Best Glamping near Pine Bluff, AR

Camp Robinson is a training center and is home to the Arkansas National Guard Force along with other military teams.  It is 32,000 acres and is in the heart of Little Rock Arkansas.  It consist of 26 small arms ranges and premier training centers.  

Camp Robinson was named after Joe T. Robinson who was the 23rd governor of 
Arkansas.  The Camp played a very important role in various wars and continues today for training.  It also housed a large German prisoner of war facility.  The Camp was also know as Camp Pike when it was originally  built in 1917 and the CCC Civilian Conservation Corps was stationed at Camp Pike.

You will find a nine hole golf course, a PX and a fine Arkansas National Guard Museum.  Admission is free but call 501-212-5215 for hours.

This campground has not been maintained. Many trailers looked as if they have been there for sometime.  Sites are wooded and there was a picturesque pond with several waterfowl.  There are two sites and one is newer with some pull thru sites. No additional toilets, laundry or showers so you need to be self contained.

This site is ideal to visit Little Rock since it is in the heart of the city.  It is located in a residential area and away from the interstate.  Touring the downtown area will keep you very busy.  Everything is within a few miles drive.  The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is open from 0900 - 1630 hours (9 am to 4:30 pm), William J. Clinton Presidential Library (closed till July 1, 2021), Museum of Discovery 0900 to 1700 hours (9 am to 5 pm) Arkansas State Capitol 1000 to 1700 hours (10 am to 5 pm) also check out the Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum, Heifer Village or Heifer International 0900 to 1700 hours (9 am to 5 pm),  Downtown has plenty of parking and some great eateries.  A splash of the whimsy is the Esse Purse Museum and Store.

Your time will be well spent checking out all the great museums, shopping and dining you can even catch Broadway plays, truck rallies, music shows, conventions and more.  Enjoy your stay and stay as busy as you want or just kick back and enjoy a peaceful stay.

This was one of the last parks available on the Memorial Day weekend. One of the great things for us was the proximity of some Arkansas State Parks such as Cane Creek and Arkansas Post. First we were in E campground and it was not very well taken care of. The pads for the campers were starting to become covered up with grass and tree debris. Our picnic table has a corner busted off and the water hydrant was combined for two sites to one hydrant spot. Our 25 ft hose was too short so we borrowed a hose from the camp manager till we were able to buy another 25 footer. There was no showers in E and the restrooms were just toilets, no sinks to wash your hands. We were told by several people that we would be all but guaranteed to see an alligator but we never did. Not that they aren’t there, we just never got that lucky. The dump station is probably a mile and a half from the campground so if you have a grey water tote tank that you pull behind the truck like me, expect a fairly long drive. Overall it was an ok park but the campground E was definitely on the decline. Other campgrounds seemed to be in better shape but still sad that part of the park is in such shape. I would not put this on the top of my list but it’s not the worse either.

19th Airlift Wing is the host for the base and supports the largest C-130 fleet in the world.  The wing supplies humanitarian airlift relief to victims of disaster in both supplies and troops.  They also provide C-130 training to over 40 allied nations.

The C-130's are the work horse of the Air Force and hero's in and of themselves.  The flight crews are amazing and will fly anywhere.  The C-130 is recognized all across Arkansas and a pleasure to watch lift off and touch down at the base.  Lumbering giants flying the skies over Arkansas they can be seen flying as far north as Mountain View in the Ozarks.

Building began in 1953 and opened on 24 January 1955.  Landowners donated 6,100 acres worth over one million dollars. Back in the day the base was responsible for 18 Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles located throughout the state.  

To me the jewel in the crown of the Little Rock Air Force Base is the C-130 you will find next to the entrance of the base alongside in the interstate.  The majestic C-130.  On A day in 1975 you would find this C-130 touched down in Saigon during the drawdown of the Viet Nam war/conflict. The payload, Humans.  Brave locals that were fleeing the Viet Cong.  The load on that last C-130 out of Saigon was more than the mighty C-130 could handle but with a fine flight crew at the helm it lifted off and numerous lives were saved.  I have flown on a C-130 and I feel honored to have done so.

While in North Little Rock check out the "Old Mill".  Drive toward Little Rock and get off at the McCain exit, go right, pass through residential area and follow signs for the "Old Mill".  The Old Mill is located in a small beautiful park and during the spring is ablaze with color.  The Mill is a recreation of an 1880's water powered gristmill.  It is famous for its part in the opening scenes of "Gone With The Wind".  It was built in 1933 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  One thing that is so fascinating is to see what was used to create toadstools, stumps and tree branches on the mill and in the park.

The base has an outstanding golf course, equestrian trails to include boarding facilities, hunting, fishing, bowling, great gym facilities, ITW, library and more.  In Little Rock you will find the Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock Zoo and so much more.

The campground is very open, as you can see by the pictures, and can be considered an oasis for military personnel and retirees.  There are some sites that I would love to spend a month in but there are more sites that are good for a night or two. Some sites are very nicely shaded but others little to none. The sites are nicely spaced. Bath house with flush toilets and showers with a laundry. Doors have a key pad entry which is nice since the camp is open to base traffic. Lots of trails and entertainment watching the planes overhead. Pretty pond with a nicely shaded children’s play area. No WiFi. NOTE the main exit out of the base is closed (repair work on the road not sure how long it will be closed) so you have to leave the base following a detour. Ever time we went out there was a very long line but it moves fairly well.

Happy camping and stay safe.

We visited Cane Creek over Memorial Day weekend. The sites were level. We did have several fire ant hills that we had to deal with and quite a few red wasps. We were able to watch numerous birds (pileated woodpeckers) and even saw a swamp rat swimming in the lake (resembles a beaver with a skinny tail). You have to walk through thick brush on a slope to reach the water. My husband mostly chose to walk down to the fishing pier and docks. It was about a two minute walk away from our site. We stayed in site 17 I believe.

There are water and electricity hookups with a bathroom close by. We rode bikes so it didn’t take long to get the the restroom. Our neighbors had issues with their electricity because they were trying to run an air fryer, and it kept throwing the breaker. We ran our box fan without any issues.

You can rent kayaks for very reasonable. Do it! The water trail is unlike any I have seen. Don’t miss out on the hiking trails, but watch out for ticks!

You can rent an RV here as well. It’s set up at the entrance of the campground. It seemed like a nice setup. We rode past it several times on our explorations of the park.