Top Tent Camping near Heavener, OK
Searching for a tent camping spot near Heavener? Find the best tent camping sites near Heavener. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Oklahoma tent camping excursion.
Searching for a tent camping spot near Heavener? Find the best tent camping sites near Heavener. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Oklahoma tent camping excursion.
If you are one of those folks who prefers a different, more rugged camp experience, primitive camping is allowed almost anywhere in the Ouachita National Forest unless there is a sign stating otherwise, or it is a wildlife food plot. Located throughout the Forests are areas that have been campsites for many years. These are located along roadsides, trails, mountain tops, or near streams. Camping at dispersed locations have additional responsibilities: "Leave No Trace" so others can have a similar backcountry experience, pack out any trash or litter, scatter campfire ash around so it doesn't pile up, and leave the area better than you found it. Please filter water before drinking! Beware of stream crossings after heavy rains. Please read the Dispersed Camping guidelines before heading out.
Pack it in; pack it out. Trail open to foot traffic only for 55 miles. 137 miles is now open to both mountain bikes and foot traffic. Segments opened to mountain bikes are from the western boundary of the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma to the Big Cedar trailhead on Highway 259, and from the Talimena Scenic Drive east of Queen Wilhelmina State Park to trailhead on Highway 7, north of Jessieville, Arkansas.
Horses, pack animals, and vehicles are prohibited. Portions of the trail tcross wilderness areas. To preserve the trail’s beauty, please camp at least 100 feet from the trail. Seasons of use: Open year-round. Weather is most favorable from autumn through spring.
Jack Creek Recreation Area is located in a picturesque setting alongside towering rock bluffs and flowing waters. The area was constructed in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) and displays several unique, historic facilities. There is a short trail that climbs a couple of hundred feet to a recently restored rock overlook vista that offers a panoramic view of whispering pine trees and colorful fall vegetation. Jack Creek offers day use and a primitive campground at no cost. Also from Jack Creek Recreation Area is a trailhead for the Hole-In-The-Ground Mountain Hiking Trail and Sugar Creek Hiking Trail. Hole-In-The-Ground Trail is not a loop trail and extends approximately four miles in length. The Sugar Creek Hiking Trail extends approximately three miles connecting Jack Creek to Knopper’s Ford Recreation Area. Click here for more information.
Attractive wooded setting on stream bank.
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.
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!
This spot I found already had a man built fire ring made from rocks. Small peaceful pond and is right off the Deadman South Trail.
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.
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.
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
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.
With so many trails that you can access just by walking out of the camp site. This is my favorite spot to camp in Oklahoma
We drove slowly back and forth along the road exactly where the coordinates lead us to but there is no vehicle access to the forest there. It’s completely overgrown
I don’t have many nice things to say about this campground. The bugs were out of control. The bathroom was out of order and a porta potty was set up beside it. The site we chose,#3, was the best site. We found some good trees to set up our hammocks with a view of the forest. 1 and 2 were ok, 4-9 were downright terrible. Basically a parking spot with a picnic area. All the sites were close together. The check in process consisted of a guy in an unmarked vehicle driving up and striking up a conversation without identifying himself. Check out works the same. If you have a boat or tv this park may be nice but I wouldn’t camp here. The hike around nearby lake Alma was the highlight of our trip.
The river and creek merging was so beautiful! It was a beautiful drive there. But whoever was there before me trashed it out. It’s sad.
Stayed here over a non drill weekend, and the whole place was deserted. Nice spot on the end with trees and the fishing pond. Must be self contained, no bath house. Conveniently located near Fort Smith AR.
This is not a campsite anymore. Code enforcement will call cops and have you trespassed!
Contacted owner late in the evening looking for a spot after a 9hour drive. This place had everything and the bathhouse was just like taking a shower at home! Would stop here again when passing through!!
Beautiful and lush and QUIET. I love it. Asphalt and gravel sites. Clean bathrooms. Water and electric only. Gorgeous 3 mile hike around the lake. I hear it’s a fishing lake but we don’t fish. Enjoyed the scenery and peace. Would come again and again. Don’t forget the ice, there’s nothing close. Site 33 looks to be my fav.
Was headed to Lake Fort Smith but area was booked so we stopped here and was pleased with our stay. Spaces are quite small but it has become the norm everywhere. Site A2 had fire pit, grill, picnic table was pretty level even with gravel. Fishing pond, dog walk area, propane station all on property for reasonable rates. Bathouse was clean and stocked. Only complaint was these little red mites. I looked them up and they are harmless but they were numerous and made us uncomfortable. I was especially concerned for our 2 dogs. I believe this is an old KOA under private ownership. They have done a great job updating the place. Jules at the office was also very pleasant and helpful.
We stayed at this newish RV campsite for an overnight. It is located right along the river and is close to other attractions like Fort Smith and the US Marshall’s Museum (literally down the block). Our kids enjoyed the playground, outdoor gym, and pickleball - it was too cold to swim. There is only one bathhouse, but it was clean. The front office has a small store and the staff was nice. There are several restaurants within a mile. There was a gate at the front. There is a walking trail along the river so if your campsite faces it, there is plenty of people walking along that trail.
I have a CDL and back stuff all day. Don't try to pull in. Back in off the Buck Mountain
You have to reserve your site in advance via Recreation.gov.
The park is adequate but nothing fancy. The restrooms /shower facility was clean.
Good bicycle park. Minimum 2 night stay when I reserved it (Friday Night). I only needed 1 night but paid for both - $26/night.
I didn't stay the second night because of my schedule, not because of the park. Good basic stay for the money. It was safe and clean.
I did not stay at this campground (I was driving the scenic byway), but I stopped for "scouting purposes". It seems very nice, the vault toilet was locked? But otherwise, a well kept dry campground with many sites and good views. Also, the pricing on here is incorrect; USFS website says $8/night for singles, $14/night for doubles (can't beat those prices honestly). Will stay if I pass this way again!
Good secluded spot for Privacy
This park is awesome for multiple reasons. The lodge is fantastic, great food and great views with a friendly welcoming staff. The views (worthy of mention again) are top notch, with some incredible sunsets. The mini train and mini golf were closed for the season but it looked like a great time. The bath house was clean, warm (it was cold AF outside), and had great water pressure. The town of Mena was a short scenic drive away, with a brewery and a couple restaurants worth checking out.
Now, the reason for the downgrade to 4 stars. The campsite layout is…weird. It’s like most of the sites were designed for a motorcoach to drive into, not for a travel trailer to back into. For example most of the camp amenities are on the utility side of the trailer when backed in, as opposed to the party side. Some of the sites are reeeeeally close together, as others have mentioned. I might even go so far as to say that if we would have kept our original site it might have garnered a 3 star review. The back rows have the amenities on the rear of the rv, which I actually kinda liked. Yes there is no sewer…but it’s a state park that’s expected.
I have a 30ft Class C which is probably the largest vehicle you would want to drive down the dirt road to this site. There is a clearing near the Ouachita Trail with a fire pit and plenty of space to park. You're in the middle of nowhere and it's gorgeous!
This was our second stop at the KOA in Fort Smith AR. They have many improvements since out last stay. The campground is convenient to I-40. It’s far enough away to not have traffic noise. The sites are level, there is a pool, Propane, fishing pond, and camp store. Also hiking trails. Also some tent sites. There is a whole new section for Class A and large 5th wheel campers now. The are located behind a highway department facility, and last visit the smell of the treated power line poles was overwhelming. No problem this time. This is one of the few campgrounds I’ve been to that have a storm shelter!
We didn't know what to expect. This place has absolutely everything you could need. Full Hookups, level sites (mostly gravel but level), shop with souvenirs and RV gadgets. The office also has a gameroom, pantry, and propane. We didn't get to use the playground area this visit as pool and hot tub were closed for the year. They also have normal cabin rental and tiny home rentals that were perfectly positioned around campground and fishing pond. My only complaint would be that the sites are really compact. Plenty of room for your RV but so close that you can hear and smell your neighbors. Nearby Walmart and restaurants were handy.
Stayed for a few days in level site(6). Water was to be shared with neighbor site, so why am I paying full price. Pretty stupid. Dump station is quarter of mile outside of campground. Main bathhouse is vented and clean. Lots of mature trees made for a great stay. Kerr lake was amazingly beautiful. Didn't get to fish this time but will be back. Booked online so I couldn't change site. There are a few that don't share water and are level. Probably will do first come first serve next time.
Nice trails for bicycling, water view parking, bath houses, showers, all amenities except laundry room. Water, electric, God cell phone service, shaded area, playground for kids. Will visit again.
Camping near Heavener, Oklahoma, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or an adventure-filled weekend, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Heavener, Oklahoma, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Heavener, OK is Dead Man Gap Dispersed Campsite with a 4.3-star rating from 8 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Heavener, OK, with real photos and reviews from campers.