Do you enjoy camping but don't want to rough it? Glamping is a great option. Glamping offers the perfect opportunity to explore Ozark-St. Francis National Forests and stay off the beaten path. These scenic and easy to access Arkansas glamping locations are perfect for any adventurer.
The campgrounds feature a total of 125 campsites (including 26 pull-through sites). Thirty-five of the sites—the Class AAA sites—have 30 and 50 amp electrical, water, and sewer hookups. The 90 Class B sites offer 30 amp electrical and water hookups. All sites are reservable. Campsites are divided into four campground areas. Each includes a modern bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets. Area "A" is near Lake Bailey and include sites along the lakeshore. Areas "B," "C," and "D" are located on the south side of Ark. 154 in wooded settings.
Other campsite choices in the main camping area include a 44-unit Rally-style Area with 20 amp electrical service available for camping clubs.
A trailer dump station is centrally located near the Rally-style camping area.
Petit Jean is Arkansas's only state park with its own airport.
$25 - $40 / night
This peaceful park makes great camping near Little Rock and is located on Lake Catherine, one of five lakes in the beautiful Ouachita Mountain region. The only full-service marina on the lake is here at the park and open in the summertime for bait, snacks/drinks, and fuel. Boat rentals are available year-round. The park also includes a launch ramp, pavilion, picnic sites, playgrounds, and a well-marked trail that leads to a waterfall.
The park has 20 fully equipped cabins, including one two-bedroom cabin with a patio overlooking the water and private access to the lake from its own fishing pier. There are also many native stone and wood buildings on-site. The history of these structures dates back to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. The park offers 70 campsites (47 Class AAA and 23 Class B), six primitive tent sites, one Rent-A-Camp, and one Rent-A-Yurt. Many of these sites are on the lakeshore. Park interpreters offer hikes, lake tours, and programs year-round. Guided horseback rides are offered seasonally.
$15 - $25 / night
This recreation area is part of Ouachita Lake
Nestled between the Ozark National Forest to the north, and the Ouachita National Forest to the south, Mount Magazine State Park boasts the highest point in the state of Arkansas: Mount Magazine at 2753 feet. Located just 100 miles northwest of Little Rock, this area has been a recreation destination since the late 1800s. Recreation at Mount Magazine really started booming in the 1930s and 40s with the construction of a lodge, campgrounds and trails. Visitors came to beat the heat of the surrounding valleys, as well as to enjoy the panoramic views, abundant wildflowers, autumn color, and numerous opportunities to play outdoors. The area finally became a state park in 1998.
Whether you prefer a posh lodge or cabin, a fully-equipped RV pad, or a rustic campsite, there’s a place for you to stay and play at Mount Magazine. The park’s campground offers 18 spacious sites with full or partial hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station. Campers are required to store food and trash properly to minimize black bear encounters. For more luxuriant accommodations, the park’s lodge offers 60 guest rooms and spa suites with a variety of comforts, as well as 13 full-equipped cabins with up to three bedrooms. Not in the mood for hot dogs over the campfire? The large dining room at the Skycrest Restaurant serves daily meals while overlooking the Petit Jean River Valley.
When you’re ready to play on Mount Magazine, you can do it by foot, wheels or wings. Hikers have access to 14 miles of trails, ranging from 1 to 3 miles, with connecting options for going farther. The 34-mile Huckleberry Mountain Trail is great for mountain biking and horseback riding. For gravity-defying activities, the park offers more than 100 climbing routes on its southern bluff, as well as a hang gliding launch point over the Petit Jean River Valley. Less strenuous activities include bird and wildlife watching, guided ranger walks, historic site tours and various interpretive programs and outdoor skills workshops. There’s also spectacular leaf-peeping in the fall when the forest takes on its vibrant autumn transformation.
$35 / night
Crystal Ridge RV Park has 24 campsites with utilities, multiple primitive campsites and one tiny cabin rental (a second tiny cabin is being prepared). Our bath house and laundry were completely remodeled in 2021. Electric was upgraded to 30/50 amp for every campsite in 2022. Quiet hours are observed from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am every day. Please note: We love pets, however; we strictly enforce pets being leashed, under owner control at all times and picking up your pet's waste. One warning is given. Eviction will result if your pet is loose again. We ask your cooperation in educating your children about this rule so they are diligent about confining/leashing the pet prior to opening the door to your recreational vehicle.
Motor Home, Travel Trailer, Truck With Camper Top, Converted Van and Tent campsites are available for nightly rental. We do not offer permanent/residential rental. We are also known as Coleman RV Park and Ron Coleman Mine Campground
Family activities are just a short walk away, yet, conveniently located on Ron Coleman Crystal Mine property. Dig your own quartz crystals in our 4 acre digging area, zip line 1/4 mile over our commercial mine, take a crystal mine tour and browse quartz crystal points and clusters hand dug at our quartz mine, globally sourced minerals and gifts in the expansive Ron Coleman Gift Shop and on our back porch
$13 / night
Choctaw Park is located on the spacious Greers Ferry Lake nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. In the 19th century, a city named Higden flourished where the lake now rests. The city suffered from frequent flooding and as a result a man-made lake was created for flood control of the area. Today, the city's remains sit below the lake, enticing scuba divers and archeologists alike.
Whether a visitor prefers boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming or scuba diving, Greers Ferry Lake has it all. The river tributaries keep anglers entertained, as they produce some of the largest walleye in the world; the record breaker was a whopping 23 lbs. In spring, the countryside becomes a photographer's paradise with wildflowers, redbud and dogwood trees in full bloom.
Greers Ferry Lake spans 30,000 acres of north-central Arkansas. The dam creating the reservoir stands at the foot of the beautiful Round Mountain, with water trickling through to the Little Red River.
Explore the quaint historic towns around the lake for shopping and dining.The William Carl Garner Visitor Center is just west of the dam, with exhibits, a children's touch table, and a replica of the world record 40 lb. 4 oz. brown trout caught in the Little Red River downstream of the center.
For local information, please call (501) 745-8320 or call (501) 362-2416 for general information.
$18 - $50 / night
Traveler
Magazine Mountain is the highest peak in Arkansas at 2,753 feet. Mount Magazine SP sits at the top of Magazine Mountain. It has 18 RV campsites of varying length, all with water and most have sewer. Two have 50 amp service with the rest having 30. All of the campsites have a large level tent pad, table, fire ring, and plenty of shade. The restrooms/showers are a 4.5 out of 5 for state park facilities.
Mount Magazine SP also has a lodge with a restaurant and and 13 cabins if camping is not your thing.
The park has about 15 miles of hiking trails. The trails are mostly shaded and well defined. Remember you are on a mountain so there will be elevation changes as you walk. We hiked about half of them.
Mount Magazine boasts as one of the top spots for fall foliage. Our visit was in late August so something we will have to come back for, but with the many species of trees I have no doubt it would be beautiful.
Other amenities of the park are multiple picnic areas and a hang glider launch area. Picnic areas are nice. We did not partake of the hand glider launch. No I am not afraid to die, just see no need to rush into it.
Just outside the SP is the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest with 170 miles of OHV trails. Rubi (our Jeep) had fun. Ok we did too.
Mount Magazine SP is a very nice place to visit and one we look forward to coming back to.
LegendAwesome Small Campground! What a gem! Not a glamping campground, but beautiful peaceful change. Only 16 sites, with only 2, 50 amp sites. We were lucky enough to get one. Site is huge and private. Has fire pit with grill, separate bbq, siting area and great hook ups. Bear proof refuge container on site as well. Half off if disabled! Site 3 wasn't completely level, but quick fix. Sights and hiking were breathtaking. No laundry, cable or wifi, but restrooms and showers were clean. Cell service was spotty. Gorgeous lodge with great overlooks and restaurant close by. A diamond in the rough.
Traveler
Our first time in Petit Jean State Park and hopefully not our last! The area is so beautiful and the park is clean. We stayed in one of the yurts. The kids enjoyed the geese right outside the door and at night, the deer came out only feet from the yurt. The yurt itself is was as expected. Only beds inside with one table, 4 chairs and a fan. It does have electricity inside but no water. Outside is a nice deck, propane stove, water faucet, fire ring, picnic table and bbq pit. It also has a canoe available for use with each yurt. The boathouse was not too far away and well maintained. There is a very nice pool on the grounds also. We really enjoyed the hiking trails.
Scout
I rented a yurt one night and a tent site the next night. The yurt was clean, spacious and comfortable. We arrived a lot later than I planned (1:30am!) and the code for the yurt didn't work, so I had to rustle the night watch. The next night I got a spot on the lakefront. It's pretty, but there's a big factory building across the lake and at night you can hear generators, which I assumed was from the factory, since it was an electric loop. You can hear everything in a tent. My main disappointment, not being able to hear nature at night. Otherwise, it's beautiful.
GuideWe stayed in the yurts one time and it was nice but hot. Bring FANS. The yurt came with a canoe and life jackets. We loved that stay. My favorite stay is at the tent sites. We have stayed so many times. Several areas to hike with young children. Swimming pool available at a good price. The kids love the near by petting zoo. Lake available for fishing and boat rentals. Wonderful views all around one of my favorite spots.
TravelerMy Favorite Place!! So much to do!! Love staying in the yurts!! Lots of trails to hike!! Extremely affordable!! Breath taking views!!
LegendVery nice place. Friendly people. Good amount of space between campers. We were on Loop A number 16, so we faced a yurt and the lake. BEAUTIFUL hiking area!!!
TravelerWe came on Saturday and are leaving on Friday. We stayed in Area A, all the sites are full hookups. The bathhouse is very clean and warm (useful since it was in the 40s). The campsites are spread apart with lots of trees for hammocking. The spots by the water had docks every couple of sites. There aren't a lot of trails but several of varying distance and difficulties (1 is ADA compliant). The waterfall is very pretty and looks like a great swimming hole in summer. There is a marina for renting boats. Cabins and yurts are also available. The only draw back is that Arkansas seems to be completely void of fish.;)
ScoutWe stayed in the Yurt and it was great. The lake is beautiful and it was quiet. There was actually a camp host nearby. Didnt get to go fishing, but it looked very good. Very close to Hot Springs depending on where you come in from. We'll be going back.
RangerThis park is by far one of the most well taken care of parks I have ever visited. Accommodations for everyone. Tent camping, yurts, rv campground, cabins, the lodge rooms, if you can't find something that suits you its on you not the park. Lol. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Hiking trails for everyone. Waterfalls, caves, canoeing, fishing, and even have gift shops. So much to see and do here. Highly recommend.
RangerStay in an RV, yurt, or tent when you're at Lake Catherine. When there's been rain, there is a gorgeous waterfall along a very nice hiking trail called Falls Branch. The longer hiking loop trail offers a couple of nice vistas from its high points. If you want to take a short float trip, call ahead to find out what times water from the dam gets released. Enjoy!
RangerThis was our first time camping here. We had my 8 and 10 year old nieces, who loved the hiking trails and the falls. It was too cold for swimming, but it would be a great place to swim in the summer. The campsites were spacious with separate tent pads available. There were yurts, boat/kayak rentals, a gift shop, and clean bathroom facilities. Our campsite overlooked the lake, which was really nice.
GuideThis is very similar to a vacation resort. There are over 100 campsites that are reservable. You can also rent a yurt for $55 a night if you're interested in that! There are tennis courts, a swimming pool, picnic areas, and basically everything you've ever dreamed of finding in a campground. All sorts of facilities are available from showers to flush toilets. This definitely takes the labor out of camping and turns it more into a luxury. If you're interested in "roughing it" for a few days, you may want to try some backcountry camping elsewhere. If you want to take a few days off from the camping grind, this may be the ideal location for you.
LegendThis campground provides something for everyone. It has short to long hiking trails, views, waterfalls, lodging, yurts, plenty of camping spaces and the ability to do as much or as little as you would like. We stay in C or D usually as A is for campers and C and D appear to provide a little more space. Sites 112 and 111 were our favorite due to it being closer to the bath house and more space in the camp spot. The bathhouse is standard and doesn't have any remember-able feature. It does include a fairly clean shower and the rangers did come by and clean up every day we were there. I would recommend the boy scout trail if you are interested in fairly long hikes. It takes you all over the park and never has a dull part (other than about a mile of road walking but that is still pleasant as the road is a decommissioned gravel road). If you just want a short hike, I would recommend the Davies Bridge to the Rock House Cave. Not terrible elevation and a pleasant river hike to the cave. The bonus at the Rock house Cave is going on top of it and checking out the "turtle shells" on top!
LegendLet 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.
🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰
Easy 5 of 5 Bunnies. I will return!
RangerGreat place for hiking and taking in nice variety of views at Arkansas's first state park. Cabins can be rented, RV & tent camping sites available. Modern bath houses with showers and toilets were clean. Cedar Creek flows through this park and Cedar Falls is impressive. We were there in late March and the creek was flowing good after recent rains. But it can be only a trickle during dry periods. Enjoyed the trail along the creek. Another nice view was from a point looking down over the Arkansas River and valley below.
RangerIf in Arkansas, Petit Jean State Park is a must. With a ton of trails, lodge, restaurant, and waterfalls it is a nature lovers dream.
Legend
Camp Robinson is a training center and is home to the Arkansas National Guard Force along with other military teams. It is 32,000 acres and is in the heart of Little Rock Arkansas. It consist of 26 small arms ranges and premier training centers.
Camp Robinson was named after Joe T. Robinson who was the 23rd governor of
Arkansas. The Camp played a very important role in various wars and continues today for training. It also housed a large German prisoner of war facility. The Camp was also know as Camp Pike when it was originally built in 1917 and the CCC Civilian Conservation Corps was stationed at Camp Pike.
You will find a nine hole golf course, a PX and a fine Arkansas National Guard Museum. Admission is free but call 501-212-5215 for hours.
This campground has not been maintained. Many trailers looked as if they have been there for sometime. Sites are wooded and there was a picturesque pond with several waterfowl. There are two sites and one is newer with some pull thru sites. No additional toilets, laundry or showers so you need to be self contained.
This site is ideal to visit Little Rock since it is in the heart of the city. It is located in a residential area and away from the interstate. Touring the downtown area will keep you very busy. Everything is within a few miles drive. The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is open from 0900 - 1630 hours (9 am to 4:30 pm), William J. Clinton Presidential Library (closed till July 1, 2021), Museum of Discovery 0900 to 1700 hours (9 am to 5 pm) Arkansas State Capitol 1000 to 1700 hours (10 am to 5 pm) also check out the Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum, Heifer Village or Heifer International 0900 to 1700 hours (9 am to 5 pm), Downtown has plenty of parking and some great eateries. A splash of the whimsy is the Esse Purse Museum and Store.
Your time will be well spent checking out all the great museums, shopping and dining you can even catch Broadway plays, truck rallies, music shows, conventions and more. Enjoy your stay and stay as busy as you want or just kick back and enjoy a peaceful stay.
ScoutSuper cool paths, views and community. Tons of historical value and it's obvious that Arkansas cares about it's forests, natural resources and outdoor communities. Tons of people everywhere no matter where you venture off to though.
Scout
This Campground is quiet, secluded jewel in Clinton, Arkansas. Tall trees everywhere you look. Every campsite is shaded. Perfectly spaced trees for the hammock lovers.
TravelerArkansas’ first and most popular state park. Lake with rental boats, trailer and tent site loops, lodge/hotel/cabins. Outstanding natural features, some of which are easily accessible. Very popular in the fall. Big waterfall with rugged trail to the bottom. Can’t see it all in a weekend!
Traveler
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.
LegendMt. 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.
GuideSuch 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.
Traveler
One of the best lakes/ parks I’ve visited. I went to Arkansas to visit the Hot Springs National Park, and left wishing I had stayed longer in Ouachita rather than visit Hot Springs. Great camping site, enough space for two tents. Beautiful trails to hike and bike. The fishing was equally as good.
ScoutHow 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
GuideThis 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Ozark-St. Francis National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Ozark-St. Francis National Forests is Petit Jean State Park — Petit Jean State Park with a 4.7-star rating from 102 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Ozark-St. Francis National Forests?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
