Best Tent Camping near Sims, AR

Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Sims? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Sims, Arkansas's most popular destinations.

Best Tent Sites Near Sims, AR (42)

Showing results 1-10 of 42 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews in Sims

879 Reviews of 42 Sims Campgrounds


  • Logan R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Forest Service RD 153 Ouachita National Forest
    Nov. 17, 2024

    Forest Service RD 153 Ouachita National Forest

    Overland site

    First off the coordinates are 34.80858, -93.07552 This campsite has amazing 360 sunsets and sunrises. A bit rocky for tent campers but should have no trouble finding a spot for a 4 man tent. There is also limited level ground but not bad. This site has room for 2-3 rigs. If ya needed to squeeze 4 you definitely could. There is a good breeze as it is on the top of the ridge which would be great in summer but can get a bit nippy in the colder seasons so keep that in mind. Nice sound of the breeze in the trees to put you right to sleep and extremely rare traffic so minimal reminders of society!!! I’ve rambled a bit but this site genuinely ticked all the boxes for me. Made for a beautiful evening.

  • Forest K.
    Camper-submitted photo from Buckville - Lake Ouachita
    Nov. 10, 2024

    Buckville - Lake Ouachita

    Nice boon-docking area

    Our family has camp here the last 4 years, sometimes twice a year. We like it for the family and grandkids because of the swimming area and pit toilets, which allows us to stay for about 3-4 days at time, you need to bring your own toilet paper and water. There used to be a store a couple of miles up the road from here, but the last time we camp, it was closed due to the spouse passing away. If you like boon docking, Kayaking, and fishing in a quite area, this is the place for you. Bring your Kayak and go Island hoping!

  • Twyana S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Bear Creek
    Oct. 27, 2024

    Bear Creek

    Primitive beauty

    This park is a wooded area beside a lake. Campsites have a picnic table & grill. No electricity or water. No concrete parking pads. However almost all sites have a view of the lake. Beautiful views. Two pit toilets were clean & smelled ok.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from COE Lake Greeson Self Creek Jim Wylie Recreation Area and Campground
    Oct. 21, 2024

    COE Lake Greeson Self Creek Jim Wylie Recreation Area and Campground

    Wooded With View of Lake

    This site was difficult to find. It is listed on the highway with a sign but on GPS it wasn't listed. The proper address is 4101 US-70, Kirby, AR 71950.

    You book through recreation.gov but it is actually listed under Self Creek campgrounds. When booking just lok for sites listed on LOOP JW.

    This is a good site for tents, campervans, and smaller rvs. There are sites for larger rvs but not many. It may be difficult to find a level spot if you're in a larger vehicle. There is only one site directly on the water. The remainder are on the wooded hill but still have a beautiful view of the lake.

    The bathhouse has flush toilets and showers but is very old. They maintain it well and it is cleaned regularly. The toilets are perfectly fine but the showers are just old and a bit icky. I would suggest for showers going to the Daisy State Park. They have newer and nicer showers.

  • Twyana S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Self Creek
    Oct. 20, 2024

    Self Creek

    Lots of Choices

    Large campground with lots of different areas to camp. They have sites in the woods, next to the water, and out in the open.

    The bathrooms were clean and well maintained.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Daisy State Park Campground
    Oct. 19, 2024

    Daisy State Park Campground

    Very Nice but Busy

    They have a lot of campgrounds but most are very close. Not a bad thing for those social butterflies but a little tighter than I like. Their bathrooms and showers are really nice. Clean and spacious.

    It's definitely worth a visit but make sure to book well in advance. They sell out quick.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from COE Lake Greeson Star of the West
    Oct. 19, 2024

    COE Lake Greeson Star of the West

    Good Location But Better Options Available

    The price here is now $10 per day but if you have America the Beautiful Pass it's half price.

    Couple downsides are that the bathrooms are pit style bathrooms and kind of nasty and unless you snag one of the sites far back in the woods you are pretty close to the highway so some noise.

    It is my understanding that they are scheduled to update the bathrooms in the next year or two but until then I'd definitely suggest going to Arrowhead Point. It's right down the road, same price, quieter, and nicer bathrooms.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrowhead Point — Lake Greeson
    Oct. 19, 2024

    Arrowhead Point — Lake Greeson

    Affordable and Comfortable

    This location is right on the lake with quite a few camp sites available. The only down side is they have only one site available with electric and hookups. Everything else had no electric or hookups.

    The electric site is $22 and all the rest are $10. If you have a senior pass they are half off though. It's first come first serve.

    A nice boat ramp is on site as well as a swimming beach. The beach isn't really big and I visited in October so not sure how nice it is or deep but still a good option to have.

    The bathroom has flush toilets and are decently clean. No showers but the state park right down the road has showers you can use for free.

    Overall, I really like this place. It's quiet and peaceful. And most important, doesn't hurt my pocketbook too bad.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Miners Camping & Rock Shop
    Oct. 16, 2024

    Miners Camping & Rock Shop

    Good For Primitive Camping Terrible Bathrooms

    My first impressions of this site were terrible. The Bathrooms are extremely old and honestly seem like they're rotting down. The playground area is small but jot terrible. The area for rvs is pretty cramped with no privacy. Luckily while talking to some folks there they directed us on down the road. There are two more sections specifically for primitive camping that are really nice. There are a couple picnic tables and fire rings. There is also a nice pond. The cell signal isn't terrible but it's a bit hit and miss for internet.

    Overall, I would suggest it but don't expect to use their showers or bathroom. Go a couple minutes down the road and use the state parks showerhouse. It's really nice.

  • Alice S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from FR132 - Crossroads Site Dispersed
    Oct. 14, 2024

    FR132 - Crossroads Site Dispersed

    Super Simple But Has Signal

    WARNING Stay on the good gravel roads. GPS took me down 4 miles of an old log trail that I wasn't able to turn around on. Spent thirty minutes cursing GPS and contemplating my life choices. I was headed for one of the other sites but was so tired when I saw this one I took it.

    The site is at a crossroads so quite convenient. Only room for one vehicle. It does have a stone ring for a fire pit. The main draw however is that there is pretty good signal with Verizon here which is really rare in the area.

  • Susan L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Daisy State Park Campground
    Oct. 11, 2024

    Daisy State Park Campground

    Definitely worth a stay!

    I never start a review like this, but this park had the cleanest bath house/restrooms I've ever experienced! 2 stalls in the shower in this loop and they each had a clean shower curtain, a bench, hooks to hang stuff. Immaculate. Better than some hotels!

    Stayed in site 104 in the loop by the boat ramp. Nice shade and long parking pad. Sense of privacy. The sites that back to the cove had terraced areas, so if stairs aren't good for you then skip, but the arrangement made for a large area to spread out relax. This site had an additional parking pad next to it that was right next to the tent pad. Handy for ent campers to unload or boaters for boat, plus there were extra parking spots in the cul-de-sac leading down to the boat ramp. 

    The lake is sometimes smooth as glass. Kayaks for rent and this is a must do. Visitor center was being remodeled at the time of visit. 2 short hiking trails. Great state park!

  • Susan L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Tompkins Bend
    Oct. 10, 2024

    Tompkins Bend

    COE Lake Ouachita camping

    I tend to like COE campgrounds. However, this one was a different experience for me. It's laid out in a way that it seemed like there was no space between sites and no berms or green cover to give the feeling of some privacy. The site next to me parked their truck about 10 feet from my site on the dirt between us. Boats on trailers are parked in between sites on diagonal or however to make them fit.

    Narrow, windy road into park is nicely paved. Nicely shaded, almost level gravel/asphalt site (not very wide with a tree on one side that would obstruct a rig with slide, awning side is tight too) with picnic bench, fire ring, lantern pole and BBQ.

    Also, the lake is very low right now. I was told that the state is drawing down the lake for hydro power and because there hasn't been any rain in awhile it's starting to show. It was fun to walk the lake bed and look for rocks and minerals that are usually covered by water. Not much else to do if here if you don't have a boat. Otherwise, a nice place to sleep while visiting the area.

  • Lindsey M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Hot Springs Offroad Park
    Oct. 8, 2024

    Hot Springs Offroad Park

    Cheap, Convenient, & Fun!

    Car camped at tent site to visit HSNP and trail ride. Staff were plentiful and friendly. My only issues were noise from a fast road near my site, walking distance from sites to restrooms, and most sites seemed quite tight for SUVs/trucks to park within. Even so, I highly recommend checking out this place. I really enjoyed my nights here and hours in the woods!

  • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cove Lake Complex
    Oct. 1, 2024

    Cove Lake Complex

    Quiet and wooded

    Nice quiet campground with a nice lake, vault toilets, no electricity or water Wildlife in the area. We were able to listen to a Barred Owl before going to sleep, mature pine trees giving a lot of shade

  • W
    Camper-submitted photo from Edgewood
    Sep. 1, 2024

    Edgewood

    Sites 21-24 are very close together

    We stayed in tent site 22 for a weekend camping trip. You can’t tell by looking at the Recreation.gov reservation site but tent pad 22 is one of 4 in a grouping of tent sites. 21-24 are so close together. If you are with friends or a large family group then it would be ideal but if don’t want people right on top of you then pick another site. Thankfully, we had some cool neighbors but it was a very noisy and bright spot to camp. Also, your neighbors have to walk through your campsite to get to either of the two water spickets that serve all 4 campsites. There is no where to park your boat unless you rent an RV spot and there is no boat ramp in the camp ground. All of the spots were very shady and cool. We had a good time but we wanted to warn others so you know what you are getting into.

  • Arthur S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Brown Creek Cascade Dispersed Campsite
    Aug. 20, 2024

    Brown Creek Cascade Dispersed Campsite

    Nice weekend

    Didn’t have to drive too far down the road found a spot on the left. Nice stone camp fire circle, good flat spot for my tent, which is a four person. Bring a chair if you want a comfortable seat, also hard to find decent wood to burn, had to walk a bit to find. Not many cars drive down the road, saw some people hiking, also Sunday morning there were hunters out, so hearing gunshot pretty close to camp. All in all though it is good to be with nature and I’d go back to this spot or find another one on the road. I didn’t go very far down the road have more to explore!

  • Brian G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Catherine State Park Campground
    Aug. 18, 2024

    Lake Catherine State Park Campground

    Great State Park!!

    Very beautiful place to stay!! Our site on the lake was very beautiful and every site on the water has a small dock you can fish off. Bugs were not bad at all. Would recommend this place to anyone.

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Catherine State Park Campground
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Lake Catherine State Park Campground

    Resort / Country Club

    This is a fantastic spot with tons of amenities (including a great pool) & many activities. Also, guests and campers were extremely nice! Clean and a well planned resort! Stay if you have a chance.

  • Jennifer H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Catherine's Landing
    Jul. 28, 2024

    Catherine's Landing

    Great amenities & nice sites

    We had an overnight here after visiting the hot springs national park. The euro delights food truck was a tasty treat. Loved that the pool was open until 10pm just wish the store was open past 5. Great sites. Full hook ups. Paved roads perfect for scootering.

  • Wayne J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Crater of Diamonds State Park Campground
    Jul. 27, 2024

    Crater of Diamonds State Park Campground

    Great full hookup campground

    I keep coming back here to dig for diamonds. There are cheaper campgrounds in the area, but the State Park grounds are top notch. Very level camper pads, stable power and water and everything is well maintained. There are multiple bath “houses” — single shower room style privacy, not a large room with curtains. A playground in the sites for kids to play on also.

    The only downsides that come to mind are the iffy WiFi (the reservation system is pretty accurate on which sites have “good” WiFi and which do not) that is decent for casual web browsing but not likely to be streaming possible. And then a mixed pro/com is that satellite connections (direct or Starlink) is going to be rough due to the wooded aspect of the sites — although the trees do help keep the camper cooler. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • Taryn S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Cove Lake Complex
    Jul. 25, 2024

    Cove Lake Complex

    Hidden gem in the Ozarks

    Fantastic smaller campground minutes from Mount Magazine. It seems to be overshadowed by much larger, better known places like Devils Den, so it's fairly quiet even when it's 'busy.' We also learned that it has new management as of this year (2024), a young family that's extremely hands-on.

    We stayed as a group (three families with 7 kiddos total, ranging from 6-15), across two adjacent sites: 1 & 3. You could see the lake from our sites, but they don't sit right over the lake like some do. With so many kids in our group, we actually wanted that. Sites are extremely spacious and well spaced from each other, and would feel even more private later in the season when the trees are full. Bathrooms are simple pit toilets, but clean and well-maintained. 

    Boat rentals right onsite, concessions, even a small beach area! We will 100% be back. No cell service whatsoever with Verizon.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Outlet Area
    Jul. 18, 2024

    Outlet Area

    RV and Big Rig Friendly Campground along Petit Jean River

    The Petit Jean River, flowing from an outlet, divides this US Army Corp of Engineers campround into two areas. There are 38 campsites, with electricity and water hookups. This includes three multi-family sites. Fees range from $18 to $40. Reservations are made on recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. First come, first served sites may be available outside the reservation season. The campground description at recreation.gov indicates that the campground is located on Blue Mountain Lake, but there is no lake access from here. A drive to Waveland Park is required for Blue Mountain Lake recreation. Most sites are waterfront; a few are just a short walk away from the Petit Jean River. Most sites have picnic table shelters. There are 12 sites and a restroom/shower house along the north bank of the river. The remaining campsites, along with a restroom/shower house, are on the south side of the river. The sites on the north side, except site #6, are in a open area offering little shade. The sites on the south side are along a forest and are more shaded. There is no privacy between campsites; several sites, especially on the south side, are close to each other. The north side restroom/shower house was closed. The south side restroom/shower house was very clean. The roads accessing and in the campground are paved. The campground is setup to accommodate RVs and big rigs, although tent camping is possible. Fishing in the river appears to be the main recreation activity. Walking access to the river bank is provided by stairs. Two playgrounds are at the south side camping area.



Frequently Asked Questions

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    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sims, AR is Hickory Nut Mountain with a 4.3-star rating from 11 reviews.

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