Best Tent Camping near Wister, OK

We camped at Billy Creek in March 2019.  We were the only ones there which made it fabulous!  We set up camp right above the river and got to hear the river going over the rocks the whole time.  There was a easy and short little trail down to the river and lots of large rocks to hang out on.  The campsite has tons of big trees.  Each site has a fire ring, picnic table and grill.  Water is available, but not at each spot.  No electricity, no flushing potties, no showers, no sewer hookups, no wifi.  There are latrine bathrooms (2) in a small building near the entrance. There is an abundance of hiking trails, 4 wheeler/motorcycle trails and many trails that a full size SUV can do.  Lots of forest service roads to explore.  We stayed 3 nights and only saw people one day that came in to meet up and ride 4 wheelers.  We will definitely go back!

I stayed at this campground shelter while hiking the Ouachita Trail.

The campground and shelter were built by the Friends of the Ouachita Trail and is located at mile market 16.8 of the trail. While the campground is only a few hundred feet from the Talimena National Scenic Byway it is best reached by hiking the Ouachita Trail.

The shelter is an open air wooden structure with a raised platform, three walls, roof, open air patio, shelf, wall pegs, fire pit and picnic table. Most campers might pop up their tent or just cowboy camp on the raised platform. Our group hung hammocks from the rafters. There were wall pegs that were convenient for hanging and drying our gear or to keep it away from any little critters (mice) that might visit in the night. There are not many amenities at this campground, but it is a nice resting stop and provides some protection from the elements during inclement weather.

The shelter is located on a gradual sloping rocky hill and has a dramatic overview of the valley when the weather is clear and the foliage is not heavy. There are no waste facilities nearby so it is good to practice Leave No Trace and pack out whatever you pack in. We found and collected water earlier in the day and carried it into camp.

We stayed at RV site #3 on Quarry Island. The concrete pad was perfectly level and took no time to set up. There were 5 RV sites with full hook ups on isle, even though #4 and # 5 are so close to each other that slide outs could bump into each other, and 2 very nice RV sites with only water and electric on the isle. There was also a lot of tent camping, flush and vault toilets, dump station, pavilion, 5 cabins, picnic tables with grills, boat ramp and swimming anywhere you wanted except for 150’ of the boat ramp. The ranger station was on the isle, so traffic was high at check in. There were 2 hiking trails that looked very nice, but never hiked because we were kayaking. My parents stayed in cabin #4 on the isle and my brother tent camped at Wister Ridge. The view from both of their places was breathtaking and his tent site was well shaded with maple, oak and pine. Fishing was very good and wasn’t a whole lot of boat traffic. There is also primitive camping which looked very nice, except for a couple of sites where the campers didn’t clean up too well behind themselves.

Pros: Beautiful area and amazing views. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. Plenty of options for accommodations and outdoor activities. The Heavner Ruinstone and Spiral Mounds are close. Tons of wildlife areas and we even spotted a bald eagle. The campgrounds and cabins were very clean.

Cons: RV sites can be very crowded and not well spaced, especially at Victor Landing. The Wards would be the least crowded for RVs. The booking website is not very good and not very accurate. The cabins bed was not very comfortable, the shower was small and flooded the bathroom while using and the kitchen light and living room ceiling fan was on one switch, so there was no way to have the fan going without the light on. Not all RV sites have picnic tables.

This campground is one of my all time favorites!! It has everything you want in a campground and more. Hiking here is definitely the best, because the views are amazing!! The campground is always really well kept as well which I appreciate. The campsite spots themselves are pretty big in size and are separated by trees and bushes. Feels very private. They do have a quiet hour which is after 10pm. This is nice because there aren’t people partying all night long. There are tent spots and also RV. We camped, so I’m not sure if th RV spots are set up for electricity. The lake nearby is great. We brought our kayaks and had so much fun hitting the lake in the morning. It does get busy as the day goes on, especially in the summer on the weekends. Hiking is great, and there are multiple good spots nearby. Again, go early to beat the crowds! Dogs are welcome but must be on leash. Vaulted toilets on site and a place to fill up your water! Can’t wait to come back.

Driving from Mena to Talihina along this stretch of highway is a treat when it comes to the spectacular views.   But stopping at places like this campground even further explain just how much of an amazing place this part of Oklahoma really is!   This area was once logged to the point that it was basically worthless before the Forest Service took it over and started to replenish the land and create public spaces like this campground.    It now is a thriving place for recreation and viewing.

The campground is a series of pull ins and thru sites which vary in size allowing for tent camping with single cars or even some larger rigs.    There are vault toilets centrally located at the entrance in addition to extra picnic tables for those wanting a little extra space to enjoy.    

A few spigots are around camp that are not in the best of shape, but they do still work, so don't be fooled.

The roadways through camp and the sites themselves are very well taken care of, however because of recent rains the grass was a bit more wooly than it typically would have been.   Despite this the sites were still clear of grass for the most part.  

Each site was equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, lantern hooks, grills and prep stations and large spaces for tents, should you have one.  Additionally you can find trash cans around camp in a few places.

From the campground you can easily access the scenic point which additionally has more picnic tables with a view, definitely suggest checking it out!!  

Campground is first come first serve and does have a senior discount with the park pass.   Envelopes are provided at the main kiosk.

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.

We decided on a whim to get away from home for a few days. This was a very relaxing stay. We stayed in the ATV campground as we brought our side by side. We did more hiking than off road riding. We discovered that the off road area hasn’t been open for very long. We went out the first day, but not again after that since we felt like we needed to be with other riders for safety. The hiking is so nice here we have a 5 year old and he hiked with us on four different trails during our stay. We found registration an easy process, and it was easy to find our campsite once we arrived. Each spot has a picnic table, lantern hook, grill, and fire ring. There are other accommodations such as tent camping, hike to camp, and regular RV spots with concrete pads. We enjoyed our stay and we will come back.

Small 12 site, no reservation campgrounds for mostly tents. About half are on the creek and the views and running creek sounds are very relaxing. Downsides are there was no water, no restrooms (they were padlocked) and no electricity. The ATV trails are around camp and the noise from the machines buzzing by can be a lot, but it wasn’t a busy weekend so not too bad. All this was fine for us as we tent camp but the wife wasn’t happy about the restrooms being out of service. There are a lot of trails nearby that are mixed use (horses, ATV’s, hikers) and we had fun crossing the river and hiking. If you cross the river you will probably get wet feet but the hiking was great. Overall it was pretty and kept the family entertained and wanting to return. Summer time would be great to swim in the creek.

This was our first trip in our new 21’ camper. Robbers Cave was quiet, and the sites were huge. Be sure to check if your site is flat, ours had a huge step down to the picnic table and fire ring. Plenty of tree cover, restrooms and showers if needed. They have upgraded most bathrooms/showers and have one left to upgrade in the RV parking.

There is putt putt, a mini museum, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boats and playgrounds. If you want to rent a Yurt - they have two!

They are also in the process of upgrading and building a huge boat house.

WalMart is 40 minutes away but there is a small town less than 10 minutes with most amenities if you need something or just want a meal out.

Highly recommend and we will be back.