Stephens Park Campground

We stayed in site 4. All sites were level, gravel covered and had full hookups. Site 7 had the sewer connection uphill of the pad. Sites were well spaced out and had large shade trees. The views of Lake Hamilton River were pleasant/picturesque. However, the restrooms were unacceptable. The men’s toilet was backed up and unusable for our entire 5 day stay. The showers had hot water but the hooks were broken so there was no way to hang towels, etc. We were disappointed in the cleanliness of the restroom facilities.

Full hook ups for $34/night is a steal! We were very pleasantly surprised with this campground - we are usually boondockers but when we need to stay in a campground we prefer recreation.gov campgrounds or state parks so this recreation.gov campground was luxury for us! Small campground with only 9 sites so it nice and quiet which is just what we like and the spots were each huge and quite level! My only small complaint was they have super bright night lighting in the campground and our spot specifically felt like we had a spotlight on it.

The above rate reflects the 50% senior pass rate.
As others have stated, this a small campground in one loop just off the road. My site (7) was the closest to the road, but it is not a busy road and very quiet at night. Sites here are large and well spread out. Any sized rig would have no trouble getting here and backing into a site. All sites are level and all gravel with full hook-ups (a rarity for a COE campground) with a fire ring, lantern hook and picnic table. Utilites are located at the back of each site. All in all an excellent camp.
While here, I took a stroll to the scenic overlook atop the dam. Uphill most of the way and about a mile walk from the campground. Very picturesque up there. On the way back, I went to the other side of the park, across the river from the campground. Very happy to stumble across a trail system. With rain threatening, I went about 1.5 miles into the trail and thoroughly enjoyed the out and back hike through the woods. A very well maintained trail, which connects with other trails. Could easily see doing about a 5 to 8 mile hike on these trails. It was a pleasant surprise to find this trail. Wish it didn't rain, or I would have explored further.
A very usable (2 to 3 bars) Verizon signal here. Streamed with no issues. A great stop if in the Hot Springs area.

Really beautiful off the road campground. Only 9 sites, but really great. As others said, it’s really close to the main road, but traffic wasn’t too bad especially at night. The creek was beautiful and provided a lot of fun for our kids throwing rocks. We even took our camping chairs down there and stuck our feet in the water for a refresh. Someone came through to check camping passes and change garbage. Would definitely come back!

Rate per night reflection Access Pass. Be sure you follow the email confirmation directions or put in Stephens Park Recreation Area, Blakely Dam Rd, Mountain Pine, AR 71956 as there is also Lake Ouachita State Park in the area. We arrived at this wonderful little COE with 9 sites and headed into back-in site 3 with FHUs. After we settled, we self-registered per instructions on the information board at the entrance. Soon after, a park ranger came through and verified our information and replaced the yellow self registration tag with a green one. Site 3 is probably the most scenic site in the campground (CG). Site 1 is a good site and will take over a 40’ rig, but you would need to park your tow vehicle or toad in the parking slots next to the site. As other reviewers stated there is parking between sites 1 and 3 so site 3 gets foot traffic along and behind the campsite due to the easy access to the water and fantastic view. We got a handful of OTA channels and 2 bars on Verizon, which was manageable for internet and phone calls. The water pressure was about 30-35 psi, the lowest we’ve had in a COE. The water spigot was in the back of the site away from the sewer and electric so we needed about 30’ of water hose. The sites were basically level. There’s a restroom/shower facility that sits up the hill from the CG. Hot Springs offers lots of things to do and all of the big box stores if you need them. Airport Road Animal Hospital is a great option if you need to refill any medications for your pets or need a veterinarian.

Pros:
Water and power hookups
Clean
Quiet
Patrolled by park ranger
Near fishing access
Good Verizon signal

Cons:
You must book a site on recreation.gov first. No first come first serve spots. We did not know that but luckily I was able to book a spot at the location due to it being off season. Just a heads up!
While totally functional, showers look like something out of Shawshank redemption. Lol.

The bad first. Close to the road, no enforcement, shower heads and controls are in need of replacement.
The good. Small yet plenty of space between sites. Plenty of showers and clean restrooms. The river is close and provides a beautiful view. The hiking in and around the dam was challenging and lacking in humans. Saw plenty of wildlife.
Warning: I don’t know if this is common but we encountered a squatter upon return to our site after heading to Hot Springs. We have a class C and unhook upon leaving. Our card with reservation information was clearly on the post. He had his tent set up and belongings all over our site. He provided five different stories before moving to an open site. He never paid and the enforcement officer never came. It may be that locals have learned that enforcement is not present. Be aware. The sites are visible from the road and items left unsupervised may acquire a new owner.