Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Ouachita National Forest

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Ouachita National Forest

916 Reviews of 161 Ouachita National Forest Campgrounds

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Feb. 12, 2022

  Dispersed FR132 Ouachita National Forest, AR

  Dispersed Camping near Ouachita National Recreation Trail, AR

  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.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Jun. 5, 2025

  Bear Creek Horse Camp

  Small, Secluded Primitive Equestrian Campground

  Coordinates: 34.78571,-93.15988. Visited in early May 2025. Located along Forest Road 772, about 1 mile north of Forest Road 11 in the Ouachita National Forest. Some minor erosion on FR772 where small creeks cross the road. FR11 is in good condition at the time of this visit. The camp is on the western edge of the Deckard Mountain Walk-in Turkey Hunting Area. The camp serves as a small primitive camping area for equestrian riders on the network of interconnecting loop trails that comprise the Bear Creek Equestrain Trail system. These trails are also open to hikers. The trailhead is located at the rear of the camp. Free. Four sites (2 official national forest sites with metal fire rings plus 2 dispersed sites with rock fire rings), available on a first-come/first-based only. Hitching posts are available in the camp. A small creek runs along side the camp. The grounds of the camp do not appear to be maintained, but the sites were clean. There is a very clean vault toilet located at the rear of the camp; it was well supplied. Tent and hammock camping are possible. Sites are mnostly shaded making solar rechargiong and Starlink access a challenge. I received no T-Mobile cell service. The camp itself is not aesthetically pleasing, but it is located deep in a beautiful forest with easy access to a trail system. Note that, when I last checked, the Ouachita National Forest Web site no longer lists this site as a campground.

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• 

  Troy W.

  Legend

  May. 31, 2019

  Long Creek Campsite on the Eagle Rock Loop

  Long Creek Campsite on the Eagle Rock Loop + Fish!

  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.

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• 

  Izzy T.

  Ranger

  Jul. 3, 2022

  Crystal Campground

  Tasty spring water!

  Located in Ouachita National Forest, this campground is easy to get to. Ideal for tent, vans, even tear drop campers. No hook ups. Some sites had really good solar potential, most were well shaded. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The spring water is refreshing! There are bear proof trash cans and pit toilets. Decent hiking trails, heard rattle snakes but did not see any. Bugs were not too bad.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Jun. 13, 2025

  Gladstone Forest Rd (FR11) Large Dispersed

  Large, level dispersed for multiple rigs

  Coordinates: 34.75797,-93.24530. Large, open dispersed site along Gladstone Forest Rd (FR11) in the Ouachita National Forest. Should accomodate 4 rigs - truck camper size and smaller. Easy access from the forest road onto a mostly level dirt surface. There is no privacy from the forest road. Tent camping is possible. Situated on an old, unused track that goes off into a dense forest behind the site. I believe this site can be used by a group of hunters. Very little shade; solar recharging and Starlink connectivity possible. There is a rock fire ring on the site. No T-Mobile cell service. There is nothing remarkable about this site. Should be good for an overnight stay while exploring the Forest Road 11 area of the Ouachitas.

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• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Jun. 15, 2024

  CR133/FR146 Hogan Creek Dispersed, Ouachita NF, AR

  Small Dispersed Site, Tucked Away

  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.

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• 

  Cheri H.

  Legend

  Jul. 27, 2022

  Camp Clearfork

  Group Camp for rent

  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.

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• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  Jun. 6, 2025

  North Fork Creek Rd (FR779) Dispersed

  Large dispersed site in beautiful forest

  Coordinates: 34.75922,-93.20452. Camped here on May 5, 2025. Large wooded dispersed site in the Ouachita National Forest. Suitable for about 3 campervan-sized rigs. A truck camper will be able to enter the site, but the trees may prevent manuevering deeper into the site. Tent and hammock camping possible. Easy access from FR779. The forest roads reaching this part of the national forest were in good shape at the time of this review. The dirt and grass site is level. Poison ivy is present. Overall, the site was clean and had a large rock fire ring. The site is near the North Fork Ouachita River, which can be reached by bushwacking down a steep hill and over rocks. One can see the river from the site during the winter but not in the summer. Since the site is well above the river, it is unlilely to get flooded. The site is shaded; solar recharging and Starlink connectivity is not likely. The site is setback well enough from the forest road so road dust coming into the site should not be an issue. There is not enough foliage along the road to offer privacy. During my stay, only 2 vehicles drove by. There are no hiking trails nearby. I enjoyed walking along the forest road and strolling in the forest surrounding the site. Access to the Ouachite National Recreation Trail is a 4-mile drive on forest roads to the south (coordinates 34.73300,-93.21913). There was no T-Mobile cell service at this site. I enjoyed camping here; beautiful spot and very peaceful.

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• 

  Troy W.

  Legend

  May. 30, 2019

  Straight Creek Campsite on the Eagle Rock Loop

  Ranger Review: Liquid IV at Straight Creek Campsite on the Eagle Rock Loop

  Park Review

  The Straight Creek Primitive Campsite is located in the Ouachita National Forest along the Athens Big Fork trail on the western 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. This is a primitive dispersed campsite, but the ground has been cleared. The site is located in a valley between two mountains and 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, pine and maple. You'll also see a variety of flowers and plants. The campsite is near Straight Creek so you will have access to water.

  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.

  Product Review

  As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I receive products to test. For this trip I was provided some electrolyte drink mix by Liquid IV.

  I ordered the product directly from the company website https://liquid-iv.com. The product was delivered quickly and ahead of schedule. I ordered the variety pack which included three flavors - Lemon Lime, Acai Berry and Passion Fruit. There were 8 packets of each flavor. It is recommended that each packet be added to 16 ozs. or 0.5 liter of water.  At first I found it a little difficult to open the packets cleanly. I then realized that I needed to completely tear the top of the packet across the top to expose the opening. After opening the packet, pour the powder into the water, then mix or shake the solution vigorously. The solution dissolved and mixed easily. 

  Liquid IV claims that their solution has 3x the electrolytes of traditional sport drinks. It is non-gmo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and made in the USA. 

  I first tried the passion fruit flavor because I thought that it was the most unique. The flavor was rather light. I then tried the lemon lime flavor and found it to be stronger. The acai berry was somewhere in the middle. The flavors of Liquid IV are not as sweet as other mixes like Gatorade or PowerAid - which is a good thing. I've stopped drinking traditional sport drinks because of their high sugar content in overly sweet flavor. The Liquid IV solution was about right for me. 

  Things that I liked:

  1. Variety of flavors

  2. Flavor was not overly sweet

  3. Instructions were clear

  Things that could be improved:

  1. Packaging could be simplified for easier opening

  2. Packaging could be minimized

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