Want some blogger honesty here? This is a post I’ve been putting off for a LONG TIME! Top Arkansas RV Destinations, I mean really? It’s so hard to think of home like a tourist…and there are SO MANY places to RV…how do I pick just a small handful?
I just truly LOVE where I live and REALLY want to do it justice! So, here we go.
TOP ARKANSAS RV DESTINATIONS
Arkansas is a place of beautiful mountains, clear flowing rivers, and streams, numerous lakes, forests, and even rich fertile delta land. This is also why I’m in no HUGE hurry to leave! I DO want to see the world, but I also LOVE HOME!
There’s a reason Arkansas changed it’s slogan to The Natural State. If you are a hiker, biker, or just any kind of nature enthusiast, Arkansas is a great place to bring your RV and hang out for a few weeks! There are PLENTY of destinations to park your rig here, and PLENTY of things to do while you’re here!
Let’s start close to home for our first Arkansas RV destination, how about that?
FREE RV Camping Checklist
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LITTLE ROCK
Have a business meeting or some other sort of rendezvous planned in Little Rock? Why not bring your RV down to Maumelle Park and enjoy one of the most scenic RV parks you will ever see?
This Arkansas RV destination is one you’ll want to bring your bicycle, your kayak or canoe, and your hiking/walking shoes along with you. This Army Corp of Engineers park has incredibly SPACIOUS sites, backs right up to the Arkansas River, has playgrounds, pavilions, and a boat ramp!
It’s about a 15-minute drive to downtown, where the heart of the city is. Since Little Rock is the capital city of Arkansas, there’s almost always something to do or see.
Sites to see/things to do:
- Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site – Site of the 1957 Little Rock Nine
- Arkansas State Capitol Building – Replica of the U.S. Capitol building
- Clinton Presidential Center – A neat walk into the past regardless of which side of the lines you fall!
- Arkansas Arts Center – Almost always has some kind of FREE art exhibit going on!
- Old State House – Original capitol building of Arkansas.
- Riverfront Park – Great place to walk, bike, eat lunch, learn about Arkansas history, or just chill (also a great host to concerts!)
- Big Dam Bridge – Since Arkansas is a balanced-budget state, we get SUPER excited about new stuff! Since we’re also a fairly conservative state, so the kids get excited about saying a cuss word without getting a whoopin’! 🙂 This is a great place for a walk or bike ride. Also great for selfies!
- Two Rivers Park – Need a photo shoot? Here’s your place! You can ride your bike through the trail or walk for exercise.
- Pinnacle Mountain State Park – If you have kids, this is a great place to take them. Climb the mountain, walk one of the trails (there’s a great tree that kids love to take pics in on the Kingfisher Trail), take the kids fishing, or play on the playground or picnic in one of the pavilions. Ouachita National Hiking Trail starts at the base of Pinnacle Mountain.
- Little Rock Zoo – it’s a zoo…take the kids!
- The Old Mill – Technically, this is North Little Rock, but if you’re looking for a beautiful place to visit, you don’t want to miss this one. It’s LITERALLY straight out of a scene in Gone With The Wind.
HOT SPRINGS
Another stop on our Arkansas RV destinations is Hot Springs, Arkansas. There are many, many places to camp near Hot Springs. We’ve stayed at two, and I’ve heard of another.
Lake Catherine State Park was one of our FAVORITE camping spots from last year. It’s near enough to Hot Springs to do any in-town activities, but far enough away to enjoy the peace and quiet. It had large RV sites with full hookups. Bring your kayaks, canoes and walking shoes. There’s plenty to do on site.
We’ve recently stayed at Lake Hamilton RV Resort. If you plan to do lake activities, bring your boat and stay here. We liked the park ok, but the sites are small. They do have sites on the lake, which would probably be nice. Did I mention the sites were small? Yeah…they are!
I’ve also heard Gulpha Gorge National Park is great. The problem is that its first come first served. I hear it’s difficult to get into.
Things to do in Hot Springs:
- Walk along the hot springs downtown – I don’t know if this is the National Park or not, but you can walk along the sidewalks downtown and see the steam rising from the underground streams. It’s a beautiful walk.
- Hot Springs Mountain Tower – I JUST found out about this TODAY! Obviously, I’ve seen it forever, but didn’t know it was open to the public! Looks like adults are $8 and children are $4.50 each.
- Magic Springs and Crystal Falls – Not the lake type? This is a great water park and theme park combo. Even on hot summer days, we used to take kids to the water park during the day, then do the theme park in the evenings. They also have some pretty decent concerts in the summer.
- Stroll down Bathhouse Row – Even Al Capone enjoyed walks along Bathhouse Row! These buildings are beautiful pieces of history.
- Massage & Spa – There are many places that offer spa and massage services downtown…AH-MAZING! We did this for one of our anniversaries, can’t remember which one, but it was FABULOUS!
- Oaklawn Racing & Gaming – Do you like horses? Spend a day at Oaklawn watching the horses run. During big events, they even have musicians come out and play for their customers. If you haven’t lost all of your money on the horses, stop in the casino and get rid of the rest of it! 🙂
- Lake Ouachita & Hamilton – There are RV campgrounds on these lakes, I just haven’t been to any of them yet. I’ll try to update this post when I do! These lakes are BEAUTIFUL…you won’t want to miss!
- Garvan Gardens – If you’re into nature, you’ll love this place! Lots of flowers and nature, and don’t forget to see the Anthony Chappel! It’s a beautiful place for weddings!
- Antiquing – If you like to go antiquing, there are a ton of places on the outskirts of town to go junkin’
- Caddo River Float – This might be a bit of a stretch, but if you’re willing to drive about an hour, you can float the Caddo River (pronounced CAD-do like dad, not dade). Check water levels before you go…a slow river makes for a boring float!
PETIT JEAN STATE PARK
Lots of locals flock to Petit Jean State Park on the weekend (pronounced PET-e, not PA-teet). We’ve done church outings there, taken our kids tent camping there, and Glynn actually proposed to me down at the waterfall!
This is one Arkansas RV destination you won’t want to miss! They have cabins available for people who aren’t interested in camping, but RV and tent sites for those who are.
Be aware that Petit Jean State Park is in a dry county, so take your alcohol in if you want some, but be wise with your drinking in a dry county in Arkansas. That’s just my two cents worth though.
What to do at Petit Jean:
- Overlooks – There are several overlooks and they are some of the most scenic in the state!
- Trails – There are hiking and biking trails. Most people hike down to the falls. When I was a kid, you could swim at the falls, I’m not so sure about now though. The falls are also a great place to propose! 😛
- Boating – Bring your kayak or canoe and paddle around on Lake Bailey. You can also rent paddle boats at the lake.
- Fishing – Bring your gear and fish for crappie, bass, or catfish on the stocked laked.
- Swim – There is a pool at Petit Jean, so you’re able to swim if you want.
- Picnic – Pack a picnic and find a scenic spot to enjoy!
- Playgrounds – They also have playgrounds for children.
BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER
Next stop on our Arkansas RV destinations is the Buffalo River.
I’m sure there are many places to camp there, but for some reason, we always end up at Buffalo Point. They don’t have full hookups, but they do have electric and water hookups and dump stations are available.
What I like about Buffalo Point is that it’s a great put in spot for the Buffalo River if you’re going to float.
Since floating the Buffalo IS why we go there, I’m not really sure what else there is to do. If I was going to stay longer than a weekend, I would most likely find myself looking for antiques nearby, or maybe check out the scenery.
DEFINITELY take a kayak or canoe and/or rent a canoe and float the Buffalo! The bluffs, cliffs, and clear water will NOT disappoint.
Don’t forget to take a fishing pole!
MOUNTAIN VIEW
If you’ve been around my blog much, you know I’m absolutely ENTHRALLED with Mountain View, Arkansas and that’s why it’s our last stop on my Arkansas RV destinations list!
Since I’ve already done a post about it, let’s just get to the nitty gritty!
Things to do in Mountain View:
- Blanchard Springs Caverns – Visit the caverns year round. The cool air is a welcome retreat from the summer sun.
- Blanchard Springs Recreation Area – if it’s summer, you can go down to the river and get your feet wet. Walk around in the beautiful water. Kids LOVE to play here. You can also camp here if you don’t mind being away from town.
- Kayak/Canoe – You can kayak and canoe in the nearby Sylamore Creek. The water is cold year round, so it’s a nice break from Arkansas summer heat!
- Fishing – World-class angler fishing on the White River. Guided tours are available.
- Listen to the music – Go to the town square and listen to the musicians…this is the VERY REASON I go to Mountain View!
There are many more things to do in Mountain View, but I did a whole post about that, so check out the link above.
THAT’S IT! That’s my list of top 5 Arkansas RV destinations for now!!! If you live in a neighboring state, Arkansas is a great place to vacation.
There are many more lakes, rivers, and waterfalls to explore as well as caves, hiking trails, biking trails, and fun festivities. We have many quaint towns and cities that would take me weeks to describe if I tried!
If you’re looking for Arkansas RV destinations, these 5 places are great places to start!
[…] mentioned Hot Springs National Park before in passing in this post, but this WHOLE post is just about Hot […]
[…] When you camp at Gilbert RV Campground, you’re also about an hour away from one of our favorite places, Mountain View, Arkansas. Check out this post for things to do there, or check out some other top Arkansas RV destinations! […]