Looking for the best horse camping near Ouachita National Forest? Finding a place to stay in Oklahoma while traveling with your horse is easy. Search nearby equestrian campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Nestled between the Ozark National Forest to the north, and the Ouachita National Forest to the south, Mount Magazine State Park boasts the highest point in the state of Arkansas: Mount Magazine at 2753 feet. Located just 100 miles northwest of Little Rock, this area has been a recreation destination since the late 1800s. Recreation at Mount Magazine really started booming in the 1930s and 40s with the construction of a lodge, campgrounds and trails. Visitors came to beat the heat of the surrounding valleys, as well as to enjoy the panoramic views, abundant wildflowers, autumn color, and numerous opportunities to play outdoors. The area finally became a state park in 1998.
Whether you prefer a posh lodge or cabin, a fully-equipped RV pad, or a rustic campsite, there’s a place for you to stay and play at Mount Magazine. The park’s campground offers 18 spacious sites with full or partial hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, hot showers and a dump station. Campers are required to store food and trash properly to minimize black bear encounters. For more luxuriant accommodations, the park’s lodge offers 60 guest rooms and spa suites with a variety of comforts, as well as 13 full-equipped cabins with up to three bedrooms. Not in the mood for hot dogs over the campfire? The large dining room at the Skycrest Restaurant serves daily meals while overlooking the Petit Jean River Valley.
When you’re ready to play on Mount Magazine, you can do it by foot, wheels or wings. Hikers have access to 14 miles of trails, ranging from 1 to 3 miles, with connecting options for going farther. The 34-mile Huckleberry Mountain Trail is great for mountain biking and horseback riding. For gravity-defying activities, the park offers more than 100 climbing routes on its southern bluff, as well as a hang gliding launch point over the Petit Jean River Valley. Less strenuous activities include bird and wildlife watching, guided ranger walks, historic site tours and various interpretive programs and outdoor skills workshops. There’s also spectacular leaf-peeping in the fall when the forest takes on its vibrant autumn transformation.
$35 / night
This recreation area is part of Degray Lake
Welcome Home! Iron Mountain is a beautiful facility nestled in the Ouachita Mountains in West Central Arkansas. On Iron Mountain we have four beautiful cabins, two deluxe cabins and two camping cabins. We also offer over 70 full service RV sites, and hundreds of cultivated camping sites. Iron Mountain is also a great place to hold an event in a Christian atmosphere. We have three unique meeting areas available, including a 40,000 square foot Pavilion, where you can host a variety of different events. With its beautiful rustic mountain scenery, yet easy highway accessibility, Iron Mountain is a perfect place to stay or to host an event. Contact us for a one of a kind experience.
$12 - $105 / night
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Traveler
The experience begins with the climb: the road winds up and around the bends and crooks of the mountain. The entrance and welcome center is grand and very accepting of anything from small vehicles to large diesel pushers. The camping spaces are large and accommodating, most are level and can fit almost anything you travel in. The amenities were clean and - while dated - all in good working conditions. The various trails are well marked and offer several levels of technical expertise. At the top you can camp or stay at The Lodge - which offers a myriad of services from food to catered events.
But the views ARE the reason to experience this park! They are simply delicious!
GuideThere is not a lot to do, and it is pretty far from the city. However, there are big RV sites and amazing sunsets. There is also a lake nearby.
Dog friendly.
There are lots of nature trails, but none very long.
Lots of ticks, tricky to get good starlink connection.
Ranger
Fairly cheap for a nicely established campground with really nice bathrooms (with showers)! Water spigot right at our site. Park has 3 different loops and lots of amenities.
TravelerGreat get away close to the Ozarks. Clean, quiet, beautiful views!
Traveler
Beautiful! So peaceful. If tent camping, sites 17,14,16 have the best views of an overlook. Cabins 11 and 14 have great views as well.
RangerThis is a great place to visit . Trailers under 20’ only , steep road and switchbacks up the mountain . No RV’s will make it . Also home to a Monument Trail mountain biking system that’s is world class . There is a swimming pool showers and hiking for days . Only the park store is on top of the mountain . Hike in camp sites are available , group sites and 30 amp hookups with water . Some sites are a little un level . Spend some time here , you will not regret it . Most cell carriers work well up here
GuideSuch a beautiful park and amazing view from our campsites! The trails were nicely kept and the waterfall we hiked to on Lizard Trail was so picturesque! Not a big park and like how the community blended in with the park. We aren’t cyclists but it’s a great spot to bring your bikes.
My favorite park so far in Arkansas.
GuideSteep switchbacks up to the campground. The campground has private residences dispersed throughout. The outlay of the park is somewhat confusing. Be sure to study a map well. The campground is almost immediately to the right as you get to the top, but you have to go past that quite a ways to the visitor's center to check in. The views are amazing, but it is windy being at the top of the mountain. There are cabins but I stayed at a campsite (#14) with a view. The bathroom facilities near the campground are a bit of a walk from the campground. If you have your own potty tent, you may consider bringing it. My site was not level so I used leveling blocks. I have my Jeep outfitted for sleeping in. The more interior sites looked to be more level. No big rigs are allowed up the mountain, I think nothing longer than 24'. I did not take any of the hiking trails, so I can't comment on those. My old dog just can't do too much hiking anymore. Staff were friendly. The electricity worked great, but the water spigot was barely functional. Bathroom was kept clean and had one shower with typical camp wall spigot. The road down the mountain leads into a small, industrial type town. Walmart, Dollar General is nearby as well as many typical restaurants. I utilize a WeBoost, and a hotspot on my iPhone. I was able to stream shows without much buffering. I got anywhere from 1-4 bars on ATT LTE.
RangerWe ended up staying at Cameron Bluff - a different site on top of the mountain, but this area looked pretty good as well! Clean bathrooms, neat visitor center, picnic tables, pavilion, and a bunch of trailheads
LegendLake Degray has two (that we know of) very nice swimming areas. Grandkids has a blast. Life jackets were available as well. The park offers a lot of shade and was very well kept. We saw lots of deer and other wildlife. There are plenty of trails and just a lot to do. They have cabins which are beautiful. The bathrooms are quite nice. There is a marina and they rent party barges. Just overall a great experience and a beautiful location.
LegendI 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!
Traveler
Camped here in a tent off my motorcycle. Site was awesome. Bathrooms and showers are spotless. The staff is extremely kind and helpful.
GuideNot great for camping. Not peaceful. Not private. Campsites are next to playground and pool. Along with a neighborhood. Imagine camping in a public park. That’s this place. Hikes are pretty and trails are designed for mountain biking. My buddy said they’re awesome. If I camped here again, I’d do it in a camper. Not a hammock. Also, bugs are horrible.
LegendI 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.
Ranger
Wow!!! What a magical experience! We arrived at EponaPlace and Rene was incredibly welcoming and introduced us to the farm dogs that keep guests and horses safe and sound! There are several parking options, and we opted to park up by the house so we could enjoy the tent glampers'"secret trail" every chance we got.
Enjoy packing light when visiting Epona- the bed is comfortable, the pillows are snuggable, and there is plenty of space to spread out. There is a bug net around the bed as well for an extra layer of security and luxury. There are fairy lights inside the tent that you can turn on at night so you can forgo the indoor headlamp too. There is definitely wildlife outside the tent at night, and it was very nice feeling safe and secure in the tent.
The commons area is very cute and well stocked. Possibly the most luxurious bath house I've ever encountered- it's air conditioned, has plumbing, and running hot water! There is also a mini fridge, a coffee maker, and tea to share. Outside, there is a grill, comfortable cushions, and crystals plucked from the land everywhere. If you enjoy porch-sittin', this is the perfect porch. After all, this is the south.
Just beyond the commons, through Hummingbird Way(yes, we saw hummingbirds!!), Rene has an extensive collection of ball gowns in a small cottage. You could spend hours picking out and trying gowns and flower crowns before a sunset encounter with a unicorn! There are also knight and dragon costumes, if sparkly dresses aren't your thing:) While this isn't a place suited for young children, the unicorn experience is so completely magical. My ten year old daughter gasped when Rene led out a real-life unicorn at sunset. Rene was incredibly patient and warm, and led both princess and unicorn through the process of meeting each other and posing for photos. It's worth every penny! I'll definitely be back sans kid to get the princess/unicorn experience myself!
You can spend the day crystal hunting on property(no digging!), or ask Rene for directions to the nearest free crystal mine! We picked up a few chunks of quartz to bring home with us- a lovely keepsake of our stay at EponaPlace. There is lots of room to explore on property, and the farm dogs are sure to accompany you on your adventure. Don't worry, they are as sweet as pie and are such good company.
LegendAwesome 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.
GuideBeautiful State Park. Full hookup, paved and level pads with picnic table, fire ring, grill, tent pad, lantern pole. Bathhouse clean and well maintained. Area we were in is on a peninsula with water on both sides. No road noise, quiet and very peacefull. Say lots of deer. Would absolutely stay again.
GuideExtended our plans to stay 2 nights (considered for the 10 miles to the park) after arriving at our site. TMobile 3 bars at site 17 Verizon lower...
RangerWell maintained, lodge on site, family and pet friendly.
LegendI was so excited about this trip! I’ve been trying to talk my husband into making the drive up the “2 miles of Wild” for a while now. The drive up and down the mountain lives up to the hype! It was very nerve wracking pulling up and especially going down so that we didn’t melt the brakes. Definitely use your low gears coming down!
We scored a site on the edge of the mountain for amazing views. Unfortunately, the site was extremely unlevel and we had a very difficult time getting our tiny camper set up. The next morning we woke up to being inside a cloud. Zero visibility. Couldn’t see anything from our site with a gorgeous view! This is no fault of the park. Just bad weather timing on our end.
Also be warned that this is a dry county! If you want any adult beverages, plan ahead!
I really love this campground. I love that only small campers and tent campers can stay here, so we aren’t trapped between giant campers. I really hope that I can talk my husband into a 2nd trip one day with better weather!
ScoutBeautifully maintained park, plenty of level spots and clearance for a RTT. Bathrooms were close, Clean, and warm. 10/10
GuideOur first camping trip in a tent and I couldn’t be happier! We spent 3 days here off the beaten path. Cool evenings and warms days, bugs not bad and very much secluded. No cell phone service so be prepared.
TravelerWould be a 5 if they had more 50amp sites. Only 18 sites for RVers. However most sites have plenty of shade so we still love this place. Good hiking for various levels. Lodge close by if you don’t want to cook and fabulous sunsets from Cameron’s Bluff.
GuideThis campground was very nice, bathrooms and showers were clean. The pool was nice and the kids had a great time going down the water slide over and over. Although it's summer in Arkansas and the highs were in the 90s, it still felt great. There's so much less humidity than where we live (southern AR). We enjoyed our time here. The trails were well maintained and had great views. The campsites were a little close together. Luckily no one was occupying the sites right next to us so it wasn't a big deal.
ScoutThe park is not overcrowded and very quiet and spacious! The sites are really big and clean. Many things to do and see also. We highly recommend this campground and will definitely stay here again!
ScoutAlways go to the CMA rally's but have stayed offsite usually, we rented a bunk cabin for the USCA rally and I loved it price was right accommodations perfect BUT IF YOU HAVE CEDAR OR PINE ALLERGIES be warned, my wife couldn't as it made it most unpleasant for her.
I LOVED IT nice quiet relaxing as another person stated I dont know why its not packed
ScoutI drive truck, always have a hard time getting in/out of places with a semi and usually end up not getting to camp. The main pavilion in the center of the grounds is HUGE! theres INSTANT hot water, no waiting for 10 minutes for luke warm water. About a dozen of each... toilets, showers, urinals. 2 or more great big handicap accessible showers. Quite a few cabins. The few people we encountered were super cool and eager to see if we needed help or had questions. 4 stars because there's no lake.
Horse camping near Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma offers a unique blend of scenic trails and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a perfect getaway for horse enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Ouachita National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Ouachita National Forest is Mount Magazine State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Ouachita National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Ouachita National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
