Best Equestrian Camping near Leslie, AR

We rolled in at 8pm on a Friday night. The sign said "campground full" but thanks to another review we disregarded this and found an open site, as did the person who drove in behind us. The 26 sites are in two layers, one closer to the parking lot, one closer to the woods, river and bluffs. Rangers patrol regularly and are very helpful. There is a ranger station beyond the horse campground which is a pleasant walk or a quick drive. We stopped there to get our National Park stamp! Easy access to a trail directly from the lot, or walk beyond the horse camp to the Old River trail head. Centerpoint Trail is a 15 minute drive away and offers access to the Big Bluff/Goat Trail. Caution drivers: the road in to the campground is windy and steep. A sign warns against bringing RVs. However there were an enormous bus and tons of horse trailers and campers at the bottom of the hill - braver people than I:) Bathrooms are clean, dimly lit at night presumably to keep bugs out. Each site has a lantern pole, fire ring and picnic table. Lost Valley Trail and shelter are a 10-15 minute drive away. Since it was raining we cooked our dinner in the shelter. Overall a beautiful place with great access to multiple trails as well as river access. Sites are a little close, but if you're fine with having neighbors 20 or so feet away, we highly recommend:)

Located within a few miles of the horse camp , this site is Aimed more at group camping, there is not as much shade as I’d like to see. It is immediately next to Erbie put in, with walking distance to both the Erbie Ford and the old community of Erbie, which includes several old homes that have been preserved, the old Erbie Church and Cherry Hill cemetery.

Both cecil Cove Trail and the main Buffalo River trail are right there. With bathrooms and a nice swimming hole, this is a local favorite. The water is seasonal, so ne aware of flash flood risks.

We stayed here for some backwoods hiking in the Ozarks and it was about 40 minutes from the various hikes we had planned. There are some trails nearby, but the area and trails are really designed for ATVs.

It doesn’t offer a lot in terms of comfort—there are full hookups but no real fire rings, no trees or shade and it’s HOT in early June. It’s an all gravel path so not great for any elderly walkers or those in need of ADA. The showers are ROUGH, but they exist. They have hot water, but there’s a literal nail to operate the handles. Toilets are okay. No laundry. It has stables for horses and seems to really be built for ATVers.

No ATT or Verizon service there or in the general area, had to download a map that was essentially a PDF to get around.

Nicest people in the world own it and work there. They have a shop and cafe on site that is open only on the weekends. The cafe is okay. It does have WiFi, but that does not extend to the camp/ RV sites. The real draw is the folks who work there, can’t state enough how wonderful and helpful they are.

Dry county with very few places to buy any food or groceries outside of an hour drive.

Very beautiful sites close by: falling water falls, big creek cave falls, glory hole falls, pedestal rocks and kings bluff trails, alum natural bridge—and so much more.

We booked 6 sites of horse camp for Labor Day weekend back in July. They had plenty of time to take care of sites. We got there and the grass was high on all sites. One of the guys with us brought a battery operated weed eater and started to weed eat our area when a park ranger stopped and said we weren’t allowed to weed eat only they are allowed to mow. We asked if they would mow sites and they said NO. The people right down from us on other horse site had to keep horses tied to trailer because weeds were that high you couldn’t get to horse post. One of had brought our RV with horses and were told we weren’t allowed to bring RV even though when we booked it online, it gave us the option to book RV with horses. We usually come to horse camp 5-6 times a year, but think this might be our last time going. Seems they are trying to close down horse camp.. we had reservations on Memorial Day and when we got there it was full of tent campers with NO HORSES but they were allowed to stay there. This place is turning into a joke. You pay $20 a night to get nothing but harassed by the park rangers!!

This is a great campsite if you’re wanting to get outdoors, but aren’t quite adventurous to go full-out. You wake up every morning to the sound of the Buffalo River coursing by just a few hundred yards away, and are greeted by the breathtaking view of the bluffs you are surrounded by!

It has running water, and even a pretty nice public bathroom. Fees are not outrageous, and there is even a site for campers with horses. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’d recommend to all! One thing to consider, however, is to make sure your car has pretty good handling and brakes— as the drive up to the entrance and down to the campsite is steep and curvy (it is paved, though)!

Steel Creek campground is a beautiful grass savanna orbited by 500 foot bluffs. From the campsites is a short hike through large beautiful hardwood trees. A glorious river of milky blue green waters flows at the base of the bluff around the camp's peninsula. East of Ponca this is the closest area to car/RV camp. This camp is also horse camp friendly. Many trails come through Steel Creek for backpackers, horse trails, and of course canoe/kayakers dock and launch from here. I call this base camp because there are so many trails and historic options in this upper area of the Buffalo. My one and only con is the tent camp area is open to all the other tent campers. In other words your camping side by side. Aside from that its definitely worth it!

I tent camped at Site #3, right beside the lake. Put my hammock up and watched the sun set and the fireflies start dancing. A few ducks played on the edge of the water and walked on shore for a bit. There is a marked Artesian Spring right at the turn to this loop before Site #1.  

This park has so much going for it. It is clean, small, handicap accessible....great hiking with short and long options, a pour-off waterfall during the wet season when the lake is high, biking options. You can rent paddle boats and kayaks for the small but beautiful lake that is known for fishing. The visitor's center has nice restrooms, local author's books and art, and is well-stocked in emergency  supplies, treats, a water fountain, and friendly staff. I live close by and opt for this park when I need to get away from the hustle and bustle for a while. This park is small enough to avoid the typical state park crowds and still enjoy all the outdoor sights, sounds and activites you are looking for.