If you love camping then you will absolutely love this list of the best places for camping in Arkansas! Maybe you weren’t sure where to find a great place to pitch a tent while you were looking at waterfalls in Arkansas or perhaps you were planning the perfect romantic getaway in Arkansas and wanted to spend a night camping! No matter what brought you to Arkansas, this is the perfect list for you!
Arkansas is known for having a lot of land to explore and plenty of reasons to visit. There are tons of rivers, lakes, and even better, hot springs to visit while making your way through Arkansas. The hot springs are among the more popular attractions of Arkansas and they draw visitors from all over to enjoy the experience!
There’s no better way to experience Arkansas in its prime than by camping!
12 Best Places For Camping In Arkansas
Eureka Springs KOA
Eureka Springs KOA is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas because of its perfect location in the Ozark Mountain area!
This is the perfect place for Arkansas camping if you love to pitch a tent or even if you are looking for a full RV hookup! This is area has everything you could need as a camper!
Not only is this the perfect location for you to pack up and retreat for a few days, it also has all of the amenities that you could ever dream of, including a dog park for your furry family members!
This Arkansas campground has an excellent hiking trail and a lake to spend your day relaxing! You can rent a canoe and spend a couple of hours on top of the water, or even go on a scuba diving exploration! A scuba diving trip is a unique camping experience that you won’t want to miss out on!
We know you’ll love Eureka Springs KOA!
Hot Springs National Park KOA
If you love national parks, than this campground near Hot Springs National Park is perfect for you!
Hot Springs National Park KOA is located within the Ouachita Mountains. It is also just minutes away from Hot Springs National Park, so you can easily camp here and then spend the day hiking through the historical park!
Even better, you can relax your body using the thermal waters of the hot springs in the area. The hot springs are a huge reason why people come to Arkansas, so it makes sense that this should be an a trip you take!
There is no shortage of things to do once you set up your campsite! You can hike, fish, or just lounge around in your tent or RV while enjoying the quietness around you. One of the coolest things about this campsite is that you can also go crystal hunting! Crystals are a unique find that will make this trip one-of-a-kind experience and a great story to take back with you!
This is one spot for camping near Hot Springs you won’t want to miss!
Prairie Creek Campground
Prairie Creek Campground is one of the best places for camping in the Arkansas mountains!
This Arkansas campground is located on Beaver Lake and is in a perfect area along the Ozark Mountains! This is an excellent location visitors that love spending time on the lake and that love to spend their time hiking in the mountains!
Boat owners can rest easy knowing that this Arkansas campground has a five-lane boat ramp so you can enjoy bringing your own boat to Beaver Lake to spend the day out on the water! There is also a sand volleyball court, and playground for families to enjoy!
There are a lot of different types of fish in the lake that make this campground a great place to spend some time with a fishing pole! You can set up near the edge of the lake or even take a boat out a little deeper and experience what there is to offer closer to the middle of the lake!
While camping at Prairie Creek Campground, you will be able to experience the wildlife in the area! This area is extremely populated with rabbit, deer, so if you are lucky, you may have a deer visitor to your campsite adding a special experience to your stay!
Steel Creek Campground
Steel Creek Campground is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas because of its location at the Buffalo National River!
This campground is a perfect place to pitch a tent, especially if you are traveling with livestock! Steel Creek Campground has designated campgrounds for people with horses so you can travel easy knowing there’s a spot for you! The rest of the campground is designated as tent only spots, which is perfect for that traditional campground getaway!
Keep in mind though, this campsite allows trailers in the horse designated areas, but does not allow RVs, so if this campsite is especially for tent lovers!
This Arkansas campground also does not have electrical hookup, so if you are wanting to sign out of reality for a few days, this is the perfect spot for you!
Steel Creek Campground runs on a first come first serve reservation routine, so make sure you plan ahead before traveling here! We know you won’t regret it!
Maumelle Campground
Maumelle Campground is one of the best places for camping in Little Rock!
This Arkansas campground is located near Maumelle Lake and the Arkansas River, so you have plenty to choose from when it comes to lounging by the water during your trip!
Maumelle Campground is a great place to come for seclusion, but if you feel uneasy about a total shut off from the world, fear not! This campsite has electric hookups, so you don’t have to go without! Not only does this Little Rock campground offer electricity, but there is also a playground to keep kids busy!
If you’re looking for a great place for a group outing, then you’ve found the right place! Here, you can find a picnic area and boat ramps to keep your group entertained for hours!
Along those lines, why not bring the whole family! This campsite is pet-friendly, which means even your four-legged family members get to tag along for the fun and excitement!
We know this campground in Little Rock will be one of the best during your visit to Arkansas!
Bull Shoals Campground
Bull Shoals Campground is located in Bull Shoals White-River State Park and is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas!
This area is popular because of the famous fishing that takes place here! Anglers from all over travel to this Arkansas State Park to spend some time camping in Arkansas and enjoy their time fishing for trout!
Other than fishing, you can also go hiking through the state park or bring your bike for an exciting bike experience! There is also a marina with a store where you can buy any fishing supplies you may want to stock up before heading trout fishing, or even a boat rental to take you out deeper!
At Bull Shoals Campground, you can choose to camp in a tent, or maybe go glamping instead in the form of an RV. Both options will give you excellent locations within the campground to everything you’ll need! The campground itself offers campfire cooking demonstrations, trout fishing workshops, and they even host nature walks!
You’ll never run out of things to do at this campground in Arkansas!
KOA Little Rock North
KOA Little Rock North is one of the best RV parks in Little Rock for you to bring the whole family, or even just a solo getaway!
This is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas because KOA Little Rock North has so much to offer visitors, you might actually never want to leave!
During your stay, you can explore the wooded area nearby or go for a swim in the pool that is on site! If you have a sweet tooth, there’s an ice cream parlor waiting for you here! There’s nothing better than hanging out in the water and then going for a sweet treat!
While camping here you are also just a few minutes away from the heart of downtown Little Rock! This means if you want to venture out to the city while you’re here, you can easily take a nice day trip to see some of the historical city sights!
This is one of the RV parks in Little Rock that is great at any time of year, however the site recommends that May through September is the best time to make a reservation!
This RV park will be perfecting for your next camping trip!
Lake Catherine State Park Campgrounds
The Lake Catherine State Park Campgrounds is located along the Ouachita Mountains on Lake Catherine and is easily one of the best places for camping in Arkansas!
This is a great place if you’re looking for places for camping in Hot Springs, AR!
Here you will find 70 campsites ranging from tent only to RV hookups. Even more exciting, if you want to skip the tent or RV, they also offer 20 cabins with one cabin overlooking the water with a patio! Talk about a perfect place to spend your mornings with a hot coffee in hand!
But hands down the best part about this Arkansas campsite is that there is a walking trail that will lead you directly to a waterfall! This campsite in Hot Springs will offer you a unique experience and you’ll get to spend time marveling at the waterfall as your rest from your hike through the trails!
This campsite also offers picnic pavilions, playgrounds, and tons of activities offered by the staff including hiking tours and lake tours!
Lake Catherine State Park Campgrounds should definitely be one of your top choices!
Petit Jean Campgrounds
This is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas thanks to its location in Petit Jean State Park and that you can make a reservation here all year long!
While staying here, you will be able to explore the Petit Jean Mountain and all of the natural beauty surrounding the area! You can take several hiking tours and explore the wooded areas that surround the campgrounds and take in all of the serenity!
This campsite offers many tent locations as well as electrical hookups! They even have hot showers located in each area so you never have to worry about taking a cold one the old fashion way!
One of the coolest parts about this campground is that Petit Jean State Park is also the only state park with its own airport located inside! This area is considered the parks fly-in campground and offers places to pitch a tent and enjoy the planes flying through!
This campground is easily high on our list!
Gulpha Gorge Campground
Gulpha Gorge Campground is located in Hot Springs National Park and is easily one of the best places for camping in Arkansas!
You can camp with a tent or even an RV here! This campsite will accommodate either preference so if you want to go the more traditional route, great! If you want to do a little glamping instead, also great! You can even camp here at any time of the year!
Gulpha Gorge campground also has an amphitheater for events and a ton of day use picnic areas! This means if you just want to come for an event, or even just spend the day enjoying the hiking trails but don’t necessarily want to stay for a few days, you will still have a place to take a break and enjoy the outdoors!
You can select to stay for a few days at a time, or you can do a longer trip! The longest the campsite will allow you to do at one time is 14 days, and 30 days total within the same month! This campground fills up quickly, so make sure that you make your reservations ahead of time otherwise they might not have a site available!
Horseshoe Bend Campgrounds
This is one of the coolest campgrounds in Northwest Arkansas!
Horseshoe Bend Campground is located along Beaver Lake and within the Ozark Mountains! The amount of natural beauty in this area is unbelievable! It’s no wonder why this is one of the most popular places for camping in Arkansas!
People that love the outdoors tend to pick Horseshoe Bend because of the outdoor activities that this campsite offers! Of course with the mountains, you can hike through the area and spend time exploring the natural beauty of the area. And with the lake, you can easily spend the day swimming, fishing, or simply lounging in the water or along the shore catching some rays!
The campsites themselves also have a lot to offer! You can rest easy knowing there is water hookups, fire pits, picnic tables, and electricity hookups available to you for the duration of your stay!
If you’re running low on supplies during your stay, there are also marinas nearby where you can shop for supplies!
We know you’ll love this campsite in Arkansas!
Crystal Springs Campground
Crystal Springs Campground is one of the best places for camping in Arkansas because of the crystal clear waters that surround the area!
This Arkansas campground is located along Lake Ouachita and has the most crystal clear waters that bring campers from all over to enjoy! While camping here you will also be able to have a near perfect view of the mountain ranges!
This is an extremely popular getaway location for groups, families, or couples from all over! The area is a great place for day hiking trips, or group outings. Here, you’ll never run out of outdoor experiences to enjoy!
Most visitors come here to water-ski or jet-ski, and scuba diving is a must! Scuba diving is one of the most popular activities here because thanks to the clear water, visibility is at an excellent level!
Because of the popularity of this campsite, you will definitely want to make a reservation ahead of time so you can make sure you get to enjoy the area at its best!
If you love being outdoors and you love the camping life, then each of these campsites will be the best places for camping in Arkansas!
From the best hiking trails, boating activities, and just places to enjoy time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, each of these campsites provide something special to make your camping trip worth while!