Best Glamping near Pencil Bluff, 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.

I love waterfront camping! There are some amazing sunset views here! Also, the wildlife is abundant. Great ranger led boat tour of the lake. Lots of nice level sites. Super cool yurts for rent that have the best views! Arkansas has the best State Parks!

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.

Nice campsites, lakeside, lake view and in the woods, YURT rentals have the best location, DeRoche Ridge second best if you want to be right next to the lake. They also have a lodge if camping isn’t your thing or if you don’t have equipment. YURTs look very nice and have lots of amenities. There’s a full service marina with pontoon and regular boat, kayak, canoe, paddle board and pedal boat rentals. A restaurant and spa at the lodge and many hiking trails. Two gift shops. Bicycle rentals. Disk golf and 18-hole golf courses and horseback riding stables. It’s a really great place. We love it!

We 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.;)

We 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.

The grounds and campsites are fairly spaced and well cared for. Yurts are also available and have more privacy than the ones I’ve seen at other parks like Lake Catherine. For activities, there are plenty to choose from, like swimming or boating in the lake, horseback riding, golf, etc. There is a restaurant and playground nearby at the lodge.

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.

Stay 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!

This 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.

This weekend we camped at DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Bismarck, Arkansas. We had a blast! DeGray Lake has a lot to offer for groups large and small wanting to get away. It has several camping spaces with water and electric hook ups (about $22/night), yurts (about $55/night), a lodge (about $100/night), a marina to rent boats or buy bait, several daily activities for children or adults of all ages (some free and some about $5-15/person), horse riding stables (no experience required, about $30/ride 1 hour trail), a full golf course, playgrounds, pavilions, overall clean facilities, and a restaurant. Although our bank fishing experience wasn’t so great, I’m sure with a boat it would have been better. And for those that want to make the camping trip into the ultimate family vacation, this park is about a 30 minute drive from Hot Springs, AR where there is tons to do like restaurants, mini golf, shopping, and we even decided to get ice cream at Scoops (24 homemade flavors and delicious)! We will definitely be back for a visit!!

Close enough to Arkadelphia if you need supplies. State Park Marina and Caddo Point have very nice boat ramps with a lot of parking which is good because this place gets crowded. RV and tent sites are clean and shaded and there are yurts available for rental. Be sure to reserve well ahead of your desired dates. Great swimming beaches and shore fishing are available too. There’s a a Diamond Trail golf course across the road as well.

Great place with access to water sports and amenities.

I stayed two nights at a nearby COE campground and enjoyed my stay but was ready for a change so I moved to this campground. Lots of fun things to do here. Hiking, biking, marina and water sports. There’s also a lodge with a restaurant and spa. I didn’t visit it but rode by and it’s very nice. Yurts if you don’t have a tent or RV and they have the best view of the lake in the whole park. Beautiful day use area with a playground, beach and picnic areas.

We stayed in a lovely cottage at Catherine’s Landing Resort on Lake Catherine. As we approached the resort, we were greeted by towers of green. The hills of the Ouachita River Valley envelop the immaculate property. The property offers large pull-through RV sites, tent sites, yurts, and cottages. The resort is right on Lake Catherine and very close to the 800-acre Lake Hamilton. Amenities include a pool, splash pad, zip lining, a ropes course, disk golf course, boat ramp and slips, catch and release pond, golf cart rentals, workout room, free popcorn, and yard games for check out in the gift shop. Check out my full review at ChampagneOnDeck.com

Nice state pro. Free admission for day use, nice picnic area, beach area with grills for day use. Tennis courts, disc golf course, 18-hole golf course, basketball courts, marina with paddle boards, rentals of kayaks and motor boats including pontoons with slides. They have several hiking trails. Three campgrounds with bathhouses. Yurts, lodge with a restaurant and a spa. The only thing missing is a partridge in a pear tree. Some campsites are on or near the lake some in the woods and some on the backside of the golf course. Lots of variety. No tent only area. All campsites are mixed use. Nice clear water. Very clean and large lake.

Gorgeous setting on pristine Lake Catherine close to historic Hot Springs. I was in lakefront site 123 for one night but would have liked to stay longer. The water front sites near the boat dock were my favorite and easy to back into. All sites appear to be spacious with grass and fire pits. The canoe, kayak and boat rentals are in good condition, the paved sites and roads are very smooth and level, the office/lodge and facilities are definitely above average here and quite modern. While the setting is gorgeous on its own, this park has spared no expense on their facilities. The pool and adjacent waterfall are 5 star resort level. The climbing and ropes course is enormous and will make any kid’s jaw drop in disbelief. There’s an affiliated zip line just outside of the park. The hiking paths are lovely and wooded, and the tent campsites are on their own in a grassy meadow away from the RVs. The Yurts looked very nice from the outside. The shower rooms are large and stone tiled, however it looks like the ceiling needs some drywall attention or is amidst a construction project during my stay.

Let 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.

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Easy 5 of 5 Bunnies. I will return!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.