Best Tent Camping near Pencil Bluff, AR
Tent campgrounds dot the landscape surrounding Pencil Bluff, Arkansas, offering primitive camping options within the Ouachita National Forest. Big Brushy Campground, located directly in Pencil Bluff, provides four basic tent sites alongside Big Brushy Creek, while Hickory Nut Mountain offers free tent camping with scenic overlooks of Lake Ouachita approximately 25 miles east. Albert Pike Recreation Area, though now limited to day use only following a 2010 flood, serves as an important trailhead for backcountry tent camping along the Eagle Rock Loop.
Most tent sites feature dirt or gravel pads with minimal improvements. Fire rings and picnic tables are common at established sites, though drinking water is rarely available. Vault toilets can be found at several locations including Hickory Nut Mountain and Crystal Campground, but many primitive areas require campers to dig catholes and pack out all waste. Flash flooding presents a serious hazard in this region, particularly along creek beds and the Little Missouri River. A review mentioned, "This area is prone to severe flash flooding so know the weather before heading out."
The Ouachita Forest offers exceptional tent camping experiences along its trail systems. Long Creek Campsite on the Eagle Rock Loop provides backcountry tent sites accessible only by hiking in from trailheads like Albert Pike. Tent campers frequently use these zones for multi-day backpacking trips, with pristine swimming holes and fishing opportunities available at creek crossings. "On your hike into this site you will be rewarded with beautiful scenery as you walk through majestic forests of oak," noted one camper about Long Creek. The primitive tent sites scattered along forest roads typically see less traffic than developed campgrounds, particularly on weekdays. Summer brings high humidity and insects, so many tent campers prefer spring and fall visits when temperatures moderate and bugs diminish.
