Best RV Parks & Resorts near Ozark-St. Francis National Forests

Camped here on May 1, 2025. This is one of my favorite state parks in the USA. Lots to do here. Fantastic hiking trails - rated from easy to difficult. Since I live only 45 minutes from this park, I normally come here for the day for hiking. This time, I got around to trying out the park's campground. This popular campround is divided into 4 areas - A through D. There are a total of 125 campsites, including 26 pull-through sites. Thirty-five of the sites are Class AAA sites which have 50 amp electrical, water, and sewer hookups. There are 90 Class B sites offering 30 amp electrical and water hookups. All sites are reservable. Tent and hammock camping is possible depending on the sites. I camped at site 103 in Area D. The staff at the office helped me pick this site for my campervan. The site had water and 30amp service. The restroom/shower house was clean and well maintained. The campsite itself was dated but clean. The site was large and had trees around it offering a little bit of privacy. The pull-thru drieway was close to the campground road. The site included a picnic table, tent pad, lantern pole, metal fire ring, and grill. Solar charging and Starlink connectivity may not be possible at this site; Area C has an open sky above it. There was some road noise from vehicles driving on Petit Jean Mountain Road which is behind the site. Received good AT&T 5G cell service, but little to no T-Mobile 2G service.  Areas C and D are in the woods. Most of the sites in these areas are on the small size but should easily accomodate a truck camper and smaller. Not all sites are level. Areas A and B can accomodate large rigs and towables.

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.

At first entrance it appears as if you are entering a large parking lot. There is a large pavilion to picnic and pet area by the water. Each site requires a 50 amp but the office will offer one for purchase if you need a 50 to 30 amp connections. The center lot is for pull through sites the other site areas non-pull through by water and fence. The fence area is close to the bridge but could be limited with views since it is far away from the water and Class A frequent area.

Two things I love:

1. The unique downtown riverside views
2. The ease of getting to this RV park even though it is downtown Little Rock.

D26 Back-in full hook-ups, fire ring & picnic table. 2 nights - Memorial Day weekend. Good spot, close to bath rooms/shower house/cafe. Pretty level - just 1 leveling block was all we needed for our pop-up. Lots of amenities- cafe, fishing pond, small general store, playground and off leash dog area. Staff was very friendly. Escorted you to your spot and helped us back in. Shower house was always clean. Loved the dog park! We are just starting to travel with our 2 boxers and was so nice to have an area for them to run a bit. Cons - spots are very close, no privacy. Each spot has a very bright “porch” light that is on until Midnight

Talk about great location in a great town. We usually do not like camping in cities this big but wanted to come here to visit the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. And what a great location this park is to downtown Little Rock and the library. There is a pedestrian bridge that takes you over the Arkansas River to downtown and all the attractions; as well as, some great restaurants and a vibrant downtown. 

This campground is essentially a parking lot.  There is no shade and our air conditioners ran non-stop since we were there in July.  There is a grassy area in front along the river that is a common area for you to enjoy the night sky. The riverfront is beautiful at night with the downtown lit up at night. Sites include 50 amp electric, water and sewer. There is also a dump station and WiFi. Some of the riverfront sites have been upgrades to concrete pads and some sites are pull-thru sites. The restrooms were clean and washers and dryers are on-site. The park takes any kind of RV from pop-up to Class A but does not accept tents. The price we paid was definitely reasonable at$22/night(with tax) but they also offer numerous discounts. 

Downtown Little Rock is a great town with plenty to do, see, and eat. The great things about this park are that it is convenient to the interstate and a great price. For the location, you would expect to pay a lot more. We loved walking to town at night and enjoying the restaurants and breweries that bring the downtown to life. The weekly farmers market was a highlight and the Presidential Library is not to be missed.

Sweet Escape RV Resort in Austin, Arkansas, offers a peaceful and welcoming experience for RV travelers. Conveniently located near Highway 167, it provides easy access to nearby cities like Cabot and Little Rock. The park features several amenities, including full hookups, a large dog park, fishing ponds, a bathhouse with showers, laundry facilities, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Recreational options like yard games and scenic surroundings enhance its appeal for families and solo adventurers alike. this RV park is in its early stages also the bathrooms are the cleanest  that i have seen in a campground/ RV park they clean them daily. in the winter they have complementary hot chocolate and a 15 ft Christmas tree!!! 100% would recommend