With all the beautiful views and family recreation offered at Persimmon HIll Campground, you’ll be amazed that these sandy beaches are only a little over an hours drive from Memphis. Accessibility and the cleanliness of the park is why this has been a favorite in our family for many years.
Campground Review:
This weekend we celebrated National Hammock Day, in our Bear Butt Hammock, at site #55. You can book sites online up to 24 hours in advance, or you can show up to camp at one of the non-reservable first come sites. Cost was $20 per night. Each site is well kept with a parking pad, picnic table, lantern pole, fire pit and grill. All sites are generously sized with plenty of room and flat spots to put a tent, plus more than half of the sites have a view of the lake. This go around we were in our pop up, however don’t let all the rigs keep you away, we frequent this campground often with our tent when we need a quick getaway. There are two shower houses in the campground that are aIr conditioned, well lit, and kept clean and stocked daily. A playground and basketball court is centrally located and easily accessable to all families. Behind the playground is a nice nature trail that is lit at night for an evening stroll. While this campground is usually well populated, we’ve only had to camp in the overflow section once in all the 11 years we’ve been bringing our family here, and that was during a Fourth of July weekend.
Persimmon Hill Recreation Area is a well maintained picnic/day use area with a sandy beach. (Between here and the campground is where we usually see deer.) Life jackets are provided at the beach if needed. Besides the reservable pavillion, there are many picnic tables along the shoreline. The lake Is great for jet skis, kayaking, and relaxing on an inner tube. A boat launch is located in the campground. Enid Lake is one of the top fishing locations for crappie. The fish are well stocked, and a visit to the hatchery offers some interactive displays, history on the area, and a chance for the kids to feed the fish. Across the dam is a spillway with a handicap accessable fishing pier, a lakeside grocery store, an additional boat ramp, larger sandy swim beach, and the equally clean campground Wallace Creek.
Overall, due to the family feel and cleanliness, we highly recommend the area versus the few lakes closer to Memphis, and we also prefer this campground over others in around the lake with the exception of Wallace Creek.
If interested, check out my reviews of the area on these sites: Trippin’ Southerners website: https://www.trippinsoutherners.com/single-post/2018/03/06/Lake-Life---best-beach-in-the-mid-south
Campground video: https://youtu.be/fEUVvcr3RVQ
If you don't like to primitive camp, make an exclusion for this one, or at least visit for the day. Don't let the road discourage you. When you make it to camp go strait back and hang a right immediately before the bridge; this is where you will find the awesome swimming hole. There is limited parking for day use.
Our family loves this area. With the scenic rock wall along the creek, which is clear water, it has an awesome swimming hole. Hike the creek in both directions to discover the waterfall and other scenic views and unique swimming holes.
Tents or pop ups only, no big rigs as this is a little off road. Campgrounds are primitive with no showers or water, however you can ride down the road to the Blanchard Springs Camp and get your showers there….or bathe in the creek! The camp sites are well kept and very roomy. Don't forget the lantern as there are no lights posted.
Head down the road and view the Caverns for only ten bucks, see Mirror Lake, the old mill, cavern falls, and Mirror Lake falls. All Blanchard Springs area are handicap accessible.
Head in to town for five dollar go carts, free folk concerts in town square, antique shops galore, and loco ropes treetop adventures.
Details! Will try to make as short as I can but this place is fabulous! We've visited here many times as it is a family favorite. Blanchard Springs Caverns were awesome, handicap accessible, and cheap, like ten bucks. The campground (and any other campground in the area) will not disappoint as the scenic views are amazing. There are rock wall and creek views for miles. You can walk and tube Sylamore Creek from right next to your campsite. Mirror lake is exactly as it sounds with a waterfall to see and an old mill along the creek. A handicap accessible trail also leads to a cave where the Springs appear. A short drive in to town and you will find five dollar go carts for the kids, free folk music concerts in the old town square, a string of antique shops, and loco ropes treetop adventures that is also reasonable priced. There are plenty of hiking trails. You can tube, canoe or kayak Sylamore Creek as well as the White River that it feeds into. Plenty of fishing options and boat rentals at Anglers Resort on the White River.
This can be used as a base camp to go and explore other areas as well. The Buffalo River isn't far and is worth the trip with swimming, kayaking and canoeing options as well as great scenic views. Blanchard Springs is between Heber Springs and Bull Shoals which would both be great for day trips.
A must see is Gunner Pool. It is a swimming hole along a rock wall cliff that is spectacular. There is also a waterfall in this area as well. When you enter Gunner Pool take the road strait back and hang a right immediately before the bridge on the short dirt road. You will find primitive camping there, and if you park on your eft, walk behind the trees and you will find the awesome swimming hole. I'd suggest hiking the creek both ways.
Long post, there's so much! Had to return to this place! We visited in spring and returned for the summer. There's tons to do from hiking, to swimming, waterfall gazing, rock climbing, ziplining, and much more. We camped here in July but also stayed at the Inn during the spring. The Inn has a buffet style restaurant, all rooms overlook the lake, and there's a game room for the kids as well as a heated pool. The campgrounds are spacious and have great clean bathrooms. The park itself has a scenic loop drive of the gorge, multiple waterfalls to visit, miles on end of hiking trails in which some cross rope bridges, awesome swimming holes, and even an olympic pool with diving boards and a snack shack for the kiddos. We could spend weeks here and never get board.