Prairie Creek Campground

This is an Army Corps of Engineers campground and reservoir near Rogers that we were disappointed in. At most, we would give it 3 out of 5 stars for a number of reasons.

The pluses are: good location and a short drive to Bentonville, very nice beach to swim, very spread out camp sites with trees for shade, only about 40-50% full after Labor Day so no reservation is needed, a nice boat launch, and cost only $13 / night for a tent site with a national parks senior pass.

The cons are: extremely hilly with few flat sites, closest toilet to us was 200 feet up a steep hill, and bathrooms were not clean or well maintained. It would be very difficult for large motor homes and 5th wheel trailers to navigate the road and sites in this park. Even with a van and tent, we found the steep hills to be too much to really enjoy even a casual walk.

We previously had stayed at another Corps campground called Waveland, 13 miles south of Mount Magazine. It was a much nicer facility in every way, very clean and better maintained. It is hard to believe the 2 campgrounds are run by the same organization given the stark difference in quality.

Overall, we would not go back to Prairie Creek if there was a better alternative.

For the second summer in a row, we stayed at PC while visiting family in Rogers. The campground is less than five miles from downtown Rogers, so very convenient. Great access to Beaver Lake, if water sports are your thing. No hiking trails in the vicinity, but you can get your exercise walking up and down the hillside this campground is built on. Great T-mobile signal. We were in site 65, W/E. Several others have noted that many sites are perpendicular to the road, requiring a 90 degree turn. This is true of site 65. If the site across the road from us wasn't empty the entire time, I don't think we could have pulled our camper into or out of our site. Poor design. The site itself isn't private and the asphalt is crumbling. The men's restroom/shower facility wasn't even ventilated, which was overpowering during July! The campground is certainly adequate and there are good reasons to stay here--proximity to Rogers and water sports, for example. However, if you're looking for any kind of "wilderness" experience, this isn't the place for you.

I looked last minute for a weekend site and was lucky enough to score 3 days! This c/g is hilly and wooded and has 112 sites over quite a large area, however, many sites are situated close together and many roads are quite narrow. (luckily my guy is an expert at backing in) Sites are asphalt and most are pretty narrow. Ours certainly needs some TLC as there are potholes, but it was ok. Our site (64) was pretty level (some are not at all!) and there is no lake view, but most sites do not have a view. The best sites for larger RV's are probably in the loop in the 70's. it is a downhill walk to the lake and boat launch. Our site has a concrete picnic table. Some sites have a covered table. They need more trash dumpsters on site. Our site had 50 amp and water (the c/g has upgraded it's electrical and many now have 50 although ours was advertised as 30amp) Dump is at the exit.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and the park was buzzing with activity. Our site (55) overlooked the lake and was quite near the swimming area and the pavillions. Our site was about 150 feet from the next site over, and about 200 feet from the restrooms. The site is also near the boat ramp, so there was a lot of action due to a fishing tournament. However, once the weekenders left, it was a very quiet experience. As the sun got lower people started clearing out. Once gone, we felt like we had the entire campground to ourselves. There were a few trailers off in the distance, but we were the only ones on our side of the campgrounds.

Signage here really needs to be improved. When trying to find our site, we passed the turn and ended up at a dead end. I had to back up the trailer about 50 feet in order to make the turn. I feel sorry for the folks that book sites on the dead end as there is no room to maneuver.

As others have pointed out, parking can be a challenge. However, we have a small trailer, so it was not too bad. However, there was a large bump leading into the site that added to the difficulty of backing in.

The site itself was quite large, but other than the pad, it was quite unlevel. There was also no room for mistakes when backing up as there were drop offs to the sides.

My other complaint is the lack of trash cans. The main trash dumpsters were located at the dump station. I am not sure if I saw any others in the park.

The good news is the park is close to Rogers and Bentonville, and an easy drive to War Eagle Mill and Eureka Springs. There is a convenience store located a few miles from the entrance and if you need ice or other supplies, this is your best bet as there is nothing within the park itself.

My noise rating should be qualified as noise during the week. I believe weekends are probably quite loud.

Check in at Prairie Creek was a breeze and there are a lot of stores close by in case you forget those marshmallows or beverage items. Next time, though I think we will reserve a spot not quite so close to the entrance. Cars were blazing in and out of the camp all night and the trucks trying to pull their boats up the incline leading out to the exit were more than a slight annoyance.

Favorite part of the camp had to have been the swimming! The water was a much welcomed respite from the heat of the day. It does tend to get crowded by locals who come and use the park during the day.