Searching for the best camping near Tumbling Shoals, AR? Tumbling Shoals is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Tumbling Shoals camping trip.
$15 / night
"Whether you're into hang gliding, kayaking or just relaxing at camp, the hillbilly hideaway is here to provide a great basecamp for your Arkansas adventures. "
"This is a series of trails with multiple trail heads. Each trail head has a course gravel parking area and a very nice pit toilet. Bring lots of drinking water."
"Great spot to pitch a tent by lake Conway. Isolated but not too far out."
"Picked up a med bag of trash; cans, bottles, and paper. Looks better now. I definitely put on bug spray right away. Nice place to sleep and get back on 40East in the morning."
"This primitive campground was perfect for me and my dog. We stayed three nights in October 2020."
TravelerToad Suck is a great campground- with some caveats. All of the sites are reservable and have concrete pads. This makes it impossible to stake down a tent but also provides a great level spot. There's no foragable wood at the sites, but there's a quick stop type gas station very nearby that sells it cheap and locally sourced. The bathrooms can be a trek from your site or right next door, depending on where you're staying, but theyre immaculately clean. They service them twice daily. It's right next to the lock and dam at Toad Suck on the Arkansas River so there's a constant roar of water and the sound of barges throughout the night and day. I don't mind it but keep that in mind if you don't like those sounds. The campsite is peaceful otherwise. Dogs are allowed! ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL.
RangerThis park is pretty much spotless. I tent camped in the fall and loved it. All the tent sites have a gravel pad, picnic table and fire ring. Lots of trees to set up your hammock. They have a swim beach and small boat rentals in the summer. There’s a nice paved walking trail too. I highly recommend.
LegendGeneral: We were apprehensive about planning to stay at this campground as the nearby one in Blanchard Springs was closed, we could not make reservations, five of the 27 sites were closed due to potential flooding from Hurricane Laura, and access is via a three-mile winding dirt road (not recommended for large RVs but it was navigable for our campervan), so we made alternate backup plans. There was no need to worry, however, as there were plenty of open sites, including some overlooking North Sylamore Creek when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October for a hike.
Sites/Facilities: Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, tent pad, and lantern pole. There is a central water source.
Activities/Amenities: This is a no-frills campground – no electric or water hookups, dumpster, playground, or flush toilets – just vault toilets. What struck me most was how quiet it was. There is access to the Sylamore hiking trail; you can hike five miles to the Blanchard Springs picnic area.
LegendWe hiked in to this campground from Blanchard and were pleasantly surprised. It is primitive in some aspects but not overtly so. They have vault toilets that were manageable and spickets for water. We grabbed a site that had a bi-level for the tent and picnic table. There was a fire ring as well. Overall, it has some stuff to do being by the river and a longish trail to explore. We may have been to tired to care about some of the finer details so we were pretty happy with this site!
LegendFor Full Video Review. CLICK HERE
While traveling through this portion of Arkansas I stumbled upon a small roadside for Gunner Pool Recreation Area just a short distance past Blanchard Springs. 3 miles down a gravel, but well maintained roadway, the campground sat nestled between to sections of the water way. On one side, slow moving water is met by the dam forming the blue toned pool and on the other a gentle flowing stream flanks the massive mountain side.
Along the camping loop, spaces are well separated and have plenty of room to spread out. Each site is equipped with standard camping amenities such as picnic tables, lantern hooks and fire rings. Vault toilets are centrally located in several areas of camp both on the upper and lower loops. In addition locking style garbage cans are placed near restrooms.
When I visited the Forest Service was on property trimming trees and clearing debris from recent rain. Their office is located just a short distance from the entry of the roadway, so they are often here to work on the property.
A little gem in the midst of the campground is located just across from the pay kiosk, the story of the property and the CCC camp which actually created not only this property but also worked on neighboring sites at Blanchard. Definitely check out the story!!
Tips:
GuideBuffalo Point is a very nice, CCC built campground with some old school type campsites. A number of sites are multi-level, meaning the picnic table may be on an elevated platform with steps for access. Some sites you may not be long enough for your entire rig and you would park your tow vehicle next to your camper. Shade was plentiful. There are five different loops. The A&B loops are the closest to the large Buffalo Point sandbar and boat ramp and the sites are very close to one another. The D loop is slightly more spaced out. The E loop is nice but the pads are short. There is an access to the river between the C&D Loops.
We did not use the restrooms because of COVID19. The ranger stations were closed and there were no programs at this time either.
The Buffalo River is beautiful and with very few people on the river during the week when we visited. The river was very slow and smooth during our visit and perfect for those just learning to kayak.
There are a number of hiking trails in the area. Be sure and check whether or not your dog is allowed on the NPS trails before heading out on your hike.
Our site had a narrow pad and the electric post was located in a position that we could not use the entire length of the pad in order to extend our slide. The seating area of the campsite has great view of the neighboring campsite. But we had some foliar obstruction that provided some privacy from our neighbors on the other side. It appeared that most sites you are going to have a view of your neighbors’ campsites. We did not have enough space to put our patio mat out between our trailer and the picnic table. We spent little time at our campsite so this did not bother us.
The NPS is starting to use motion detector lights at their parks to help with light pollution. Be sure and take advantage of the opportunity to view the stars from a gravel bar by the Buffalo River. Magical!
ScoutThis primitive campground was perfect for me and my dog. We stayed three nights in October 2020. It’s right on a put-in spot on the Buffalo River so there were a couple of buses and shuttles but for the most part it was very quiet. The campsites are a good distance apart, they have plenty of room and have fire rings and picnic tables. Be aware that there is no drinking water and I didn’t get phone service (yay!). There is a vault toilet that wasn’t too bad. I loved this place, and will definitely be back.
LegendBoat Ramp, drinking water, dump station, marina, day use picnic area, playground, fire ring/grill, fish cleaning station, picnic table, restrooms with flush toilets, and showers
Choctaw is located several miles outside the town of Clinton Arkansas. I would advise stocking up before leaving home or in Clinton. Located in the gently rolling hills of the Ozarks. The roads are in good shape but like most roads in Arkansas they could be considered, not narrow, but not exactly wide. The campground is located right off the road so watch for your turn. Choctaw is one of the few parks in the Greers Ferry complex that is right off the main road.
The site numbers are well marked on the entrance of each site. Some sites are more level than others and some are shorter than others. Longer rigs will have to pay close attention to the size of the sites. Area is well wooded giving a large amount of shade and a lot of needles and leaves. If you don't carry a good broom you might want one to sweep your pad. Trees are mainly pine so shade will continue through winter. While we were there it was time for mowing but generally COE parks are well maintained
Little Red River and the Greers Ferry Lake produce an amazing outdoor experience. Sitting all along the banks of Greers Ferry Lake you are able to have your pick of any number of COE campgrounds and private campgrounds. Choctaw is a good example.
Arkansas is called "The Natural State" and it does live up to its name. Greers Ferry is located in Cleburne County Arkansas with several small towns dotted around the lake. There are between 30,000 to 40,000 acres of crystal clear water depending on the season and the rains. You may fish, scuba dive, water ski, SUP, kayak, canoe, swim or just relax at your campsite. Your choice but is geared toward the outdoor life.
Fishing is the sport of the day here. You will find some of "The Best" fishing in the south with some bragging "In The World". The lake holds the record for bass at 27 lbs 50 oz. Tournaments begin in April and go through October. Whether you are a local or a visitor fishing is done year round. Every game fish native to Arkansas is stocked and maintained by the Arkansas Game and Fish. Depending on the time of the year you are able to look forward to trophy size striped bass, walleye, and trout. That is not to say you shouldn't hook your share of channel catfish, bigmouth and white bass and crappie.
Have fun. Stay safe.
LNT
Better than when you found it.
Happy Trails
RangerMost of the sites here are great. The G loop is right by the water. Some of the sites were underwater while we were there, but G2 was perfect.
The site had everything we wanted. Trees for our hammock, large level site, near the water for our kayak, and great views of the lake. There is no electricity at these sites. You will need to bring water. The bathrooms are a short distance away.
You can’t beat this location on Greer’s Ferry.
Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas, offers some fantastic options for tent camping, perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the great outdoors.
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