and it was a blast. We were a little unprepared, so we stayed in the overflow area. This part is not paved and has no fire pit, so we couldn't have a fire. If you have a portable fire pit you can have a fire there. Also those spots do not have a grill, but we have a small one that we were able to use. The driveways to get to the overflow area are a bit rough (roots sticking up through the dirt) and it takes a bit to get level (sloped toward the lake). However, the dump station is very clean and convenient. We will definitely come back to Petit Jean in the future.