This park is awesome for multiple reasons. The lodge is fantastic, great food and great views with a friendly welcoming staff. The views (worthy of mention again) are top notch, with some incredible sunsets. The mini train and mini golf were closed for the season but it looked like a great time. The bath house was clean, warm (it was cold AF outside), and had great water pressure. The town of Mena was a short scenic drive away, with a brewery and a couple restaurants worth checking out.

Now, the reason for the downgrade to 4 stars. The campsite layout is…weird. It’s like most of the sites were designed for a motorcoach to drive into, not for a travel trailer to back into. For example most of the camp amenities are on the utility side of the trailer when backed in, as opposed to the party side. Some of the sites are reeeeeally close together, as others have mentioned. I might even go so far as to say that if we would have kept our original site it might have garnered a 3 star review. The back rows have the amenities on the rear of the rv, which I actually kinda liked. Yes there is no sewer…but it’s a state park that’s expected.

Overall nice place to camp. There were several RVs and tent spots occupied during our visit, but the park never felt crowded. Most of the lower sites were closed though, so I’d imagine during the summer the place would seem cramped. Excellent lake with great fishing and beautiful sunsets. Located approximately 30 minutes from Mt. Magazine lodge for those that want some great outdoor rock climbing.

The downgrade to 4 stars stems from the mildly confusing layout of the campsites with no helpful signs in place to navigate. They just kinda paved roads here and there with no rhyme or reason. Getting into the winter sites requires an abrupt acute turn to the left from the main road into the sites, so be ready to disconnect your sway control….the loop is also closed so you’re going out the way you came in which leaves some very Austin Powers like antics to get out back to the main road. Also, the water for spots 19-27 (odd numbered) are about 60 feet away, so be prepared for that. Last, none of the gate houses were staffed, so it was a mild free-for-all.

Nearest Walmart was Booneville, about 30ish minutes away. T-Mobile showed 2-3 bars of 5G, though actual performance was kinda sus, phone service was seemingly standard but my laptop on the hot spot wasn’t having it.