Best Glamping near Ouachita National Forest

Awesome Small Campground! What a gem! Not a glamping campground, but beautiful peaceful change. Only 16 sites, with only 2, 50 amp sites. We were lucky enough to get one. Site is huge and private. Has fire pit with grill, separate bbq, siting area and great hook ups. Bear proof refuge container on site as well. Half off if disabled! Site 3 wasn't completely level, but quick fix. Sights and hiking were breathtaking. No laundry, cable or wifi, but restrooms and showers were clean. Cell service was spotty. Gorgeous lodge with great overlooks and restaurant close by. A diamond in the rough.

Nice campsites, lakeside, lake view and in the woods, YURT rentals have the best location, DeRoche Ridge second best if you want to be right next to the lake. They also have a lodge if camping isn’t your thing or if you don’t have equipment. YURTs look very nice and have lots of amenities. There’s a full service marina with pontoon and regular boat, kayak, canoe, paddle board and pedal boat rentals. A restaurant and spa at the lodge and many hiking trails. Two gift shops. Bicycle rentals. Disk golf and 18-hole golf courses and horseback riding stables. It’s a really great place. We love it!

I love waterfront camping! There are some amazing sunset views here! Also, the wildlife is abundant. Great ranger led boat tour of the lake. Lots of nice level sites. Super cool yurts for rent that have the best views! Arkansas has the best State Parks!

The grounds and campsites are fairly spaced and well cared for. Yurts are also available and have more privacy than the ones I’ve seen at other parks like Lake Catherine. For activities, there are plenty to choose from, like swimming or boating in the lake, horseback riding, golf, etc. There is a restaurant and playground nearby at the lodge.

This park is huge! It has great spots for RV's and a wonderful walk in area for tents. We stayed in the walk in site by the lake and were treated to an amazing sunset every night! We were amazed at all there is to do on the lake and in the campground. You can even stay in a Yurt here! We enjoyed this campground. The bathrooms were even good quality.

Close enough to Arkadelphia if you need supplies. State Park Marina and Caddo Point have very nice boat ramps with a lot of parking which is good because this place gets crowded. RV and tent sites are clean and shaded and there are yurts available for rental. Be sure to reserve well ahead of your desired dates. Great swimming beaches and shore fishing are available too. There’s a a Diamond Trail golf course across the road as well.

Great place with access to water sports and amenities.

I stayed two nights at a nearby COE campground and enjoyed my stay but was ready for a change so I moved to this campground. Lots of fun things to do here. Hiking, biking, marina and water sports. There’s also a lodge with a restaurant and spa. I didn’t visit it but rode by and it’s very nice. Yurts if you don’t have a tent or RV and they have the best view of the lake in the whole park. Beautiful day use area with a playground, beach and picnic areas.

We stayed in a lovely cottage at Catherine’s Landing Resort on Lake Catherine. As we approached the resort, we were greeted by towers of green. The hills of the Ouachita River Valley envelop the immaculate property. The property offers large pull-through RV sites, tent sites, yurts, and cottages. The resort is right on Lake Catherine and very close to the 800-acre Lake Hamilton. Amenities include a pool, splash pad, zip lining, a ropes course, disk golf course, boat ramp and slips, catch and release pond, golf cart rentals, workout room, free popcorn, and yard games for check out in the gift shop. Check out my full review at ChampagneOnDeck.com

Nice state pro. Free admission for day use, nice picnic area, beach area with grills for day use. Tennis courts, disc golf course, 18-hole golf course, basketball courts, marina with paddle boards, rentals of kayaks and motor boats including pontoons with slides. They have several hiking trails. Three campgrounds with bathhouses. Yurts, lodge with a restaurant and a spa. The only thing missing is a partridge in a pear tree. Some campsites are on or near the lake some in the woods and some on the backside of the golf course. Lots of variety. No tent only area. All campsites are mixed use. Nice clear water. Very clean and large lake.

This weekend we camped at DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Bismarck, Arkansas. We had a blast! DeGray Lake has a lot to offer for groups large and small wanting to get away. It has several camping spaces with water and electric hook ups (about $22/night), yurts (about $55/night), a lodge (about $100/night), a marina to rent boats or buy bait, several daily activities for children or adults of all ages (some free and some about $5-15/person), horse riding stables (no experience required, about $30/ride 1 hour trail), a full golf course, playgrounds, pavilions, overall clean facilities, and a restaurant. Although our bank fishing experience wasn’t so great, I’m sure with a boat it would have been better. And for those that want to make the camping trip into the ultimate family vacation, this park is about a 30 minute drive from Hot Springs, AR where there is tons to do like restaurants, mini golf, shopping, and we even decided to get ice cream at Scoops (24 homemade flavors and delicious)! We will definitely be back for a visit!!

Gorgeous setting on pristine Lake Catherine close to historic Hot Springs. I was in lakefront site 123 for one night but would have liked to stay longer. The water front sites near the boat dock were my favorite and easy to back into. All sites appear to be spacious with grass and fire pits. The canoe, kayak and boat rentals are in good condition, the paved sites and roads are very smooth and level, the office/lodge and facilities are definitely above average here and quite modern. While the setting is gorgeous on its own, this park has spared no expense on their facilities. The pool and adjacent waterfall are 5 star resort level. The climbing and ropes course is enormous and will make any kid’s jaw drop in disbelief. There’s an affiliated zip line just outside of the park. The hiking paths are lovely and wooded, and the tent campsites are on their own in a grassy meadow away from the RVs. The Yurts looked very nice from the outside. The shower rooms are large and stone tiled, however it looks like the ceiling needs some drywall attention or is amidst a construction project during my stay.

This State Park is really designed just for the hotel, which is incredible. However, the campground really should be avoided. There is a small area to camp with one restroom in the center. It is incredibly crowded to stay in a tent and really should just be considered for a drop in if you have an RV. You should also look at reservations during peak seasons as the limited availability will make this park fill up fast. If you tent camp, I would suggest Cedar lake about 30 minutes away in Oklahoma with many more options to set camp. The pluses of this park are the views from the hotel and "Lovers Leap" but the overall hiking is something less than desirable as the trails are limited unless you choose to go the long route of an out and back of the Ouachita trail.

The campground is small with limited pads. Each site is close to the next and are generally occupied with RVs or camper trailers. I would suggest that this campground is most appropriate for the camper who prefers a more modern feel. There is ample cell phone service, WiFi is nearby, facilities are clean and modern. It is approximately a 15 minute drive into Mena, AR where you can find significant shopping. The campground is also near a large hotel. There are many hiking and mountain bike trails available in the area. A few miles down the road you can find an old fire tower which is interesting and can be accessed if you are daring. This area is dog friendly, dogs can access the trails as well. There are also some very neat driving trails, the bypass is a popular destination for motorcyclists which can offer some noise during the day. The park is also approximately a mile from the Oklahoma state line. This is a nice area for the avid cyclist, hiker, and motorcyslist.

I some other reviews that described it as more like a small RV park. That’s unfair in my opinion.

I’ve been stuck using a couple of RV parks out west and they packed us in tight.

These spots aren’t super roomy, but you aren’t bumper to bumper either.

The spots are paved and all seemed pretty level. Spots 1-35 back up to the forest. Higher numbers back up to an open field.

Restrooms and showers were spectacular. Everything was clean and well kept.

The lodge is a pretty short walk up hill. It has a restaurant and small gift shop. It also has a lookout, and two trailheads. The lobby is spacious with a great view.

One of the trails connects to Ouachita trail. The drive in from Oklahoma is stunning and the drive to Mena, AR is only about 20 minutes. Several shops and restaurants and a Walmart.

There is a mini golf course, ice cream shop and train ride - but they said it’s only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and they haven’t gotten word of it will open for 2021.

Also has a playground and an Old Steam Train to explore.

Driving through this part of Arkansas you can quickly get taken aback by the winding roads the ample beauty, but until you visit the campground and park you will only have a portion of the beauty of the region. High atop the mountain, with a near perfect view, you can see for miles and miles. 

I visited this park arriving late in the evening, in perfect timing for a sunset which painted the sky with colors that filtered down onto the mountainside below. A dense fog began to roll in and it seemed magical. 

Typically I am not as taken aback as I was by this park but its views and shaded campsites complimented each other so well it made for the perfect evening. 

Not needing for electricity I opted for one of the tent sites, which includes a large tent pad, large parking space and standard amenities such as picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring and grill. However unlike many primitive sites, this site did also include water. Site pricing was about $20. 

Bear warnings abound, but there are no bear boxes, and upon checking in the desk attendant mentioned that they don’t often see them but to proceed with caution in regards to food. She also noted that in her lifetime she had never encountered a bear on the trails and would instead be aware of snakes. 

The campground is only one of the many features with others including a lodge with a restaurant open each evening until 9 p.m. A narrow gauge train, large enough for the entire family to ride on the 2 mile track and mini golf are available seasonally. Plenty of hiking is available both in park, where there are 3 trails, and just outside where you can find the much larger trail system which runs for some 200 miles through Oklahoma and Arkansas. 

Cell Signal With AT&T- 1 Bar at campsites but 2 bars in lobby area if you are in need of making a call in case of an emergency. 

All in all I would put this campground on the top of my Arkansas list for the beauty of drive and sunset location, however the sites themselves despite being very nice were average for a state park in the region.

It’s a great place. Quiet and beautiful right on Lake Ouachita. Very remote so make sure you have everything you need before you get out there because there aren’t any stores even convenience stores or gas stations nearby. Beautiful location and even better if you have a boat then you can explore the islands.

Corps of engineers Park. Beautiful location and you can park your RV or pitch your tent right by the lake. Is a bit remote so I recommend that you make sure you have everything you need before you head out this way. I definitely would return if ever in this area.

Great place by the water. Good facilities, quiet and I'd definitely come back again.

Gates locked shut 11/6/22.

Right on the lake. Some sites have no shade. Restrooms clean but no showers. Pleasant and peaceful.