Paragould, AR is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Arkansas camping adventure.
"Two pull in spots with concrete picnic tables in the woods. Quiet, rural area."
$50 / night
"There’s a nice river next to the campground for swimming and boating. The whole place is a nice quiet setting. The sites themselves are not on top of each other. I’ve had good Verizon signal here."
LegendFive miles north of Doniphan, MO on State Hwy 160 Hwy Y head north for about five miles take a left on Forest Road 4349. Continue down and veer to the left to go to the boat ramp and day use area. Go right to the Deer Leap Campground.
ON the east bank of the Current River you will find dispersed camping. There are seven campsites with fire ring, table and lantern post. No trash service but there is a pit toilet and water. Campsites are First Come, First Served. No fireworks allowed.
The campground and boat launch is located in the Mark Twain National Forest under the Eleven Point Ranger District. The district is named after the Eleven Point River which was designated a National Scenic River in 1968. The Eleven Point District provides a plethora of fishing, tubing and all kinds of boating options.
Take the time to float some of the rivers for a vision of rocky bluffs, springs, birds, wildlife and local vegetation. You are permitted to camp on the gravel bars found along the rivers and there are several primitive float camps while you are floating.
There are so many activities that go hand in hand with fishing and tubing such as horseback riding, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and just gazing at the stars.
At the launch site there is limited parking for floaters. You can launch tubes, motorized and non motorized boats here. There is also a pit toilet. Be very careful because on the fourth the area was very crowded. There is a vendor in the area to rent tubes and kayaks and provide shuttle service.
The water is so beautiful, clear and moving along. The clear, green water has the power to entice just about anyone to dip their toes in. Remember that during the summer this river will be very crowded but even with the crowds there was more than enough room. During the spring or fall this would be a great to kayak. Floater access in the campground is from 4/1 - 10/1. Boat ramp is open all year.
Have Fun - Stay Safe
Leave No Trace
Better Than When You Found It
LegendPROS
Senior discount
Reserved on-line 346 prior to arriving
Good overnight stop for$25
Very small park and campground
Site#4 totally level
Site#4 some shade 100% gravel site
Metal picnic table that was moveable
One hook lantern pole
Metal fire pit with cooking grate
Pedestal BBQ grill (looked brand new)
CONS
30amp electrical breaker bad.
Tripped twice in 8 hours.
Single lane campground road extremely tight. If campsites across from ours wasn’t empty, it would of been extremely difficult to get our 28ft backed-in
Our reserved campsite#4 was occupied upon our arrival and campers tried to convince us to take another site that they were suppose to move to, but it was much smaller, so we declined
Never saw any rangers patrolling campground
Train noise from tracks in Harrisburg
4 unisex toilets/showers for all 26 campsites PLUS 4 tent sites!
One-lane dump station
No TP in campground toilets
No camp-host or even a full hook up site for one
No security gate closure overnight
No WIFI
1 bar LTE
LegendExcellent weekend camping at Craighead Forest State Park outside Jonesboro, Ar.
The park offers four trails, one gravel pedestrian only, one paved multi-use with excercise equipment, a forest trail and one dirt trail for bikers and runners. Three large playgrounds, pavilions and several small playgrounds. A dog park/beach access area and dog dock. Fishing and watercraft access. Camping and a nature center.
When we arrived at the campground we had the choice of several primitive campsites. There is limited parking in the small gravel lot. There are three sites near the lot and then several others about 200 to 300 ft down the gravel trail.
This is the same gravel trail, approximately 3 miles long, that circles the lake. Needless to say there is a lot of foot traffic on it.
There was plenty of room at the site. We set up two tents and a hammock plus had the picnic table, fire pit and gravel pad which is right on the lake. If you bring your fishing gear or water craft it’s easy to tie off right at your campsite.
Directly across from primitive camping are two very large , active playgrounds a pavilion and restroom. There’s a snow cone vendor with loud music who frequents that parking area too. In addition the park is not closed during the night so we got to listen to several loud conversation, music blaring from a car stereo until about 1:30am and a rather colorful argument at one point.
You drive through the RV area on your way in to the primitive area. There is a nice new bathroom facility with uncomfortably warm cranking heat, the metal fixtures were warm to the touch. One drawback to there being only one restroom about 1/4 mile from the primitive area, you know people aren’t walking that far at night when the need to go…, just saying.
So Pros: centrally located, water access, nice trails, good size sites, a lot to do
Cons: foot traffic, noise, no privacy, noise, not limited access
GuideLet me start by saying that the Rangers who run this place are top notch folks. The head Ranger stopped in a couple times every day to ask if we needed anything and to inquire about our opinion of the new site (more on this later). The facilities were well maintained, and a pleasant surprise for such a small state park.
So, we stayed on site #3. According to the head Ranger, we were the first to camp on this site since its renovation. Previously it had been a tent pad, but was now a concrete pad with a new 50A post and new water hydrant. Online, it lists the site as being 40’ long and 15’ wide. What they don’t tell you is that only the pad is this size. I had another 30’+ of gravel to park on in front of the pad. It was large enough for the biggest of fifth wheels with slides on both sides. There are now 11 total sites like this in the park thanks to recent renovations. All seemed very level. Site #3 and it’s neighbor #2 seemed perfectly level laterally, but required dropping the nose quite a bit to get level longitudinally. I still believe any length RV could pull it off easily. Each concrete site had a charcoal grill with adjustable height grates, a lantern pole, a fire pit with grill grate, and a picnic table that is bolted down (this might be my only nitpick complaint, as I like to move my picnic tables under the awning and on top of my mat... but I understand why it’s done.). The two bath houses are basically single occupancy Men and Women side facilities, but are almost brand new and heated for winter use. The Ranger said they added to accompanying porta potties for extra toilets until they can add an extra stall on each side to the buildings.
There is no playground in the campground, but a short drive into the park gets you to a very nice picnic area with a playground that looks as new as the bath houses and RV pads. Drive a bit further and you can visit the museum dedicated to the Fort after which the park is named and the men who died there. Get a map and hike the well marked trail to see a recreated portion of the fort (yes, it well marked with colored flashes and signs). Along the drive you will also find a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River and a small lake you can fish in. Canoe, Kayak, and Paddle Boat rentals are available at the museum.
For those wishing for a more rustic camping experience, the primitive sites here are among the best I have ever seen. Ever site is level, and graveled with smooth pea gravel. They all have the same fire pit, grill, and table as the RV sites. Some Require a bit of a walk from your parking spot, but you will well rewarded with some isolation. The only down side for some is that these sites have no on site water and only a few offer an electric post. There are community hydrants around the park for filling up bottle or tanks.
My personal favorite spot for primitive tent camping would have been site number 27. It is accessed via a short gravel road off the main paved road and past site 26. While it is a haul to get water, it is almost completely isolated from the rest of the campground and you can drive rite up to it with no walking. It has low ground on three sides. One side is the road leading into the park, but traffic here is light and it shouldnt be an issue.
Speaking of roads, this place is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and the roads in can be narrow when meeting oncoming traffic. It’s not terrible but can make you a bit nervous when you meet another RV heading the other way.
All in all, I would say this park is a gem of a find since the remodeling of the RV sites and a solid 7/10 for those primitive tent campers. My only knock is the lack of a playground for those with kids. If you are empty nesters or young adults or just generally travel without kids, this is a solid 10/10 kind of place.
LegendWe tried to get into an Arkansas park but they were full so we headed into Bootheel where we’ve stayed before. We called about 2 hours out and the only sites left were 30 AMP with water. GPS takes you to the campground right off I-55, but there are directions on their website that are better as far as which exit to take. Upon arrival, there are envelopes in a brown box with the available site numbers on the envelopes. We walked around to look at each site and decided on site 12. You complete the required information on the envelope, include your payment and drop it off in the drop box. The park prefers a cash payment but you can leave credit card information on the payment envelope. They do offer a Good Sam Discount. Site 12 was an easy pull through with 30 amp and water only. Parking was easy. Once set up, we found out we were blowing the breaker with only 1 aircon running, and it killed that side of the post. We plugged into site 11 on the shared post with the same results but this time we only blew the post breaker. We got a hold of the owner and she got the maintenance guy to us really quick. Come to find out, it was our 30 AMP surge protector that was the problem. Hats off to park management for a quick response. The last row has the 50 AMP FHU sites. The first three rows in the park are 30 AMP with a mix of FHUs and water & electric. We got 2 bars on AT&T and Verizon. The last time we stayed here last January they stated they were getting new park WiFi and this time the WiFi worked much better. There’s no cable but we got quite a few OTA channels. There was plenty of area to walk our dogs along the adjacent cotton fields. They also had a very nice laundry facility that was decently priced. There is quite a bit of road noise from I-55. We dumped on the way out at their dump station that only has a dump and no water for a cleaning hose. As we are based near St. Louis, MO area and traveling to northern Mississippi once a year for RV maintenance, this no frills campground makes a perfect overnighter.
TravelerEverything about this park is amazing. They recently redid the swimming area and cleaned and refilled with better water. They have paddle boats you can rent from Memorial Day through Labor Day. We have stayed many trips in this park. Site 1 is our favorite. Features pull through with a large area including tent pad and nice gathering area. We glamp camp and we’re able to set up a 16x20 tent, but the tent did go over the size of the pad. All sites have water and electricity, except for a few primitive sites. There is a nice campground and walking area. Also a great hiking trail which isn’t too hard. The park is close to Paragould with a Walmart and a dollar general is a couple miles away. The only site I wouldn’t recommend is site 9. It has a very steep hill and would only be good for very small campers or tent camping.
GuideWe were passing through Memphis and stayed overnight at Fort Pillow. The staff in the office were not super friendly or helpful. I had to ask for everything, like a campsite map to my site, a trail map, and buying firewood. Nothing was offered, so definitely ask. The layout is also backwards. You have to drive all the way to the back of the park to get to the museum visitors center. I am sure there is a practical reason for this, but it wasn’t fully transparent. I always check in to campsite to introduce myself and get a lay of campsite from the people who work there. They just were not very social or helpful.
We stayed in campsite 4 which is more or less a walk-in type site. You park and then have to haul your gear about 15 yards to your site. The privacy and cliff side campsite is worth it, but there again was no one warning. We were only staying one night and the site was a little impractical for our needs. If you are staying 2-3 nights then grab campsite 4, in the winter months after the leaves have fallen this site would be stunning. It is basically a private overlook to the Mississippi. Only thing that would’ve made this campsite perfect would be running water. Instead you have to walk to the bath house to snag water.
Amenities:
There was electrical hookup at site but no water. (Was not able to locate communal water) Bath house cleaned daily and was a private set room style. Tent pad and campsite is pebbles to allow for moisture/bring long stakes or expect to not to be able to stake in your tent.
GuideMy husband and I chose this campground because it was in our “Best in Tent Camping Tennessee” guidebook. Not my favorite. The sites are extremely close together and there is absolutely no privacy. We chose an ADA site because my husband is a wheelchair user, but the grassy patch next to the cement was a hill (which made tent camping + wheelchair interesting). There was also zero shade and A LOT of bugs-we got eaten alive. I would only recommend this site for RV users who don’t plan to spend much time outside their rig (or, are camping in cooler months), and don’t care about privacy.
The bathhouse felt like a sauna-zero ventilation.
As a an aside the restroom at the visitor’s center is not wheelchair accessible.
LegendCraighead Forest Park was conceived in 1937 when the Young Mens' Civic Club began work on the lake. It is now a city owned park that is located in the rolling hills of Crowley's Ridge. The park encompasses 692 acres and should be the pride and joy of Jonesboro. A residential area has grown around the park which will ensure the peacefulness of the area. Basketball, bike and running trails, bird watching, camping, disc golf, fishing, horseshoes, playgrounds, softball, volleyball. There is a great splash pad for the kids. This place has it all rolled into one great package. The grass and wooded areas are well maintained to make for a wonderful stay.
This is a small, compact campground on a one lane road with a nice turn around at the bottom at the lake. Some sites are called water sites but I consider them sites with a view of the water. Most sites are level, some not, so when you reserve ask for one of the sites that has the new concrete pads. The campground is located away from the ball areas so it is very quiet and not being on a thru street the only traffic is to be the campground traffic. Sites are wooded and there was a nice breeze coming off the lake. My first thought when I booked was MOSQUITOES you can't be from that area with out thinking of them. For the two days we were there not a mosquito and almost no flies. This is a wonderful surprise for anyone coming through Jonesboro. We will be back. Being in the south we all know how hot and humid it can be and a trip to the bathroom/shower facility is often not the most pleasant. Loved the shower/bathroom facilities. Air Conditioned, it was amazing with the temps reaching 100 and more while we were there.. This campground had set the bar high and I am sure they will always attain excellence.
The park has approximately 15 miles of mountain bike trails intertwined in the forest, there is a 2.4 mile chat trail that winds around the lake and a 2.9 miles if nicely paved road that circles the park. There is an area for ATV riders and many trails can accommodate horses. Check out the three trails that lead to the Forrest L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center.
The Forest L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center gives the visitor a chance to see the story of a very special ridge that runs along the top of the Mississippi Delta. They have a 17,033 square foot facility that features an education, exhibit and meeting facility that is on 160 acre prairie. There is a 2.5 acre pond and about 100 acres of woodlands. the Nature Center is the perfect accessory to your stay at the Craighead Forest Park.
Jonesboro offers plenty of entertainment not nature related. Arkansas State University, a great college town, all types of restaurants, chain and local, movie theatre, grocery stores, shopping mall. There is the Arkansas State University Museum that features a 21,000 square feet of historic, archaeological and natural history exhibits. It mainly focuses on the history and cultural heritage of Northeast Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta.
Jonesboro might not be quite the draw of many other areas but I think you might be surprised.
Jonesboro is the fifth largest city in Arkansas weighing in at over 67,000 people
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Paragould, AR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Paragould, AR is Greene Road Camp Dispersed with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Paragould, AR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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