Best Tent Camping near Paragould, AR

Stayed one night tent camping. We enjoyed that the park had several different short hiking trails of various length. Only downside was I wish the tent camping spots were spread out a little further, you can hear eachother's conversations because they are all side by side, maybe 15 yards a part.

Everything 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.

I didn’t get to spend much time here but I tent camped for 1 night in November. Beautiful park with lots of trees. Clean bathrooms. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to do anything but the park looks great.

My 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.

The park was great. The tent sites were very close together but still enough room (just no privacy.) There were a significant amount of mosquitoes. I was not expecting this 🤣 we are from Southern part of the state so we didn't think it would be any worse. IT WAS. We toughed it out, I would definitely say make sure to bring firewood to keep a fire going. It seemed to help. We loved the fact that there were 4 easy/short trails that we enjoyed with our kids and the swimming area was very refreshing after a morning of hiking.

Oh yeah, it’s the lake. Apparently it was drained to repair the dam. Looks like and apocalyptic wasteland where the lake was. Walked out to the middle of it and some Perv was flying a drone over my head. Stayed at the tent campsite which was ok because no one else was there, but you can see the rv site and some dumb buildings and a big streetlight. With the amount of dogs barking it sounds like you are in a neighborhood. It was ok. I guess any state park is better than no state park.

This description really needs to be updated. They are not just an historic area but an Historic State Park. They have about a dozen RV sites plus another 20 tent sites. Facilities are very nice and include showers. They have really worked hard to improve the entire park in the last 3 years or so and have really turned this into a hidden gem. The historic site of Ft Pillow from the Civil war is on one of the hiking trails. The trails also go along the Mississippi river and provide some beautiful views. They also have a small lake and available canoes/kayaks for rent. The staff is very attentive and provide a variety of programs.

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.

Currently has 8 electric only sites, and 12 tent sites. All are first come, first serve. There are water spigots available for fresh water. The only dump station is in town at the Rocky River Resort, $10. The host told me that the three year plan is to have all sites set up for water and electric, with a dump station at the top of the hill. I’m staying here 5 days, spot #4, and the campground hosts are a nice couple. I’d recommend it.

PROS 

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

We ended up camping here after another campground didn't work out. We arrived without reservation and didn't know much about the park, so we needed a little help from the rangers when we were choosing a spot. The campground seems to have been renovated in the last few years. The sites are all mixed together. You have a handful of RV sites with 50 amp, a couple of 30 amp sites and then lots of tent sites that have 20 amp or no power at all. The problem for us was that the leaves have fallen, so we couldn't even see where the parking pads were and all of the different sites were mixed together. I think it would be easier to sort it out via the website that has info listed for each site. 

Ranger Tyson informed us that they were doing a night hike to the Fort and they would be serving Gumbo for dinner around the campfire at the Fort. Sign me up! It was one of the fee based activities, but for $5 per person, it was totally worth it! Tyson and Matt were awesome and the evening hike was surprisingly very cool!

As for the park itself, they don't have a huge "tourist attraction" like some parks, so it was very peaceful and not overcrowded. They work hard to offer great ranger lead programs. You can tell right away that the staff really does care about this park. 

The bathhouse was newer and clean. Each bathroom was private in that you had your own suite style bathroom with toilet, sink & shower. The only drawback is that the bath house building (2) only had (1) mens suite and (1) womens suite each. I could see a line forming during warmer months, especially if there were lots of tent campers.

The park had a really nice day use area with a new playground, pavilion area and picnic tables. There is also a basketball goal/court area near the day use area. The visitors center/museum was a bunker style building built into the side of the hill. Great exhibit and lots of info on the battle and fort at Fort Pillow. There is also a small fishing lake with a boat ramp and pier.

Let 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.

This campground was perfect for our little family reunion near Paragould. We booked three sites together and they were close enough that it was easy to visit each other. It was also a very nice little campground with lots of shade and the bathrooms were very clean and had showers. We also enjoyed the little lake and playground for the kids. The only downside were the mosquitoes, but one of us had a screened canopy that went over the picnic table, which worked great. We were very impressed with the staff and the campground and will likely return.

Another great Arkansas State Park! The campground is small, but the sites are nice. Arkansas has some of the best bathhouses as well! There is a really nice playground and also a walking trail that you can access from the campground.

The lake has finally been repaired and they have begun the refill process after is has been dry for several years.

The town of Harrisburg is close by in case you need to make a store run or grab some food. There is a small store here at the park, but it was closed while we were here, so I’m not sure how much stuff they have to offer.

Wonderful place to visit! We really enjoyed the hiking opportunities this park offers :) The sites were nice, somewhat wooded area. They were not super secluded, but we had enough privacy. The facilities were very clean and near to the sites. So impressed with how Arkansas State Parks are maintained- we were pleased!

New campground. We stayed in site 1, which was a pull through with full hook ups. Each site has a designated tent pad as well as a lantern hook. Sites on the outside of the loop back up to the woods, sites on the inside of the loop are more exposed to other campsites. Staff was very friendly, bathroom and shower accommodations were clean and well maintained.

Craighead Forest Park is outside Jonesboro Arkansas and pretty awesome on the recreational side. There are several very cool playgrounds, a paved trail that encompasses the park as well as a dirt trail around the outside.

The campground is small, not many camper sites and the primitive area which is walk in, doesn't have much privacy.

Lake Frierson State Park is a nice stop off on the way to Jonesboro Arkansas.

Nice trails, water recreation and quiet. The campground is small. 7 sites near one of the boat ramps. Your on the road next to the public access so not much privacy at all! There is also a primitive camping area. I guess one plus is it’s not very crowded and if you have enough relatives you can book the whole site for yourself.

Wife and I camp here 2 or 3 times a year. We have a popup camper, so we have camped on tent and rv sites. Rangers are top-notch and friendly. Bath houses are clean. They have installed a small playground for smaller children. We camp during the week between holidays, so not many campers there. Very quiet and relaxing. Around October, stink bugs are a big nuisance. The sites are kinda close together. But this is a very nice campground.

I’m not sure why this was our first visit here, but it definitely won’t be our last! We love winter camping as we enjoy the parks when they are more quiet. I bet this place is very popular in the summer.

The campground has great tent spots and a variety of paved spots. Some are really small, so make sure to take rv length into consideration. The bathhouse is older, but clean.

There is a trail at the end of the campground that can access the trail with the swinging bridge, or you can go to the right and walk straight to the camp store right from your site! You can also walk to the lake from here.

The lake area is beautiful with a small spring fed waterfall, a swim beach area and even a slide into the water. No fishing in this lake, but there is another lake across the street that looks perfect for fishing!

We 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.

This is a very pretty little historic park with a small man-made pond. Fishing looked good and the kids loved the Pedal Boats.

There are only twenty sites, but most fit larger RVs and some even have sewer hookups.

The staff here are awesome and keep the place very clean. Besides having a nice little exhibit open to experience, they even are keeping the kayak, canoe and pedal boat rentals open (Other Arkansas Parks are keeping some bathrooms, showers, rental boats and exhibits closed because of COVID). Lake Charles SP even closed their beach?!? and they said they didn’t have enough staff sitting around doing nothing to rent kayaks.

Davidsonville is definitely a great place to visit.