Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Ouachita National Forest

Located along Forest Road 132 (Winona Scenic Drive) in the Ouachita National Forest, Saline County, Arkansas. Flatside Wilderness Area located across the road from the site. Access to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail located nearby. Free dispersed site, no facilities. Rock fire ring. Should be enough parking for 2 vehicles. Suitable for tent camping, car camping, truck camping & van camping. Mostly level. There was plenty of firewood left by the fire ring. Camped here in February; very quiet. Only 2 vehicles drove by. Had a few bars of T-Mobile service.

The Long Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Little Missouri Trail on the eastern section of the Eagle Rock Loop. The only way to access this site is by entering at a trailhead and hiking in to the site. The nearest trailhead is at Albert Pike Recreation Area. This is a primitive dispersed campsite, but the ground has been cleared. The site is located alongside a creek.

On your hike into this site you will be rewarded with beautiful scenery as you walk through majestic forests of oak. You'll also see a variety of plants and forest creatures. The campsite is along Long Creek so you will have access to water. Perhaps 100 feet up river from our campsite I found a nice fishing hole and caught and released 7 trout and 1 sunfish within about 1 hour. 

There is adequate clear space to set up a tent or numerous trees to string up a hammock. There are no facilities nearby. You can collect and filter water from the river and dig a hole to poop in the woods. Please practice Leave No Trace in this area. 

Trekking poles are recommended to aid in tackling the various inclines and declines of the trail.

If you need any supplies before entering the Ouachita National Forest stop off in the town of De Queen where there are various grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations. 

During the spring and summer the insects can be intense. I advise treating clothing and gear with permethrin to prevent ticks and pacaridin for other insects.

Catherine’s Landing is a great RV park with lots of amenities and things happening. This park is an RVC Outdoor Destination property which is known for their “resort” amenities. The park is set on 400 acres with one mile bordering Lake Catherine and about eight or nine miles from downtown Hot Springs. 

All roads, sites and patios are paved and this is definitely a big rig-friendly park. Every site has water, 50/30 amp, sewer, cable, and wifi. Fire pits and picnic tables accompany all sites. There are a variety of sites ranging from waterfront back-in, pull-thrus, or interior back-in. Waterfront sites have a nice view of the lake from the back of the site and access for fishing. The park also has yurts and cottages (some of which are pet-friendly). Adjacent to the yurts is a nice, large covered picnic area with grills, a dish washing station. 

Lots and lots of amenities here. Hiking trails, swimming pool, fitness center, lounge, playground, dog park, zip-line, boat rental, boat launch, store, and disc golf. Some amenities (boat rentals and zip-line) are an extra charge. 

Hot Springs is a nice little town nestled in the Ouachita Mountains with interesting history and natural beauty. We found plenty to do from hiking the National Park to learning about the bathhouse history to discovering the gangster influence. We spent four nights and could have stayed longer with all that the town offers. Most people come here to bathe in the soothing warm mineral waters but there is also a horse racetrack, science museum, off road track, water/theme park, alligator farm, and a few museums. Hot Springs National Park has miles and miles of great hiking trails and a great place to spend an afternoon. The town of Hot Springs is very dog-friendly and we found many places that would allow them in and on the patio for lunch.

Pros:

• Very nice, clean, well-manicured
• Lots of amenities
•  Paved level sites with paved patios 
• The dog park was a decent size for running and mingling with other dogs
• The hiking trail(about 3 miles) was a big plus and got used a lot. 

Cons:

• Price. We booked late and didn’t have too many sites to choose from we had to pay for a waterfront site

Top notch RV campground that is well maintained and has a friendly professional staff. Lots of amenities like disc golf, hiking trails, pool, zip line course, lake access and two dog parks that were the cleanest I’ve seen at an rv park. We had site 204 which is a back in site with FHU on driver’s side. We loved this site because it was on the back side of the campground, near the dog park and lots of open space behind us to play with our dog. All of the sites are very spacious, concrete pads, well maintained hook ups, and most are full sun. This was our second visit and we will definitely be back.

This is beautiful place. You can rent it for a large group through the Ouachita National Forest Rangers district. Has bunkhouses, a dining hall, crafts cabins, staff cabins, a basketball goal and baseball field and bathhouses for staff and campers. This is not for the individual camper. This is specifically for large groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, etc.). Or if you needed a huge complex for a family reunion (we have friends with such a large family they rented out an entire state park for the weekend for their family reunion, Cheminahaut State Park in Bastrop, Louisiana). Has some CCC construction including a beautiful dam. Has a large reservoir/lake, hiking trail. I can not stress enough this is not a place where just anyone can go in and camp. You have to rent it through the rangers district office and you have to have insurance for your stay. This is not a tent/RV campground.

Coordinates: 34.93095,-93.32258. This a small dispersed camp site tucked away a short way from County Road 133/ Forest Rd 146 in the Ouachita National Forest. It's at the end of a short dirt track which may have been an old forest road. Above Hogan Creek, sounds of the creek can be head at this site. There is a path along the creek behind the campsite; it eventually provides access down hill to the creek. This is a secluded spot which can not be easily seen from CR133/FR146. Backing your vehicle into the site is best. There is a small rock fire ring at the end of the access track. The site's entrance is on the right hand side just after the bridge crossing Hogan Creek when coming from the west on CR133/FR146. A truck camper and smaller can fit into the site. A little bit of leveling may be required. Tent camping is also possible. It's a pretty campsite. The forest road is in great shape.