When you think of Arkansas, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the rugged beauty of the Ozark Mountains, the winding rivers, or the quiet charm of small towns nestled between towering pines. Known as the Natural State, Arkansas offers an abundance of outdoor experiences, making it an ideal destination for RV travelers seeking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying modern comforts on the road. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a long-term stay, the state’s diverse landscapes—from serene lakes and lush forests to majestic hills and historic towns—provide a variety of camping options that cater to all types of RVers.
For those traveling by RV in Arkansas,you’re in luck—this state is teeming with campgrounds, state parks, and hidden gems that promise scenic views, outdoor adventure, and peaceful retreats. Arkansas’ campgrounds range from well-established RV parks with full amenities to more rustic, off-the-beaten-path locations that offer a true wilderness escape. If you’re looking for the perfect blend of comfort and nature, the following destinations stand out as top picks for RV camping in the Natural State.
As you begin your journey through Arkansas, here are some key spots to consider, each offering a unique way to experience this stunning state from the comfort of your RV. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time RVer, these locations will leave you feeling inspired and ready to hit the road.
Crossing the Line: Hello Arkansas!
Good morning, Adventurers, good morning! Well, said start from the beginning. But today we start the long and arduous journey to our second state, so get some snacks, put on some comfy clothes… just kidding, we made it! It’s the Oklahoma-Arkansas divider line. Yeah, it runs right through this road, so now I have officially made it to our second state! Alright, do you want to… I haven’t yet. To the second! There we go, I’m it! Well, that was easy enough. Alright, let’s go explore Arkansas!
Exploring Northwest Arkansas: The Road to Wonderlust RV Park
We are deep into Arkansas now; we’re actually in the Northwest part of Arkansas. We just left the town of Fayetteville, and our goal is to head to what is considered the highest-rated RV park in all of Arkansas. It is called Wonderlust. However, to get there, we have to go through some pretty mountainous terrain, and so far, Clementine has been handling it, considering she’s pulling Ruby back there. So I’m remaining optimistic. It’s only about 45 minutes, and we’re going to take it nice and slow. Alright, what are you waiting for? Get on in, let’s go!
Mountains, Brakes, and Beautiful Landscapes
So far, some of the hills have been pretty steep but not too bad, and there’s been a lot of passing lanes, so I don’t get too long of a trail of people following behind me. But boy, am I really happy that we got the braking system on the tow vehicle because there’s been a couple of times where I had to brake pretty quickly, and this thing can handle it pretty good. Yeah, it almost brakes better with the car back there because it’s got extra stopping power. But we’re definitely getting into some beautiful landscapes up here. Yeah, this part of Arkansas is super beautiful. It’s one of our favorite parts of the whole state, for sure! But we’re about 10 minutes away or so from the RV park, so a few more intense hills. Come on, Clementine, you can make it!
Arriving at Wonderlust: The Secluded Gem
Well, we’re going on Ridge Row. It’s a back-in, so I’ll have to get you to disconnect your vehicle right here. Okay, man, they’re already super nice here, but our site is a pull-in, so before they even take us to it, we have to disconnect our tow vehicle and then drive separately. Than other spots, and they’re also back-in. As long as we unhook Ruby, we can back into any spot. One really awesome thing about this RV park is that it is kind of secluded, but it’s also just 5 minutes to Eureka Springs, so you can get there very quickly. There’s also a coffee shop within walking distance. Oh yeah, and that’s got my name on it, y’all!
Base Camp Café: Breakfast Pizza and Local Flavor
First things first, we got to get off this roof. I don’t know why we always do this. We think it’s a good idea, and then we get up here and we’re like, do we trust this? We haven’t fallen through yet, but the way it creaks on the inside when we walk up here makes me nervous—mostly ’cause we’re both kind of standing in the same spot, spread out. Wait, you guys coming with us? You can just stay up here and enjoy the view if you want. Fine by me, see you! This café is called Base Camp, and it is super charming on the inside. We also found out that they make a breakfast pizza. Check that out! So it’s basically just cheese, bacon, and a few eggs cracked on top of a pizza. Get a big bite right where that egg is right there. Baby, is that going to be too hot? Nah, you’re good. Oh yeah, it’s exactly what you would think—it’s egg, bacon, and cheese on pizza dough. I mean, that can’t be bad, right? No, it’s delicious. I think some hot sauce would take it to the next level. They don’t have any, but they do have this delicious—I think it’s a garlic pesto. Oh my God! Starting our day in the unhealthiest way possible. We’ve been doing that a lot lately.
Trolley Tour of Eureka Springs: A Vintage Adventure
So as we mentioned, we are just 5 minutes away from the downtown area of Eureka Springs. They have this convenient little trolley system that rides all around the town. They’re actually on wheels, so they’re not true like rail car trolleys. No, they’re like bus trolleys, but conveniently enough, this RV park has its very own stop! How easy is that? So if you don’t have a tow vehicle or you just don’t want to drive it into town, you can hop the trolley and get the scenic view, which is what we are going to do right now. They actually have this convenient little map for the trolley that tells you where they all are in town and how fast they’re going and everything. So we’re waiting on either a yellow or blue one. I believe this yellow guy should be headed our way, so it shouldn’t be too much longer before we get whisked away in our magical Y’all, this is so fun! This thing is very legit—very vintage feeling in here. We didn’t know what to expect; we knew they were cool and green on the outside, but they’re nice and wooden gold on the inside. We were saying they remind us of the ones from New Orleans. Yeah, except these ones are closed with A/C, which is very nice on a warm day. They’re also playing nature sounds, so you feel like you’re at one with the surrounding woods. Oh, is that what that is? I was wondering what that noise was.
Discovering Eureka Springs: A Charming Victorian Town
We have officially made it to downtown Eureka Springs. Man, it is so much lovelier this time than when we were here a couple of years ago. It was very cold, very wet, rainy, and snowy, and nothing was open, because—well, nothing was open, and we just froze the whole time. So now this is so much nicer. It’s so lovely, so green, and so pretty, and everything is open! Eureka Springs was actually founded on July 4th of 1879, so its birthday is coming up here in a few days. It’s got this really neat vibe to it. It’s built up into the hills here, and it’s got all these amazing brick structures and these really ornate Victorian homes everywhere. There’s so much color and personality here. It is so charming, and it’s called Eureka Springs because of all the springs in the area, and people actually believed that they had these like magical healing properties. So people used to flock here to either be cured or at least be made somewhat better from any ailments. They really believed that it worked.
Exploring Basin Spring Park and the Hidden Gems of Eureka Springs
We’re just going to spend the afternoon exploring the city and taking in the sights, so let’s do that! Let’s do it! Lead the way, follow me, sir! I don’t know why we started walking down there. This is Basin Spring Park, and this is actually what we came to check out. It’s just this nice, lush little park right in the middle of downtown. Found a creepy little hole! Get on in there! No thank you, sir, you go first! It’s really cold air coming out there, though. Oh man, it’s so cool in there! Well, that’s just creepy as heck. There’s a bunch of pipes and knobs and levers and stuff in there. It’s weirdly inviting ‘cause the temperature is so good. Get me out of here!
The Struggles of Choosing Souvenirs: Postcards, Magnets, or Shot Glasses?
When you’re walking around in Eureka Springs, you’re going to notice there are stairways everywhere because it’s such a hilly city. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled because some of them have these epic paintings going up them since You guys know we are traveling to all 50 states. We wanted to get some little souvenir or collectable, just you know, as a nice little memory. So, we are trying to decide between postcards, which are very lightweight, or magnets, which are maybe a little bit cooler and more practical. We don’t know where to put the magnet, although I’m leaning towards the magnet myself. Yeah, we’re thinking in the little grill area outside, the walls are sheet metal, so hopefully these would just stick in there. We can fill it all up, but then I found this postcard, and it’s maybe the best postcard I’ve ever seen, so now I’m torn. What do you guys think? Postcard or magnet? Ah, I guess we’ll just get them both for now, but let us know which ones we should collect, ‘cause we got 49 more states to go—48, and now we got to go back to Oklahoma, I guess, and figure that one out. We were also thinking of collecting shot glasses, so now we’re really torn ‘cause we could get one of these too. Too many choices. What do you think? What should we… a completely different idea? Let us know.
