Best Dispersed Camping near Ponca, AR

Coordinates: 35.50873, -92.81549. Group dispersed site located less than a 1/4-mile south of the Zing Trailhead on Charleston Road. Charleston Road is a wide, well maintained gravel road located in a popular national forest OHV area. This dispersed site is a level with a dirt and grass surface. The site can accomodate multiple vehicles; tent camping is possible. There is a large rock fire ring at the rear of the site. The site is open with little shade, making recharging with solar panels possible. Other than accommodating a group of OHV and offroad enthusiasts, and stargazing at night, there is nothing remarkable about this campsite.

Coordinates: 35.58695,-93.20723. Camped here Dec 29, 2024. Set well off of Meadows Knob Rd. Expect pinstriping along the access track to this secluded dispersed campsite. FR1802A toward the site has some erosion; low clearance vehicles may high center in one or two spots. The main forest road into this part of the Ozark National Forest is okay. The campsite is in open area, located in an old clear cut area. There is a partial view of the distant mountains. The site is a level, dirt surface. Not a large site; okay for one rig. Tent camping possible. No nearby mature trees for hammock camping. The site is overgrown with grass and weeds; a weed whacker is needed to clear the rock fire ring. There is a spot on the ground where a previous campfire was made. Good AT&T and T-Mobile 5G service. No shade; access to Starlink is possible. No hiking trails, although there is a 2-track for hiking that leads down into Graves Creek Canyon and some unnamed waterfalls. The hike along this trck is nice. This is not a pretty dispersed site, but it is well off of the main forest road; very private. Access to the site may be difficult for some vehicles. High clearance 4x4 vehicles should have no problems.

Not sure if the pin location is correct, so here are the exact coordinates: 35.53654, -92.80322.  Small dispersed campsite just off Wilderness Trail Road. Wilderness Trail Road is a wide gravel country road located in a popular national forest OHV area. More specifically, the site is located on multi-use/OHV trail Brock Creek #42, Forest Road 2321 - just a few hundred feet south of Wilderness Trail (not in the trailhead parking lot, where camping is not allowed). Its a small, level dirt site, mostly shaded in a small clearing in the trees, close to the track - not private. It has a small rock fire ring. Tent camping is possible. It's a pull-in site which can accommodate one vehicle - truck camper and smaller. Except for being convenient to OHV trails, there is nothing remarkable about this dispersed site.

Coordinates: 35.49123, -92.80548. Large open dispersed site set back from Charleston Road, just north of Bell Rd (Forest Road 1334). Located in a popular national forest OHV and multi-use trails area. Charleston Road is a wide, well-maintained gravel road. Access to the site from Charleston Road is on a 400 foot long narrow dirt track; pinstripping is possible. The dispersed site has a dirt surface with some embedded rocks. It's on a rise above the lake, offering a nice view. Solar recharging is possible in this open site. The site is on what appears to be a parking area along an old dirt track; this track appears as an older section of Charleston Rd on some maps. There is a dirt ramp into the lake. There is room for multiple rigs at the campsite. Some leveling may be required depending on the spot the vehicle is parked. There are two rock fire rings - one large and one small. Tent Camping is possible near the fire rings. The lake was drained at the time of my visit; otherwise, it's a really nice view.

Large clearing along the Middle Fork of the Illinois Bayou. Located on Middle Fork Road, about a 1/4 mile in from AR Hwy 27, near Hector, AR. The site is on national forest land and appears to be popular. It's large enough for 3 car/truck/campervan rigs. Area is level for rigs & tents, although the ground is mostly hard buried gravel - maybe uncomfortable to sleep on without pads. Three large puddles on the site. Three ways to enter the site from  Middle Fork Road. Middle Fork Rd itself can easily accommodate 2wd passenger vehicles. Other dispersed sites further down the road along the creek. The site is not pristine, but it's nice to camp close to the bayou. Very peaceful, but there is occasional faint truck noise from Hwy 27. A half dozen or so vehicles passed by, some were residents who live further down the road. No facilities; need to bring your own water. No trash pickup; pack in, pack out.

Mark Twain National Forest is always a great getaway. This location is tucked away from the main road and is easy to get to. Could easily get 4 rigs + in the sight. Established fire ring (be mindful of burn bans). Close to Roaring River and Table Rock lake.

Pin location may not be correct, so here are the coordinates: 35.52534, -92.83158. Located on Charleston Road in a popular national forest OHV area - 1/2 mile southeast of the Mountain Man Trailhead. Charleston Road is a well maintained gravel road. The site is at the beginning of an old unnamed, closed, dirt track - close to Charleston Road. The site has a dirt surface; not quite level, but more level toward the rear. It is a pull-in site which can accommodate one campervan and smaller. Tent camping is possible. The site is mostly shaded. There is poison ivy around the perimeter of the site. The site includes a large rock fire ring. Except for a little bit of trash in the fire ring, the site was pretty much clean. The old track is gated just past the site,; the track is hikeable, leading up to the northern-most Stoebuck Mountain (there are two "Stoebuck Mountains" in this area). Except for being convenient to OHV trails, there is nothing remarkable about this dispersed site. It is good for an overnight stay.

Not sure if the location pin is correct, so here are the coordinates: 35.49995, -92.80930. A large, wooded dispersed site situated above Brock Creek off of Charleston Road in a popular national forest OHV and multi-use trail area. Charleston Road is a wide, well maintained gravel road. The dispersed site can accommodate 2 or 3 vehicles - campervan size and smaller. There are 2 access driveways into the site. Access for a truck camper is tight due to the location of trees on the site. Access for 2WD low clearance vehicles may be rough due to some erosion. The dispersed site is a dirt surface with some embedded rocks jutting out. Some leveling may be required depending where the rig is parked. Tent camping is possible. There is a vehicle turnaround at the rear of the site. The site is shaded, so solar charging is limited. Except for a little bit of glass and some bullet shell casings scattered about, the site was clean at the time of my visit. The site has a large rock fire ring. There is a wide track that leads off the site toward the south along and above the creek. This track does not appears on any of the current forest service maps (including MVUM) that I have, so I'm assuming that it is not a legal motorized vehicle track. The track is hikeable. The site is convenient to OHV and multi-use trails. It was a pretty site during my summertime visit, but I bet it's beautiful during the Fall season. It is set back from Charleston Road. It is a really nice spot.

Only stayed one night but it was very quiet and peaceful. There are surrounding trails that lead to some nice spots for a stunning sunset. These seem to be free established campgrounds, not dispersed. No trash service but there are vault toilets and fire rings. Great sites either way. Happy to stay again.

Coordinates: 35.69300,-93.76803. Large dispersed site with a view, especially in the winter, of the mountains to the west. Located along Morgan Mountain Road, Forest Road 1504, a little over a mile north of AR Hwy 215. The trailhead to Spy Rock is about a mile north of this site. Altough eroded in spots due to recent heavy rains, Morgan Mountain Road was in good condition - no obstacles. A 2wd passenger car can carefully make it over the eroded areas. Except for one small spot, the site is not level - slopes downhill a little toward the ridge. Camping rigs may need leveling depending on the parking spot. Access into the site from the forest road is easy. There is a clean rock fire ring. Tenting camping is possible. Hammock camping may be possible using nearby trees. The site is mostly shaded. The forest surrounding this campsite is beautiful. I received no T-Mobile service during my visit. I decided not to camp here during my visit due to a brisk, cold north-northwest wind blowing through the campsite.

This was not at all a campsite. Most of the forest is private property with house everywhere. This location in particular is no different. Go to Sam's throne to camp

I took a canoe trip down the buffalo river a few springs ago and I believe this was one of my stops. It was still early in the season so restroom facilities weren’t open yet. Bare bones camp sites with only fire pit rings. Beautiful area!

I arrived about 11 pm. Totally dark. Set up camp, started a fire and relaxed a little. We to bed and woke to a beautiful view overlooking the valley. Site is large enough for 3,maybe 4 Overlanding Rigs. Couple established fire rings. Highly recommend. Camp sits about 30, 40 yards off the road on the left . Late Feb. overnight temp 40. Verizon cell works great.

Sam's Throne Recreation Area really is a hidden gem, even for the non-climbers out there. We started a five day camping trip on a Saturday and sure enough, as we had already heard about this place's weekend popularity, the sites were packed. Many groups out there taking advantage of the beautiful March weather to hit the rock and explore all the many jaw-dropping routes on and around Sam's rocky Throne. Once the weekend ended though, there were an average of 2 or 3 other occupied sites in the area throughout the week.

Me, my boyfriend and our dog must have been the only non-climbers out there, which was completely fine because there really is SO MUCH to do and see. There are a number of trails outside the main established trails (see picture of trail map). Our second day there we spent eight hours skirting along the bluffs and exploring what looked like beautiful fairy lands.

The weather was perfect (high 50's/low 60's during the days and down to low 40's at night) and the bugs were almost non-existent (but we still defended ourselves from ticks with spray and covered legs).

We spent every day we were there exploring new spots and areas because the stretch of land is endless. What's nice is you can also drive 20 or so miles out to other beautiful spots like Pedestal Rock Scenic Area and Alum Cove Natural Bridge. We hopped on the Ozark Highland Trail for about six miles starting at the nearby Fairview Campground (which I highly recommend!).

And of course, don't forget to check out THE Sam's Throne, which is still accessible for those not harnessed and roped up. There is a climbable route that is fairly easy to moderate and allows you to access the throne and all it's glory. There are even a couple of fire rings up there which would definitely make for some breathtaking tent views. I may be partial to this place now because I happened to get engaged on the Throne at sunset during our last night there, and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful experience.

I highly recommend this area, this forest, and hell the whole state for a great camping experience!

Pros:

-Campground was completely empty when I arrived on a Thursday evening in December.

-Sites are separated by trees, so some privacy.

-There are more than one compositing toilet on site& they are cleaned regularly.

-Beautiful cliff views are a short walk away.

Cons:

-No water access, so bring your own