Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Bentley? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Within the Alexander State Forest lies the Indian Creek Recreation Area located between I-49 and US Hwy 165 in central Rapides Parish. This sprawling area encompasses 100 acres of developed recreation facilities, 250 acres of primitive camping area, and the 2,250 acre Indian Creek Lake. The recreation area contains over 100 campsites with water and electricity. Other amenities include 3 beach areas, 5 bathrooms across the main park, laundry facilities, playground equipment, handicap parking, boat launch, wi-fi (in RV area) and a covered pavilion for rental. There are trails available for scouting out the various plant and tree species and abundant wildlife. This area is also home to the red-cockaded woodpecker. Trees marked with white paint indicate the homes of the endangered woodpecker.
$16 / night
$5 / night
There is an assortment of recreational opportunities within the Stuart Lake Recreation Complex including fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, and much more. Situated on a beautiful 5-acre lake surrounded by pine-hardwood forest, this area provides outdoor recreational opportunities for camping, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and nature study. The day use facility includes flush toilets, paved parking, a fishing pier, shore fishing, a swimming beach, picnic tables and barbeque pits. The group use facility is located up the hill from the day use area and the swimming beach. It is equipped with a covered picnic shelter, a large party barbeque pit, trash bins, restrooms, and access to day use facilities including the lake. Group use area facilites include: restrooms, gravel parking, extra large barbeque pit, trash bins, large covered picnic shelter, and access to the day use facilities and lake. The Stuart Nature Trail and the Glenn Emery hiking and biking trail both be accessed here. The Stuart Lake Campground is a primitive campground with 8 sites that was renovated in 2009. General facilities also include drinking water, restrooms, and an open-air amphitheater. Trash disposal available.
$5 - $20 / night
Visitors to Coyote Camp can enjoy an out-of-the-way camping area within the National Red Dirt Wildlife Management Preserve. Although this camp is a designated hunter's camp, it can be utilized year around by general forest visitors. Very primitive site with limited facilities. There is OHV access to the Sandstone Trail.
The Saddle Bayou Camp is a very primitive camping experience in a bottomland hardwood setting. Nearby National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve make the Saddle Bayou a popular camping area during hunting season.
The campground and day-use area are temporarily closed for construction to stabilize the banks of the Bayou.
Visitors to the Kisatchie Bayou Recreation Complex can enjoy scenic views of the rocky bayou surrounded by beautiful old growth hardwood and pine which gives this out-of-the-way recreation area such a wonderful setting for visitors. Hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, and just relaxing are all popular activities enjoyed here.
Kisatchie Bayou Campground is a primitive walk-in camping atmosphere with 17 walk-in sites and 1 drive-in site at the middle parking area. Tent pads, barbeque pits, and lantern posts are at each campsite. Trash receptacles and restrooms are available, but visitors should be aware that there is NO WATER AVAILABLE at this campground. This complex is a designated fee area.
At the Day Use Area, there are vault restroom facilities, trash receptacles, picnic tables and fire rings. There are access steps to the bank of the bayou which allows canoe users to unload from the lower parking lot to the waters edge. Fishing is a very popular activity at Kisatchie Bayou with the possibility of hooking a bass, perch, sunfish, or catfish.
$2 / night
The Pearson Camp is a very primitive camping experience which has been designated a Hunter's Camp. Located on U.S. Hwy 167, the easy access to the camp and to the National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve make the Pearson Camp a very popular camp during hunting season.
Visitors to Red Bluff Camp can expect a primitive camp inside the National Red Dirt Wildlife Management Preserve. This camping area is a walk-in tent type camping facility which users must hike in 1/4 mile from the parking area to get to the Kisatchie Bayou shore. General camping, no water available, vault toilets, and trash receptacles.
Guide
Wooded and close to road with traffic all night. Bathroom with flush toilet and cold water hand sink but not supplied and not swept. Water faucets and trash receptacle available. Verizon 2 bars and no problem. I would not make a special trip but if going by would stay again. It’s free however!!
Traveler
This is a quiet park right on the Red River. Sunsets are amazing over the river. The facilities are well maintained and clean. The sites are spaced nicely and tucked into the trees. All spots are full hookup and 50 amp service. The water pressure is a little low, but sufficient. The only drawback is there is a large warehouse next door that is very well lit all night
Traveler
This camp is a short distance from the highway, Solar There are some nice flat new sites that have been installed and it looks like more new ones are coming.
Scout
Well maintained grounds with flush toilet (no shower) drinking water tap near but not at the camp sites, fire ring and picnic tables at each site. Small (about 16 sites) and quiet. Nice small lake, walking trail around the lake and very close to the Wild Azalia 26-mile hiking trail.
Guide
We stopped at this campground for one night on our way home. Some of the sites are close together, but we called and they put us in a spot that was very spacious. There were almost no other campers there so it helps to go in the middle of the week. The staff was very friendly and they had a great hiking path and playground for our 5 year old. I biked most of the paved roads in the state park and was able to go 13 miles without doubling anywhere. The cabins looked great from the outside and are located right on the lake. There is a long fishing pier and boat rentals. This is definitely one we will return to. Also, it is located very close to a lot of antique shopping which my wife wouldn’t let me pass up on my way home.
Scout
Went here in 2005, going back in two weeks to do some trail riding with my Son
Scout
Great place. I think the best time to visit is in the spring. I highly recommend it. There was also an excellent cinema and casino in the area, which I really enjoyed. Although I prefer betting more because it’s more predictable, and not everything depends solely on luck. By the way, bookies not on gamstop offer very good odds and a wide variety of sports events for betting. I recommend trying them out if you enjoy this as well. As for this place, we plan to visit it again with friends next year because we liked it so much.
TravelerN8ce quiet and clean place to stay with family
GuideMany open spots. Beautiful and quiet. Our GPS put us on a dirt road for a few miles - however it was well maintained and not too rutted. Large camping spot with fire ring. Clean area. Definitely a gem in the trees.
RangerReally nice campground, surprisingly crowded on a nice weekend in February! Had a family next to us whose kids were antagonizing our dogs with no intervention from the adults which was really frustrating. But would be lovely on a quieter weekend.
Guide
We stayed at spot 99. It was a very quiet spot tucked away on the far side of the campground. It was right off the water and had a beautiful view of the sunrise and all the birds. Pretty far away from the restroom about a.2 mile walk. Not a ton of through traffic since this was on it's own loop. Large wide spots with paved cement made it easy to park and level. Water was on the wrong side of the camp spot, so bring a longer hose. The site had fantastic Verizon cell service, 3 bars with about 100-125 mbps. Overall the campground was clean, quiet, and made for a great weekend getaway.
TravelerPark is well maintained. Spots are nice, especially the ones on the water. No sewer hookups. If you’re looking for a quiet spot, I would avoid the spots near the double pull-thrus. Verizon cell service is fantastic, WiFi works well.
Traveler
Great water front sites at $10 a night is not bad!!! There is no power or water a sites but has community water faucets in a few areas... The bathouse is real nice... But the canoeing is wonderful there... Very peaceful & quiet during the week but gets a little noisy on the weekends & holidays... No Julios either which is a big plus!!!
RangerBeautifully kept grounds, large sites, quite area, nice boat launch, docks and fish cleaning area
Legend
I was out there on a weekday. This is a massive place with lots of history. I am not sure if I was in the right area for camping or not since things aren’t marked. I turned right before you get to the section where the headquarters were located. This place is massive with paved roads going in many different directions. I saw the other reviewers pictures and I never came across anything that looked like what they were showing. The roads were not well marked. I turned right off Hwy 165 south of Woodworth and then after passing the Camp Claiborne sign took a right by the Camp Claiborne Battalion sign. I then took another right and followed that road to the end. There was a barricade and no way to turn around so I backed all the up to the other road. Be careful here because some of the pavement had come loose and dropped into the creek. I would have stopped at the forestry office south of Alexandria but they were closed. As I was leaving and almost back to the highway, I saw truck pulling a large pontoon boat loaded down with water toys so I feel as though there may have been more to the area than what I saw. I would like to come back in the winter time and explore more on my e-bike.
LegendI was impressed with this place. They spared no expense in developing and maintaining this park. I was there in late March and the place was only about 25-30% full. We had ample privacy. The only thing I didn’t like was the lack of bathrooms in the park. There was only one in the office building. I like to rely on park bathrooms as much as possible. This place is designed for self-contained RV camping. I needed cash so I went into the casino and used an ATM. I was charged a$5 fee. Grrrr. You can't beat the price for a full hookup.
TravelerExtremely easy to change reservations. Very quiet even when full. No issues at all.
TravelerLarge, well spaced sites. Very busy campground with lots of golf carts.
Guide
Highly recommend at $10/night. Only two of us on a Thursday night
TravelerEasy to reserve a spot. Very friendly service. Easy to come in after hours.
ScoutWent during a horrible wet weekend but we still had fun. If you stay in site 50 have an extra long cord. My factory 30 amp cord wasn't long enough.
TravelerVery quiet and peaceful. Beautiful scenery.
TravelerNice views of the little lake, sites are spread out. 2 spigots for water and one vault toilet. Be careful of the locals, they let there dogs run wild and don’t clean up after them.
LegendThe road here is a little rutted out and has a couple of potholes, but nothing crazy.
This is our second time this year staying here and in the winter it’s definitely a different galaxy all together than the spring.
Not as many bugs but it’s still warm and temps reached the mid 80’s.
We have seen a lot of snakes and it rains a lot. Some bees but not a serious nuisance. So just be aware when walking on the trails. Lots of deer and bobcats.
Absolutely no highway noise and the bathrooms are always stocked and cleaned.
No water or trash pickup.
When we arrived on this visit the campsite at the end (the roundabout) had been stripped of its fire pit and the HUGE logs we used to sit on. So we had to pick up trash and rebuild the pit.
Some people on the weekends rode their dirt bikes and OHV’s. That wasn’t too bad, not too obnoxious.
Plenty to explore so plan on visiting here for more than just a night.
Legend
We camped here back in April 2022. The road is fine for a big rig, might be some sandy spots so be careful.
We plan on returning to this entire area, this forest is LOADED with free spots. Some you can stay in up to 30 days and there are ones like this one that are 14 days.
This campground does not permit OHV’s, so it’s a little more on the quiet side.
I wish i could have taken more pictures, but I’ll update when we return.
Bathroom: yes
Water: No… but, there is a natural spring that the locals use that’s not too far from this camp.
Trash: No, but when we went there was a trash can in the bathroom.
Showers: No, you could find a nice sunny spot to put a solar heated camper shower tho.
This entire forest is a 5 star in my opinion. Very clean and quiet. Out of the way of all civilization.
Legend
We stayed here for just one night. Unable to use women's shower or bathroom, d/t it being locked and no code. Per my hubby the men's was very old and dirty. The grounds were full of trash. We were in site 31 full hookups, but the cable didn't work. Sites are gravel but level. Laundry room available.
Traveler
We happened upon this location while searching for someplace that had available for the night. When I called the owner answered the phone and gave us all the information we wanted. He even offered that if we were looking to continue down the hwy further he could refer us to another campground. We decided we were done driving for the day. This location is close to the hwy and yet feels like you are out in the middle of nature. We LOVE IT!!
Tent camping near Bentley, Louisiana offers a chance to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Kisatchie National Forest, with various campgrounds catering to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bentley, LA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bentley, LA is Indian Creek Recreation Area with a 4.6-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Bentley, LA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Bentley, LA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
