Best Glamping near Parks, AR

Awesome 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.

This park is huge! It has great spots for RV's and a wonderful walk in area for tents. We stayed in the walk in site by the lake and were treated to an amazing sunset every night! We were amazed at all there is to do on the lake and in the campground. You can even stay in a Yurt here! We enjoyed this campground. The bathrooms were even good quality.

Such 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.

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.

Great state park. Checked out Arkansas high point of course. Hike some trails, enjoyed the views and rock formations. Tent camping area was very clean, with nice flat tent pad surface to set up tent on. Also ate a very nice meal on Easter Sunday at the lodge. Saw several deer while we were there. Definitely recommend this state park to others. Hope to go there again some day.

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.

Driving through this part of Arkansas you can quickly get taken aback by the winding roads the ample beauty, but until you visit the campground and park you will only have a portion of the beauty of the region. High atop the mountain, with a near perfect view, you can see for miles and miles. 

I visited this park arriving late in the evening, in perfect timing for a sunset which painted the sky with colors that filtered down onto the mountainside below. A dense fog began to roll in and it seemed magical. 

Typically I am not as taken aback as I was by this park but its views and shaded campsites complimented each other so well it made for the perfect evening. 

Not needing for electricity I opted for one of the tent sites, which includes a large tent pad, large parking space and standard amenities such as picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring and grill. However unlike many primitive sites, this site did also include water. Site pricing was about $20. 

Bear warnings abound, but there are no bear boxes, and upon checking in the desk attendant mentioned that they don’t often see them but to proceed with caution in regards to food. She also noted that in her lifetime she had never encountered a bear on the trails and would instead be aware of snakes. 

The campground is only one of the many features with others including a lodge with a restaurant open each evening until 9 p.m. A narrow gauge train, large enough for the entire family to ride on the 2 mile track and mini golf are available seasonally. Plenty of hiking is available both in park, where there are 3 trails, and just outside where you can find the much larger trail system which runs for some 200 miles through Oklahoma and Arkansas. 

Cell Signal With AT&T- 1 Bar at campsites but 2 bars in lobby area if you are in need of making a call in case of an emergency. 

All in all I would put this campground on the top of my Arkansas list for the beauty of drive and sunset location, however the sites themselves despite being very nice were average for a state park in the region.

How 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

I grew up in Arkansas but had never been here until this past winter. It's an absolutely beautiful place.

I can't wait to return here for summer activities. Awesome lodge with great food, the best view I have seen in ages. The park staff was also great and very helpful. One day we were there the visibility was nil, turns out we were in low clouds, not fog. Pretty cool.

This is a very nice state park that mostly offers hiking and beautiful views. We stayed in our camper, but there is a beautiful lodge and a good restaurant here as well. The hike up to the highest point in Arkansas is easy and family friendly for kids. Campground and bathhouse were well maintained and nice. Camping spots are spaced out pretty well. We enjoyed our visit here!

We made a return trip in the late fall to Mt Mag and ended up in the unofficial campground on the back side of the park.  The sites had a table and a fire pit along with a pit toilet.  Mt Mag has some amazing trails and view to explore.  The park also has a lodge if that is your thing that over looks the Arkansas valley below. The staff at the visitor center was friendly and helpful in directing us on which hikes to take in the area.  I would defiantly recommend making reservations if you want to stay in establish camp.

This is an absolutely beautiful state park 30 minutes Northwest of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is massive with a Marina, multiple swimming beaches, RV and tent camping plus cabin rentals.

We stayed in campground Area A, on a concrete pad with tons of space around the camper. Many RV sites overlook Lake Ouachita, though ours didn’t.

If you are there over a weekend, I highly recommend taking the sunset tour by the park service at the marina. It is two hours, $10 per adult and stunning. With the recent heat wave it was also much cooler then the afternoon cruises.

Located at the base drive up to Mount Magazine this is a good back up to the state park campground. It is a typical Arkansas campground but it does have decent bathrooms where you're not afraid to step into and has a camp host. It is based on a "lake" so beware of mosquitoes in the summer. We use it as a base to hike up to Mount Magazine as the trail crosses the road and heads up to the top of Mount Magazine state park. The trail is out of the ordinary for the region and takes you have some washouts and up the mountain. If it has been raining, beware and check your weather.

Mount Magazine is a beautiful State Park with great hiking trails. We hiked Signal Hill (highest point in Arkansas) and the North Rim Trail. Both were beautiful. This is a great place for families to camp. There is a welcome center with a small gift shop. Our campsite was spacious with water and electric although we were tent camping. Shower and bathroom facilities were nice and clean. They also had a place to hang glide. We checked out some of the cabins for future options, and they looked amazing with beautiful views.

Definitely my favorite park in Arkansas so far. It’s a really big park at the lake with lots to do. I was there in the fall so I didn’t do any lake stuff but still had a great time tent camping. There’s a nice hiking trail to explore. Also, the bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve ever seen at a state park. All the tent sites have a gravel pad, grill, picnic table and fire ring. There are also walk in tent sites on the peninsula which are nice and quiet. If you get one at the end I’d say it’s probably 200 meters to the parking lot and bathrooms. I peeked into one of the cabins and they look really nice. They also have camper cabins that have heat/air but no bathroom. In all there are 93 RV/tent sites, 8 cabins and 4 camper cabins. The park is also near Hot Springs so there is lots to do.

Mount Magazine has it all! The official campground has full service hookups with appropriately spaced sites and newer restrooms. There is an unofficial overflow campground with a well kept pit toilet that offers the best view from the campgrounds over the Arkansas valley. If you prefer cabins or a suite, they have that too with amazing views that overlook hang gliding cliffs and a pleasant valley below. For hiking, you can choose a short loop up to the top of the mountain, medium day hikes or a longer 2 day out and back to the bottom of the mountain. This place is a must see if you live anywhere close to the park.

If you are ever driving through Arkansas a trip to Mount Magazine State Park is a must. Mount Magazine is the state’s highest point topping out at 2,753 feet and delivers sweeping views of broad valleys, lakes, winding rivers, and distant mountains. The rugged rock outcroppings protrude from the densely wooded forests. What makes this park even more spectacularly beautiful is that it is surrounded by National Forest lands encompassing glorious acres of woods. 

In the late 1800’s, the railroad made travel easier and people were drawn to the area for its cooler weather and awe-inspiring scenic beauty. Resort lodges and restaurants sprang up and the resort “Town of Mount Magazine” began. Soon a post office, parks, streets and a dance pavilion dotted the town. The town took a turn when drought, erosion, and the Great Depression brought the town to collapse. The 1934 Resettlement Act purchased all the private land on the mountain and was shortly transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. In the late 1930’s and 40’s, the Works Progress Administration built campgrounds, trails, cabins, and a lodge were constructed. A fire destroyed the lodge in 1971. In 1998, Arkansas State Parks entered into a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service to develop Mount Magazine State Park. The lodge reopened in 2006 and graces the same beautiful setting as the original structure. 

We found this park very relaxing which is kind of amazing because there is so much for outdoor enthusiasts to do making it hard to sit still. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, horseback riding, hang gliding launches, cycling, and some of the most dramatic locations for rock climbing and rappelling. The diverse mountain ecosystem offers amazing bird watching and wildlife viewing and provides habitat for over 90 species of butterflies. Many were brightening the woods when we were there. We were there at a time when wildflowers were blooming so the forest floor was lit up with color. The higher altitude and cooler weather on the mountain meant that trees had not leafed out yet but a look down in the valley was a stark contrast with trees fully leafed out. The park has a relatively small campground with a meek 18 sites with full hook-up (two of which are 50 amp). Campsites are well-spaced with gravel pads and patios with fire pits and picnic tables. We so enjoyed hanging around our campsite but for those that don’t camp you will be perfectly comfortable in the lodge or cabins. 

The Lodge at Mount Magazine has breath-taking views and some rooms have spa tubs on their balconies to enjoy the view. Thirteen cabins dot the ridge line offering the same awesome views and Jacuzzi tub options on your balcony. At the lodge is The Skycrest Restaurant which is a nice treat for those not wanting to cook. We decided to have drinks one evening on the veranda enjoying the setting sun lighting the valley. The next day we popped in for lunch where $6 got a plate of open-face prime rib sandwich, mashed potatoes, salad, and squash casserole. Pretty good deal if you ask us. 

This state park so worked for us. It was the combination of the reading in a quiet wooded campground, being able to go to the lodge for a drink, lunch and great view and spending hours walking in the woods. The park is a good 30 minutes drive from the nearest town so you may want to stock up so you can just relax on the mountain.

We stayed in Area A wjich was nice. We have a tiny RV compared to the giants in our area. The signage states the bathtooms would be closed from 10pm to 9am because of covid. That made me have a mini panic attack. I need avcess to a good bathroom. Turns out the host said that was not true. There is not a lot of privacy so if that is a requirement most Arkansas state park camping site are probably not for you. If you want to be on the swimming beach reserve areas B or C. The swim areas ate kind of small. They have plenty of tent camping as well. Its a beautiful site. If you are a boater, kiyak, jet ski or any other water device fan...this campsite is a must

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.

This state park sits on one of the prettiest and clearest lakes in the state of Arkansas. The area that I will be focusing on is the primitive tent sites. There is a loop on a peninsula that are reserved for walking in your gear to a tent site. These sites have GREAT views of the lake. A few of the sites even have access to the water for swimming, fishing, or putting in your kayak. 

The sites are pretty close together and not very level. The more level sites are in the loop nearest the parking area. There are two shared water spigots. One near the parking area and one near the end of the peninsula. There is no electricity at these sites. The two best sites, in my opinion, are sites 7, 8, and 9. They have great access to the water and wonderful views of the lake. If you decide to camp here be warned that the sites are not very large. We typically bring a canopy for our outdoor kitchen, these sites are not large enough for a big canopy. Also, this lake tends to be very windy. There are trees around the sites, but the fire pits on sites 7-9 are very exposed. This poses are problem when trying to build a fire. 

There are plenty of activities to do while visiting this SP. Some of the activities may still be suspended due to Covid 19. In July they have a boat tour that costs $10 per person. They take you out to "Bird Island" to see the purple martins. It's a neat tour. There are also plenty of hiking trails, swimming, fishing, and other typical state park activities. You can't go wrong with the views here, but there are some things to consider.

Mt. 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.

I went to Mt Magazine in the fall and it is truly a spectacular park.   For anyone with kids, I would say at the outset that this isn't a very kid-friendly park. No playgrounds, very, very mountainous, and generally just not a park for kids.  With that said, if you're a hiker, photographer or someone who can't wait to chase down the spectacular view, this park is for you.   Also, Magazine is one of the few parks that offers climbers great opportunities to work their skills.  The park essentially sits on top of a bluff that is nearly surrounded on all sides by straight rock face.  There is ample opportunity for anyone into repelling or climbing to indulge themselves.  

Magazine is one of the smallest parks I've been to.  There aren't many camping sites at all. Each site is large and the camping area is spread out quite a bit.  It's a great place to achieve some seclusion.  To that end, there ins't much at the park.  It's definitely a place where you need to pack well and plan to cook.  It isn't easy to get anywhere at all.  That's particular true if you don't have a vehicle that handles elevation well.  Further, due to the elevation and drastic temperature change from the base of the mountain and the campground, it frankly isn't safe at all to drive on the mountain in the early morning or evening.  I've included a picture to give you an idea of the type of fog I had to drive through on my way to the campsite at about 11:30 in the morning.  One evening on our trip, we were stupid enough to attempt the trek at night and I seriously couldn't see 1 foot in front of my truck.  My advice, stay on the mountain.  The campground is like most Arkansas parks.  It's very well kept and clean and the bath house was very nice as far as state parks go.  You can't go wrong.  

Apart from the campsites, I would add another note for anyone with a spouse like mine who would prefer to stay in places that look like ski lodges instead of our PUP.  This place fits the bill and some.  The lodge on top of the mountain is spectacular and looks like something you would see in the mountains of Colorado.  During our trip, my brother and I ate dinner one night at the lodge and went with the surf and turf buffet - good choice, Donny; very good choice.  There's also a bar in the lodge, among other things.  The view off the back porch of the lodge is one of the best I've seen save for maybe Petit Jean.  Apparently Mt Nebo is better but I haven't been yet.  I am going this fall so I may have to update this post if it is.  Either way, the back porch of the Lodge is equipped with several large rocking chairs and it is definitely a place to catch up on some tranquility and peaceful gazing.  Most of the rooms in the lodge have private balconies that look out over the mountain as well.  If your significant other isn't a "camper," they will definitely be pleased with the accommodations at the lodge. 

Overall, if you want a place to escape for a weekend and get the feel of a high-end ski lodge for half the cost, this is your place.  It's essentially camping in the heavens with the spectacular views and sunsets from all angles.  The only thing I would add as a last note of advice is this: the temperature is literally about 10-15 degrees cooler on the mountain than below.  One night we were there it got down to mid teens.  So unless you're going in July, I would recommend you pack a pair of pants, long sleeves and maybe even a light jacket.  You will probably be cold otherwise.