Best Tent Camping near West Memphis, AR

Public lands surrounding West Memphis, Arkansas offer several primitive tent camping options within a short drive. Maple Flat Group Campground in Marianna, Arkansas provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities in a traditional group camp setting. Across the Mississippi state line, tent campers can find Kellys Crossing Campground near Coldwater and Pleasant Hill Campground in Hernando, both situated along Arkabutla Lake. These tent-only camping areas provide alternatives to more developed campgrounds, with varying levels of maintenance and amenities.

Most tent campgrounds in the region feature minimal facilities. Maple Flat Group Campground contains remnants of old tent pads throughout a wooded area with large trees and moss. A single vault toilet serves the center of camp, and picnic tables are grouped at the front. Kellys Crossing functions primarily as a boat ramp with adjacent tent camping areas, offering picnic tables and basic toilet facilities. Campers should note that Pleasant Hill Campground has been reported as poorly maintained with overgrown or sunken campsites and limited functioning facilities. Fire rings are available at most locations, but campers should bring their own water and supplies.

Tent campers frequently note the solitude available at these primitive sites. According to reviews, Kellys Crossing provides "access to the lake" and is "a good spot to go if you needed to get away for solitude." One visitor reported that in December, "there are hardly any other persons around besides the fishermen out on the water." Maple Flat offers "large trees, lots of moss and no overgrowth," creating a natural setting for backcountry tent camping. Sites at Maple Flat provide "a good amount of space between" campers, contributing to "a calm atmosphere." The proximity to water is a common highlight, with Maple Flat described as "right on the water" and Kellys Crossing providing boat access to Arkabutla Lake, making these locations appealing for tent campers seeking water recreation combined with primitive camping experiences.

Map showing campgrounds near West Memphis, Arkansas

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Detours Nearby

SK campground

22 min away

Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area

1 hr 5 min away

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Best Tent Sites Near West Memphis, Arkansas (3)

1. Kellys Crossing Campground
2 Reviews
O.C. Fisher Lake, MS
29 miles
Website
+1 (662) 562-6261
"This is an off the beaten path area for standard recreation. It’s technically a boat ramp that accesses Arkabutla Lake with picnic and camping areas nearby."
2. Pleasant Hill Campground
1 Review
O.C. Fisher Lake, MS
26 miles
Website
+1 (662) 562-6261

3. Maple Flat Group Campground
3 Reviews
LaGrange, AR
41 miles
Website
+1 (870) 295-5278
"Everyone spends their days out on the water but there’s some trails too and tourist attractions outside the park for all ages. The lake has a lot of inlets to explore by canoe."

"The site was right on the water with a good amount of space between us and the next site. There were less than 20 sites I'm guessing which made for a calm atmosphere."

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Tent Camping Reviews near West Memphis, AR

384 Reviews of 3 West Memphis Campgrounds

P
Paul C.
Traveler
May. 1, 2022
Memphis KOA
Standard KOA Journey, far from Memphis
Although this is called the Memphis KOA - it is a bit of a hike. Especially when the bridge (I-40) is out.

This campground is very typical for a KOA Journey. Right off the interstate, nice pull-throughs, minimal amenities.

We stayed here for a couple of weeks while working in Memphis - good/bad comments below:

Good

1. Staff. Super nice, very helpful.

2. Ease of access to I-55.

Bad

1. Remote (not in a good way). Kind of far from West Memphis, within 10 minutes to Marion, but nothing is convenient.

2. Not in Memphis. Per the name, this is really important to note. Assume it is 30 minutes to where you are going in Memphis. 45 if the bridge is out.

3. It floods when it storms. Like 5 inches standing water. Should probably be fixed.
Napunani
Legend
Jun. 26, 2022
Lake Poinsett State Park Campground
Small, Tight Campground
PROS

Senior discount

Reserved on-line 346 prior to arriving

Good overnight stop for$25

Very small park and campground

Site#4 totally level

Site#4 some shade 100% gravel site

Metal picnic table that was moveable

One hook lantern pole

Metal fire pit with cooking grate

Pedestal BBQ grill (looked brand new)

CONS

30amp electrical breaker bad.

Tripped twice in 8 hours.

Single lane campground road extremely tight. If campsites across from ours wasn’t empty, it would of been extremely difficult to get our 28ft backed-in

Our reserved campsite#4 was occupied upon our arrival and campers tried to convince us to take another site that they were suppose to move to, but it was much smaller, so we declined

Never saw any rangers patrolling campground

Train noise from tracks in Harrisburg

4 unisex toilets/showers for all 26 campsites PLUS 4 tent sites!

One-lane dump station

No TP in campground toilets

No camp-host or even a full hook up site for one

No security gate closure overnight

No WIFI

1 bar LTE
Denise B.
Traveler
Dec. 31, 2021
Hollywood Casino RV Park - Tunica
Super quiet
Super quiet, not equipped for many activities. Some covered picnic tables interspersed. Outdoor cooking allowed unless there is a fire ban. One small commercial washer and two dryers available. Water and electric 50 amp at each site. Dump station. Showers and rest rooms are nice. Great overnight for travelers and good price, $25. Propane available. Ok stay if visiting casino.
Napunani
Legend
Dec. 13, 2022
Village Creek State Park Campground
No Cell Service; No Public Phones: No WIFI Calls at Visitor Center
PROS

Senior discount

No fee assessed to make on-line reservations

Quiet

light view of lake from #57

Site 57 has no site next to it or behind it

Good distance between campsites

Dark sky friendly except for sites near toilet/shower facilities where there is an actual street light

Climate controlled toilet/shower facility in campground B

Both campground B toilet/shower facilities very clean with ample supply of TP, soap and paper towels

Wood picnic table (on concrete pad), pedestal BBQ grill, metal fire ring with cooking grate and metal lantern hook

Wide roadway in campground B

Small playground

Access to lake swimming area from campground B

Trash receptacles at toilet/shower facility

Lots of deer 

Smaller Walmart in Wynne AR

Pops Grill in Wynne real good

CONS

County burn ban in place upon arrival but no signage anywhere alerting of ban. We saw the Arkansas burn ban website and inquired upon checkin if it was enforced and park clerk affirmed ban but we saw many campers had a wood fire burning all the time. So without any signage we understand the confusion and noncompliance. Park should at least place burn ban signage at campground entrance.

Site 57 unlevel side-to-side

No cell service.

No public phone in park.

Parks signage states WiFi at park visitor center could be used to make phone calls. We found this not true with our T-MOBILE service as we purposely went to the visitor center to make a WIFI call. There is WIFI at visitors center but only one bar and too weak to transmit a call. So if there is an emergency after visitor center is closed and you need to make a call, good luck, as there is no public phone nor any camp hosts. We drove approximately 8 miles towards Wynne to get sufficient cell signal to make calls and connect with internet.

Only free WiFi is at park visitor center. We purchased WiFi from park vendor Viasat $20 unlimited for 3 days for one device. Viasat delivered a good signal within 200 ft of toilet/shower facility so it was useless in our campsite#57. Don’t waste your money! Sewer connection at rear of site pad so bring the looooong stinky slinky!

Pets not kept on leash

No security gate closure overnight
Michael W.
Guide
May. 16, 2021
Fort Pillow Historic State Park Campground
Great little hidden Gem
Let me start by saying that the Rangers who run this place are top notch folks. The head Ranger stopped in a couple times every day to ask if we needed anything and to inquire about our opinion of the new site (more on this later). The facilities were well maintained, and a pleasant surprise for such a small state park.

So, we stayed on site #3. According to the head Ranger, we were the first to camp on this site since its renovation. Previously it had been a tent pad, but was now a concrete pad with a new 50A post and new water hydrant. Online, it lists the site as being 40’ long and 15’ wide. What they don’t tell you is that only the pad is this size. I had another 30’+ of gravel to park on in front of the pad. It was large enough for the biggest of fifth wheels with slides on both sides. There are now 11 total sites like this in the park thanks to recent renovations. All seemed very level. Site #3 and it’s neighbor #2 seemed perfectly level laterally, but required dropping the nose quite a bit to get level longitudinally. I still believe any length RV could pull it off easily. Each concrete site had a charcoal grill with adjustable height grates, a lantern pole, a fire pit with grill grate, and a picnic table that is bolted down (this might be my only nitpick complaint, as I like to move my picnic tables under the awning and on top of my mat... but I understand why it’s done.). The two bath houses are basically single occupancy Men and Women side facilities, but are almost brand new and heated for winter use. The Ranger said they added to accompanying porta potties for extra toilets until they can add an extra stall on each side to the buildings.

There is no playground in the campground, but a short drive into the park gets you to a very nice picnic area with a playground that looks as new as the bath houses and RV pads. Drive a bit further and you can visit the museum dedicated to the Fort after which the park is named and the men who died there. Get a map and hike the well marked trail to see a recreated portion of the fort (yes, it well marked with colored flashes and signs). Along the drive you will also find a scenic overlook of the Mississippi River and a small lake you can fish in. Canoe, Kayak, and Paddle Boat rentals are available at the museum.

For those wishing for a more rustic camping experience, the primitive sites here are among the best I have ever seen. Ever site is level, and graveled with smooth pea gravel. They all have the same fire pit, grill, and table as the RV sites. Some Require a bit of a walk from your parking spot, but you will well rewarded with some isolation. The only down side for some is that these sites have no on site water and only a few offer an electric post. There are community hydrants around the park for filling up bottle or tanks.

My personal favorite spot for primitive tent camping would have been site number 27. It is accessed via a short gravel road off the main paved road and past site 26. While it is a haul to get water, it is almost completely isolated from the rest of the campground and you can drive rite up to it with no walking. It has low ground on three sides. One side is the road leading into the park, but traffic here is light and it shouldnt be an issue.

Speaking of roads, this place is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and the roads in can be narrow when meeting oncoming traffic. It’s not terrible but can make you a bit nervous when you meet another RV heading the other way.

All in all, I would say this park is a gem of a find since the remodeling of the RV sites and a solid 7/10 for those primitive tent campers. My only knock is the lack of a playground for those with kids. If you are empty nesters or young adults or just generally travel without kids, this is a solid 10/10 kind of place.
Taylor C.
Ranger
Apr. 18, 2024
Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
Loved it here!
Just so beautiful. Trails were well marked but not for faint of heart. Campsites were pretty close together and bathrooms not too great. Little black bugs swarmed on warm nights right a dusk for an hour. There’s an airport nearby and planes were constantly flying over one of the nights. We were the only tent there. Tent pads aren’t clearly marked but plenty of level ground to set up. Lake was gorgeous too, I was literally the only one out there.
Curren C.
Scout
Jun. 28, 2022
Tom Sawyer's RV Park
Motorcycle Friendly & Free Laundry
Found this campsite on the Dyrt and was pleasantly surprised with the location and family friendly atmosphere. Right on the River but not swimable water. In an industrial park but felt very safe. Just a few minutes from the interstate.

The tent site is just a primitive grassy group area but had tons of shade from giant oak trees and is right next to the bathhouse.

Laundry is free on the second story of the bathhouse which was a wonderful treat.

The bathrooms weren’t awful but could use some TLC.

Tent sites do not get picnic tables. No fire rings.

Overall a decent night’s stay - whatever you do don’t forget your bug spray!
Lee D.
Legend
Dec. 7, 2022
South Abutment Recreation Area
Gorgeous sunrises (and the sunsets aren't bad either)!
We arrived just before sunset in late November (dang Daylight Savings time) so quickly got to our site and set up. Did not see anyone to check in but had reservations as now are required at all CoE campgrounds (a ranger drove through the next morning). The water level looked to be very low, but we still had a nice view at the end of the loop.

Sites are FHU and other amenities include a large concrete picnic table, lantern hook, fire pit, BBQ grill, and food prep table. Sites are paved, generous in size, and spaced a very decent distance apart from each other; even though all the leaves had fallen and there were other campers in our loop, I did not feel a lack of privacy.

The restrooms were clean and although there were paper towels, the soap dispensers were empty (my only beef with this campground)! The showers looked to be reasonable, but it was below freezing the next morning, so I didn’t try them out. There was also what appeared to be a utility sink in the bathroom but no shelves or other place to stage dishes.

I can only assume that water sports are in-season and not sure about other recreational activities. Because the ground was frozen the next morning, I was able to walk down to the water and get some great photos of the sunrise and birds.

This was just an overnight stay for us but for $12 (with the Golden Access Pass), it is a real bargain and the reason we often seek out Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
Suzi T.
Traveler
Apr. 15, 2018
Hernando Point
Great experience
Very clean restrooms and shower areas. Site had grill, fire ring, and picnic table. Water and electric hookup