Are you in need of a campground near Sims, AR? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Sims and user-submitted reviews.
"I have a 30ft Class C which is probably the largest vehicle you would want to drive down the dirt road to this site."
"Back in off the Buck Mountain"
"The place was beautiful and had plenty of lake access points too. I went in mid July so it was hot and humid but I was able to swim a bit to help that."
"I used my own pop up toilet as there’s is not close to being clean. It is bear country and others trash was gone through by wildlife in the bathroom."
"Very secluded spot no amenities just a rock fire ring Very peaceful"
"This section of the National Forest offers two hours gravel road through the forest. Please do your homework because the road signs are lacking."
"It was quiet & we were undisturbed until a couple of locals parked their pickups right next to us at 7 am. But they were in their boat & gone quickly."
"Coordinates: 35.02281, -93.81060. Located 2.5 miles past the entrance of the Jack Creek Recreation Area, and almost 1 mile past the turn off to the shooting range."
"Coordinates: 34.75922,-93.20452. Camped here on May 5, 2025. Large wooded dispersed site in the Ouachita National Forest. Suitable for about 3 campervan-sized rigs."
LegendLocated along Forest Road 132 (Winona Scenic Drive) in the Ouachita National Forest, Saline County, Arkansas. Flatside Wilderness Area located across the road from the site. Access to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail located nearby. Free dispersed site, no facilities. Rock fire ring. Should be enough parking for 2 vehicles. Suitable for tent camping, car camping, truck camping & van camping. Mostly level. There was plenty of firewood left by the fire ring. Camped here in February; very quiet. Only 2 vehicles drove by. Had a few bars of T-Mobile service.
LegendPopular dispersed campsite in the Ouachita National Forest. Only one site; not a campground. Located on the gravel Brown Creek Road in Perry County, Arkansas. The South Fork of Brown Creek runs behind this campsite. Located next to the trailhead for Brown Creek Cascade - a short 1/4 mile hike (includes a creek crossing). This campsite is suitable for tent camping, car camping, camper vans & truck campers. Two vehicles can easily fit on this level site. There are other dispersed sites along Brown Creek Road. The site is close to the road; there's a large mud puddle covering one of the 2 entrances to this site. 2-wheel drive passenger cars can make it to the site. Large pine trees on the site. Hammock camping is possible. No water (except for creek). No toilets nor showers. No trash - take out what you bring in. May need to hike a ways in the woods to find firewood. Large rock fire ring on site. No AT&T and T-Mobile cell service. Very quiet; no vehicles passed by during the night. The sound from the creek was soothing.
LegendCoordinates: 34.87057,-92.89844. Camped here on April 20, 2025. Located along Brown Creek Road (Forest Road 805), appoximately 1/2 mile west of the Brown Creek Cascade dispersed site and trail head (see separate listing). Large, level site with a dirt surface. Should easily accomadate 2 or 3 rigs and tents. Recommend campervan and smaller rigs. Due to the trees on the site, a truck camper will have a difficult time pulling all the way into the site (although it can park on the access driveway). Easy access from the forest road. The site is clearly visable from the forest road; no privacy, and dust may be an issue during the dry season. Only 6 vehicles passed by during my stay (which was on a Monday evening). There is a large, nicely constructed rock fire ring on the site; other than this, there are no amenities at the site. A small creek is down the hill behind the site; the creek is dry during the dry season. A beautiful wall of trees is across the creek. The site is shaded; solar charging and Starlink connectivity may be difficult. Hammock camping is possible. No T-Mobile cell service. No access to hiking trails at the site; trailheads for Brown Creek Cascade and the Ouachita National Recreation Trail are a short drive away. Loved this site. Peaceful at night. The only sounds came from the birds, the breeze and the creek. Note that due to recent severe Spring storms, portions of Brown Creek Road have some erosion. The rocky surface is moderately rough in places, although a 2WD passenger car can make it if driven carefully through the rough spots. No issues for high clearance 4x4 vehicles.
RangerThis section of the National Forest offers two hours gravel road through the forest. Please do your homework because the road signs are lacking. Word of advice, best to stay away during hunting season as we spotted over ten deer hunters in the area in a single day; a hunting paradise as well. On the path offers hidden creek waterfalls, lots of one way bridge and a serenity drive.
LegendCoordinates: 34.83903, -92.94556. Set back from Forest Road 132 off of an old track - a short distance west of Forest Road 75. There is some minor erosion on the access to this site from FR132. Large site; good for groups. Should accommodate 4 rigs - truck campersize & smaller. This site can accommodate 4x4 drivers that are planning to tackle Forest Road 132A to the Crystal Mountain Overlook - a short distance east of this site. FR132A is hikeable for those who do not drive high clearance 4x4s. The dispersed site has a level dirt surface. There are two rock fire rings. Beautiful forest backdrop. No T-Mobile service.
LegendCoordinates: 34.93095,-93.32258. This a small dispersed camp site tucked away a short way from County Road 133/ Forest Rd 146 in the Ouachita National Forest. It's at the end of a short dirt track which may have been an old forest road. Above Hogan Creek, sounds of the creek can be head at this site. There is a path along the creek behind the campsite; it eventually provides access down hill to the creek. This is a secluded spot which can not be easily seen from CR133/FR146. Backing your vehicle into the site is best. There is a small rock fire ring at the end of the access track. The site's entrance is on the right hand side just after the bridge crossing Hogan Creek when coming from the west on CR133/FR146. A truck camper and smaller can fit into the site. A little bit of leveling may be required. Tent camping is also possible. It's a pretty campsite. The forest road is in great shape.
LegendI haven't camped here recently. Forest Road 132A, which climbs up to the Crystal Mountain Overlook fom Forest Road 132, is not maintained and badly eroded. Drivers with high clearance 4x4 vehicles and OHVs will enjoy driving up this track, but I don't recommend this drive for the average passenger vehicle. I no longer attempt this with my stock AWD Subaru Outback - just not enough clearance. There are two rock fire rings at the top. Despite the nice views at the top, the dispersed campsites are usually trashy. I included an older photo of the view with Lake Winona in the distance.
TravelerThe place was beautiful and had plenty of lake access points too. I went in mid July so it was hot and humid but I was able to swim a bit to help that. Some nice mature trees were there but didn’t get in the way of our view of the lake. There was even a pit toilet! There seemed to be about 5 sites, each with a grill and fire ring. More spaces are available near the road as well. Bugs weren’t much of an issue but we did use bug spray. There was a lil bit of trash from previous campers, some of which made it into the campfire. I’m happy we visited, but not happy about the humidity- I am thankful we were able to sleep in the car though! There was only one other person there. It is black bear country, so just be smart about your waste and food storage. We had about 1-2 bars of AT&T coverage, but the road leading in has some better signal.
LegendCoordinates: 35.02531, -93.88228. Located just off of Girard Road (Forest Road 20) - a maintained gravel/dirt forest road. This road is mostly a single track - narrow with some minor erosion in a few places. A lifted 4x4 vehicle is NOT needed to drive to the site. The dispersed site is located 1.3 miles south of the turnoff to Jack Creek Recreation Area. This site is set off from the forest road on a narrow undesignated dirt track which is easy to miss. It is a small site with enough room for one vehicle - truck camper size and smaller. The site is mostly level on a dirt surface with a rock fire ring. It is mostly shaded, although solar recharging may be possible during the afternoon with solar panels being placed on the access track in front of the site. Tent and hammock camping are possible. Received a strong T-Mobile 5G signal here. Except for some peace and quiet, there is nothing remarkable about this particular campsite. However, is is located in the Jack Creek area of the Arkansas Ouachitas. This area has a few nice swimming holes and hiking trails which one can drive to. OHV recreation is also possible in the area.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Sims, Arkansas, where nature lovers can find solitude and adventure in the Ouachita National Forest. With a variety of locations to choose from, campers can enjoy the great outdoors while experiencing the freedom of camping without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Sims, AR is Blue Knob Road in Ouachita National Forest with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.
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