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Arkansas Camping Spots

drdubb

drdubb

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I'm thinking about riding out to Arkansas the first week of June. Do you guys know of any good camping spots? Isn't there a motorcycle campground or two out there. My biggest criteria is a shower and number two is to be somewhat central to several days of riding. Are there any events to avoid in early June? I hate crowds.

I plan on coming into the area between Russellville and Harrison for a couple of days and then head a little farther south, maybe west of Hot Springs for a couple more. Currently, I have Butler map, a time frame and nothing else planned.

I did the eastern TAT as far as the TAT Shak two summers ago and then road home via Harrison, Mountain View and paramour. No Forest service road riding is planned this time.

Thanks in advance.
 
I rode up to Theodosia, AR for a long weekend one time. I think the place was called the Marina Resort and offered camping and rooms in a small motel. I came up through Russellville to Marshall, ran roads in the area, Push Mountain, etc.

The roads where I went were OK but nothing spectacular. If not looking to see relatives or friends in that area for the distance to get there I'd much rather ride mountains of VA, WV, MD.
 
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NC, Virginia are my stomping grounds. Get up to the mountains several times per year. Colorado and Utah are my bucket list. Just wanted to do a medium range trip before I head way out there.
 
Thanks OCR. The HUB was somewhere in my memory but couldn't dredge it up. How's the camping there.
 
Look at video of Hillbilly Hangout II. Camping is in front of the hotel rooms. Picture of camping is in video. Hub let's you use one of the rooms they have set aside for campers to shower in. Also, folks from both the hotel and campground set around camp fire in the evenings for a good time. Have a good restaurant at the hotel, but not open every day.

Low Gap has good italian restaurant: Best Italian Food - Review of Low Gap Cafe, Jasper, AR - TripAdvisor

Make sure to eat a hamburger and a slice of pie at Orak General Store: Home

Orak of just off the Trans American Trail, and you will meet some great biker folks riding the Tran American Trail eating there.
 
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Camping at the Hub is different from a normal camp ground. You pitch a tent wherever you want on the grounds. hey have 2 of the rooms, one on each side, for you to use the bathrooms for tenters. It is nice to be surrounded by other bikers the whole time. The onsite restaurant is good.

You mentioned the TAT shack. At the end of the paved road that the shack is on is Long Pool camp ground. Standard camp ground with spots that have power and "primitive" spots with shared water. Bath house is a short walk away right next to the Piney Creek where you can go swimming. No Cell reception at the camp ground.

Just south of Russellville is Mt Nebo St Park. Most any AR State Park is nice. Higher elevation so a little cooler at night and a fun road leading to it with switchbacks.

I've never camped at it but close to Oark (on Hwy 215) and the Pig Trail (Hwy 23)is Byrds Recreational park. On the Mulberry River so popular with the canoe crowd and 4 wheeler crowd.

I've never camped around Hot Springs so I have no info on it. I have stayed further south in Mena at Queen Whilimina (sp?) State Park which is nice.
 
Thanks bamamate...good info.

I can't decide how much planning I want to do. Part of me just wants to wander w/o a plan, the OCD in me wants to have every detail and route done. Having options is good.
 
I've mentioned previously that I geocache. The state organization that governs geocaching has a challenge cache which requires you to visit all 52 state parks in Arkansas. I've been to several and will list a few that I thought were nice and located in a good area. When I say good, I am implying there are roads that are not too congested and plenty of curves for a rider although that isn't hard to find in Arkansas. Those types of roads are everywhere.

I stayed at these locations with my family. These are down south. Most people flock to the North and North West portion of Arkansas. There are several good sites in Southern Arkansas too.

1 . Lake Catherine State Park
This park is very near Hot Springs. Hot Springs is a big attraction in the state. A lot of bath houses with natural spring water. Some good food too. There is a place called Mr. Wiskers in an older part of town and they have some dang good seafood. I think he puts crack in the breading. Kidding. It is really good though. There are some good BBQ places too.

2. Lake Catherine State Park
This park is a bit south of Hot Spring. I like to hike and kayak. This is a great place to do that. You can rent anything you need if you feel like taking a break from the highway.

3. Crater of Diamonds State Park
This park is further south of Hot Springs and the big attraction here is a the worlds only diamond bearing field that can be access by the public. If you find it you get to keep it. Two diamonds were found in 2015 and two were found in 2014. The last one found in 2015 was the 5th largest found since 1972 and was an 8 carat diamond.
 
I have camped at Mt Nebo a couple times in mid summer. The elevation and breeze keeps it from being too hot and it is within day trips of nearly all the good riding in Arkansas. State park fees are cheap and extra discount if you classify as a senior like I do. It is just across the river from Russellville. No challenge on the other locations except i would expect all of them to be warmer. It can be tough sleeping in a hot tent at night.

Advertise here when and where you will be and a good chance you won't be alone. Even if no one else camps with you some locals may show up to show your some good roads. Arkansas is some of the best riding around. Roads as good as anything around the Dragon area or around Blue Ridge parkway, but with much less traffic.
 
Fuzzy said:
I have camped at Mt Nebo a couple times in mid summer. The elevation and breeze keeps it from being too hot and it is within day trips of nearly all the good riding in Arkansas. State park fees are cheap and extra discount if you classify as a senior like I do. It is just across the river from Russellville. No challenge on the other locations except i would expect all of them to be warmer. It can be tough sleeping in a hot tent at night.

Advertise here when and where you will be and a good chance you won't be alone. Even if no one else camps with you some locals may show up to show your some good roads. Arkansas is some of the best riding around. Roads as good as anything around the Dragon area or around Blue Ridge parkway, but with much less traffic.
Click to expand...

And if you get over the border into S. Central Missouri there's even less traffic on the out of the way roads. Most traffic sticks to 60, 160, and 63. If you come through when I'm not at work I can show you around.
 
I'm not sure where i am with this trip. My riding buddy wants to go west....three weeks worth, so I'm thinking either Utah/Colorado or Montana/Idaho/Oregon. We'll see.
In any case, we'll be passing through southern Missouri.
 
West of Hot Springs about 60 miles is the Albert Pike area. I camped there for decades. Not in the area, but there's roads that go out from the area. There's no camping in the area since a flood killed around 20 people a couple of years ago. Gravel roads will take you to some nice primitive camp spots and there's a pooper at Shady Lake and Albert Pike if you can't go proper (in the woods). These places are easy to find with just Google maps.
Also, directly west of Mena, AR about 30- 40 miles is a place called Billy Creek -primitive camping or there's a camping area with 12 spots (shared water and vault toilets). Again, found in Google maps.
All these places are in the Ouachita National Forest. If it's hot out the first places I mentioned are great because of ample clean COLD water streams.
 
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