OUR FIRST RV TRIP!
Sylamore Creek Camp & RV Park
My honey & me…mom is in the background being a photo bomber! 🙂
So you have your new camper, where to go? This is a question we faced in May of 2017 when we got home with our brand spanking new camper! Since we live in central Arkansas, there are TONS of state parks with an RV park in them to choose from with towering, majestic trees, placid lakes, bubbling rivers & streams, and hiking trails, etc. It is called the Natural State for a reason, after all! We decided to go to one of our favorite tent camping sites in Mountain View, AR called Sylamore Creek Camp.
My mother’s birthday was the last weekend in June, so that seemed as good a time as any to take her (and our camper) on our maiden voyage! Bags packed, excitement level at a pretty decent high…off we went! It was BIZARRE to have the camper behind us. It seemed surreal. There’s a little bit of a learning curve to towing it, but my hubby was a trooper and did GREAT through the unexpected storm, sideways rain, and tornado warnings! Someday, I will learn to drive it too…I’ll need that skill for longer trips! Let’s get into my SYLAMORE CREEK REVIEW (check out the rating at the bottom of this post to get to the nitty gritty)!
My hubby & brother-in-law deciding how to park the campers. You can see how spacious the lots are by the spacing in between the picnic tables. We decided to face each other…which was tricky parking!
CAMPGROUNDS/CLEANLINESS 10/10:
The RV park campgrounds at Sylamore Creek Camp are FANTASTIC! We have camped here MULTIPLE times with tents, popup campers, and now our RV, and it has NEVER been untidy. The campgrounds, in general, are ALWAYS clean and well maintained. The roads are paved with gravel, but that’s not really a problem in my opinion. We’ve been there many times in cars and SUV’s. Heck, we were even there during a motorcycle rally once…they didn’t seem to have trouble with the gravel (remind me not to do that again…tent camping during a motorcycle rally…um no)!
I digress. They have cabins available for those that want to experience this quaint location without a camper or tent. Most of the campsites for both tents and RVs are under a huge canopy of pine trees. This is awesome during the blistering heat of summer when you just don’t wanna go outside without shade. They also have sites down by the creek which is REALLY nice when it is unbearably hot in the summer.
AMENITIES 7/10:
While the RV park does have some full hookup sites, which is nice, not all of them are this way. If you try to get in last minute, you may need a portable black water hauler if you plan to stay for much more than a weekend on a non-full hookup site. That’s not a deal-breaker for me, but you’ll have to decide what’s best for your family. They also have cabins (as mentioned earlier) if you don’t have an RV, or want to bring your mother-in-law! 🙂 There is a playground, a volleyball net, a field large enough to play soccer or frisbee, a pavilion for outdoor picnics, and a crystal-clear river that is fed by the White River – a trout fishing Mecca. As well as fishing, the river is great for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, and laying out on the shore. They also have a recreational facility that includes ping pong and pool tables, a tv room, and an exercise facility. Honestly, though, I’ve never been in the rec room. The river is just too beautiful to spend your time indoors!
BATHHOUSE 5/10:
The bathhouse at this RV park leaves a little to be desired at Sylamore Creek! The shower stalls basically look like old outhouses, which I’m sure some people may find charming, but I prefer showering in more modern facilities. They are more or less draining concrete pads with a cabin-ish type of building around it. The showers are open to the outdoors, so the bugs come and go as they please, not to mention the heat or cold depending on the time of year you visit!
They DO have separate bathrooms from the showering “facility,” and those are fine. They aren’t always clean, which is kind of surprising since the rest of the campgrounds are meticulously well kept! There are also showers in these bathrooms, so if bathing in a cowboy style stall isn’t for you, you can use these. When the bathrooms are clean, they are still in DIRE need of modernization, but again, not a deal breaker for me.
CELL SIGNAL 1/10:
If your goal is to get away from the real world, unplugging from all of your devices, and relaxing without worrying about checking calls, texts, or emails, Sylamore Creek Camp is for you! Otherwise, this place is a VORTEX of DISCONNECTIVITY! Professionally speaking, it is EXTREMELY difficult to run a thriving real estate business with no cell signal. Now, I know this coming into Sylamore Creek, so I usually have a coworker babysit my listings and buyers, but occasionally people just need to reach you! This is CERTAINLY a negative for me. I don’t have to live on my phone while I’m camping, but I can’t always be disconnected either.
INTERNET/WI-FI 2/10:
Again, if you intend to unplug from modern civilization and hike, canoe, swim, etc….this place is AMAZING! Their advertised Wi-Fi is sad! I’ll be fair and say that we’ve never tried their cable tv, but that wouldn’t have any bearing on their Wi-Fi. It does work ok during non-peak times, but when everyone returns to camp in the evenings, it becomes painfully slow. This is why I gave it a 2/10. You’re better off to put your phone away for the weekend and enjoy the scenery. I will also add that there is a nearby restaurant called Angler’s where you can access their free Wi-Fi from their parking lot and it is tolerable. It’s only about a two minute drive from camp.
NEARBY ACTIVITIES 10/10:
This is why we continue to camp at Sylamore Creek Camp despite the negatives I’ve listed. There is SO MUCH TO DO nearby! Blanchard Springs Caverns is 7 miles away. My feeble attempt to describe the incredible scenery of that place would fall so short, so here are a few pictures:
Sylamore Creek Camp is also only 5 miles away from downtown Mountain View, which is a treasure in and of itself! Every Friday and Saturday night, people from all around come to the town square with their guitars, banjos, mandolins, upright basses, and fiddles. They play, sing, and dance well into the night in groups of 4-8 musicians (who may or may not even know each other). The talent and harmonies are hard to describe. I have been a musician since 1984, and these people awe me with their gifts!
One of my VERY favorite things about Sylamore Creek Camp is that it backs up to the Ozark National Forest. When you walk down to the shore of the creek, you are greeted by a breathtaking bluff that is at least 100′ tall. Not that I would advise it, but I’ve even seen people jumping from a lower spot on the bluff into a deep spot in the creek on a hot summer’s day!
There is a zipline, antique stores, an escape room, bike trails, hiking trails, river rafting/canoeing/kayaking, and guided fishing tours. There is an old swinging bridge nearby that is a stunning little feat of engineering as well and is a local favorite for romantic walks. I’m sure that’s not even an exhaustive list, but it’s DEFINITELY a good start! Oh, and there are plenty of places to eat out if you get tired of PB&J at camp, as well as a friendly neighborhood Walmart for those forgotten items! 🙂
STAFF 8/10:
We’ve never had a problem with the staff. They seem to be nice…not much to say here. We spend most of our time behaving on the campgrounds and keep to ourselves. That seems to be the key!
PRICE 9/10:
They are getting a 9/10 for the price. Here is why I didn’t give them a 10/10. It’s hard to complain about $20-30 per night for RV sites, ESPECIALLY given the location, but I feel like there should be a little more updating of their facilities to charge that price. There are facilities closer to town with better amenities that charge about the same, so it’s not ideal, but I can’t complain too much!
SUMMARY:
Even though they only get a 6.5 overall, I’d still continue to go back to Sylamore Creek Camp. We LOVE the location and the river. The river alone is enough for us to tolerate not being able to connect for a few days. We’ve been going to Sylamore Creek Camp for well over 20 years and will continue to do so. Just keep in mind what your objective is. If you’re wanting to be on the water and disconnected from reality, this place is your go-to place! It’s so quiet and serene…it’s hard to beat!
Sylamore Creek Camp, Mountain View, AR
Pros
- Secluded, wooded area
- Quiet and peaceful
- Near the water - some sites ON the water
- RV & tent sites, as well as cabins available
- Lots to do nearby!
Cons
- NO CELL SIGNAL!
- Bathrooms leave a little to be desired
- Not all RV sites have full hookups
- Have to go to nearby restaurant for Wi-Fi
[…] tried several of the RV parks in Mountain View like Sylamore Creek or Ozark RV Park and haven’t really disliked any of them, but rather prefer some over others […]