Best Tent Camping near Van Buren, AR

Recent Tent Reviews in Van Buren

548 Reviews of 16 Van Buren Campgrounds

• C

  Carmen V.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 20, 2024

  Springhill

  Disappointed

  Site is still charging campers full price for extended camping(14days) was told showers and restrooms available then suddenly they closed the facilities without notice. Was helping disabled person and his family who is currently homeless with the campsite and he now needing to look for somewhere else to go because there is nowhere for them to shower or use the restroom when needed.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 17, 2024

  Shores Lake

  Quiet stay in a hardwood forest

  Camped in site #10 in mid-November 2024. Site 10 is non-electric; paid $7.50/night with senior pass. Overall clean campground, well maintained and managed, in pretty hardwood forest. Not busy during my stay. Sites have picnic tables, tent pads and clean metal fire rings. Site 10 was level. The campground includes a clean restroom/shower house, one clean vault toilet at the far end of the campground, trash dumpsters and drinking water; all of these facilities and services were available during my stay in November. Campground can accommodate tents, camper vans, car camping and RVs. Some sites are electric. There are no water and sewer hookups. Campground road is paved as well as Highway 215 from I-40 accessing the campground. Sites are mostly shaded, but there is no privacy between sites. Shores Lake trailhead is located in a parking area in the campground. Day use area nearby with good fishing in Shores Lake. Campground hosts Donna and Eddie were wonderful. I really liked this campground.

• 

  George B.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 2, 2024

  Snake Creek

  Great place to stay.

  We really enjoyed this campground. Lots of room to roam, Plenty of access to the water for boats (multiple ramps) or wading/swimming. Plenty of sites to choose from some shaded, some by the water.  A few full hookups but not many. Most spots are just electric and water. Clean restrooms/showers. One newer area of the campground has new private shower rooms. We have been back a couple of times with all the kids and grandkids. Overall a nice corp of engineers park.

• 

  Andrew R.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 30, 2024

  Applegate Cove Campground

  Tucked away spot that's almost heaven

  I sort of threw darts at a board to where I would be camping next, and Applegate Cove was my destination this time. The campground is fairly small, but each lot is well maintained. The ground was a bit hard to drive tent stakes into, but I'm attributing that to the weather and season until I visit again and disprove that. There's a small walking loop down to the Arkansas river which left me a gorgeous view of the sunset, unfortunately I also visited during a fishing competition which brought quite a few people, making it a bit of a noisy area during the day as they were using the campground boat slip and dock to cast off from. You can also hear river barges during all hours, though personally I slept through all of the supposed noise. My only real complaint was that one of the bathrooms was in considerably worse condition than the other and you could smell it up to twenty feet away, which after learning I took the extra minute to walk to the nicer one. The shower was good and hot, no complaints there. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how my stay went, and there's very little I disliked about the campgrounds.

• N

  Nick & Allyssa S.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 30, 2024

  Springhill

  Great for the weekend!

  Fantastic park to bring the kids and ride the bike trails or fish. Several pavilions and playgrounds. Clean campground. NO SEWER at campsites which is the only reason for the 4 stars. We stayed 7 days and had to move to pump out twice during our stay, so it was slightly inconvenient. Other than that, we loved it and will be back for shorter visits!

• 

  Devin R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 22, 2024

  Cane Creek Recreation Area

  Beautiful Sunset

  Be sure to catch the sunset here. This has a beautiful setting even though it has been basically abandoned by the COE. The people who stay here must really care about the place because my site was very clean. Do not. I repeat DO NOT think you can use the pit toilets here. Be self contained and you’ll be fine. There seemed to be some long-timers camped there together and their dogs barked quite often during the day, but they must have taken them in at night or my van did well with blocking out the noise. My site wasn’t 100% flat but I just slept with my feet going on the downhill slope. Also, be aware if you use a flashlight, you WILL see eyeballs looking back at you from the other side of the water

• 

  Todd R.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Chicken Creek

  Chicken Creek

  Great camp ground, pleanty of shady spots. Would have given 5 stars, but they are limited on sites with 50amps. Showers were in rough shape as well

• 

  Ricky T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 5, 2024

  Devil's Den State Park Campground

  Undeniably Incredible!!

  Absolutely beautiful from the Senic Overlook!! The trails are easy to traverse, and the nature here is breathtaking!!

• C

  Clayton P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2024

  Natural Dam

  Nice quiet spot not far from I-40

  Easy to get to from I-40. Arrived late on a Thursday night and was the only person there. A little road noise off in the distance but the waterfall all but drowned it out.

• 

  Greg D.

  Guide

  

  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

• 

  Vien W.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Round the Bend RV Campground

  Round the Bend RV Camping

  This RV Park is amazing!  The view of Black Mountain at sunset is amazing! We love the well-kept grounds and spacious back in RV sites.  They also have tent camping that you can book online. The location is convenient a quarter of mile off the Highway 23/The Pig Trail that motorcycle riders love.  All the sites are generously space out with plenty of room for parking.   The Turner Bend Camp Store is half mile down the road for gasoline, camping supplies, ice, fresh deli sandwiches and wraps, t-shirts, pins and patches.  

  We love the new  bathroom and shower house. Don't miss this gem of a place.  The owners are super nice

• J

  Jessica P.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2024

  Grape Country RV Park

  Beautiful grounds, beautiful countryside

  Settled right in between grape fields, beautiful manacured grounds with lots of picnic tables and plenty of area to walk dogs or kids. No additional amenities but not needed really with FHU. Owner came by and personally checked on us, booking was easy with a text! Great wines right up the road

• 

  Jeff P.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Mulberry Mountain Lodging & Events

  Hidden Gem

  The campground is a hidden gem. The RV and primitive camping are clean and well-maintained. The bathroom/shower requires a passcode to enter and is always clean to use. It's a great escape for off-roading and overloading. Be sure to stop by the Oark Cafe in Oark, Arkansas, which is a 25-minute drive from the campground. They serve one of the best burgers in Arkansas (Wednesday-Sunday).

• 

  Jeff P.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Mulberry Mountain Lodging & Events

  Mulberry Mountain Lodging and Campground

  Very nice campground, mostly flat land for RV and primitive campground. The bathroom/shower house is very clean to use. This area is great for getaways, off-roading, or overloading.

• p

  paul

  Guide

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Springhill

  2 Days Nice

  A little older of an area. Stayed in site B10. Close to level. We have a 36' 5th wheel, tow vehicle, plus another vehicle. Easy entry into site and large enough for all vehicles. Asphalt with concrete patio. There is a picnic table and fire ring. 50/30/20A We can kind of see the river from this site. Very roomy sites in the woods with plenty of shade. Mostly dirt ground. Older but clean restrooms. We didn't use them. There are single person combined toilet and shower rooms at the front of park. There are mountain bike/hiking trails all over, even a little bike park with ramps and jumps. Playground and boat ramp. No sewer hookups, but there is a dump station. Lots of mosquitoes in the evening. Although some sites need maintenance and the restrooms are old, this is a nice park. We stayed 2 days and would definitely stay again.

• 

  Noel L.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Applegate Cove Campground

  Nice campground

  Older Park. Renovations are being done... Pads, 10 ft picnic tables, playground... Right off the lake with awesome scenery. Couple who manages the place is really nice and helpful. Would stop here again.

• S

  Sam W.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Turner Bend

  Clean, spacious, beautiful view. Away from highway noise. Friendly staff.

  Clean and spacious RV sites. We love the view of the mountain and the fact that we can ride our ATV to the Turner Bend Store to get gasoline and sandwiches. Mill Creek trailhead just 2 miles north from our campsite. The staff are friendly and very helpful. We got a physical ATV map. The Paradise Pizza Pub just 3 miles from our campsite!

• C

  Chris A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Hog Valley RV & Treehouse Resort

  Clean place next to good mountain biking and University of Arkansas

  Flat Sites, Clean, Nice Amenities, Nice Staff, Little Exposed in heat to Sun. Best shades sites rented in advance. (Site 24-27)

• 

  Ferrason A.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Natural Dam

  beautiful scenery but not many amenities

  The scenery here is really beautiful, Geometry Dash Breeze but it is so deserted that it is a bit scary at night.

• 

  Candy S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 10, 2024

  Bluff View — Tenkiller State Park

  Bluff view

  It's a beautiful spot surrounded by big rocks. The only complaint is the restrooms are quite dirty, and the shower doesn't have cold water.

• L

  Logan D.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Brushy Lake State Park Campground

  Quaint and Quiet

  21 RV spots available around a small, family lake. Water and electric hook ups and clean dump station. Small park/play area and two large pavilions. Hiking trail located at the back of the park. Lake is great for fishing and kayaking. Not a major boating or water sport lake. First come first serve spots. Camp host is helpful and friendly. Calm and quiet stay

• J

  Juanita H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 25, 2024

  Rocking S Ranch

  A great place to start

  The host meet us show where to park. And later came and check on us. And I would stay there again

• 

  Taryn S.

  Guide

  

  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.

• 

  Olivia R.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 19, 2024

  Redding Campground

  Nice secluded site

  Only 1 other camper the night I stayed, but some people used the river access during the day. Access to Spy Rock trail, but the vast amount of cobwebs made it seem like it’s not used much. Actually wish it hadn’t been so empty, since I was a bit sketched out to camp alone with only 1 other person around. Clean bathroom. Hot in July, but cooler than it was on I-40 due to higher elevations.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  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.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Girard Rd/Forest Road 20 Dispersed, Ouachita National Forest, AR

  Somewhat private dispersed site off of unbusy forest road

  Coordinates: 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.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Ashley Creek Recreation Area

  Pretty Location, Free Primitive Camping

  I didn't camp here, but thought I leave an updated review. Previous review still applies. This is a free primitive campground, but a permit is required to camp here; see COE Web site for info. There is a very clean portable john with tp in the campground. It appears that the campsites themselves have not been maintained in a while, although the campgound itself looks nice, with a view of the lake. Some of the sites are close together offering no privacy. I received T-Mobile cell service. Convenient boat ramp nearby. I wouldn't make this campground a multi-day vacation destinition, but it's convenient for an overnight stay and for those using the lake for recreation.