Ouachita National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 4,257 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 16
- Longest rig
- 80 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 16 campgrounds shown
- Bard Springs Recreation AreaSeason not published
- Belle Starr North Parking/TrailheadSeason not published
- Belle Starr West Parking/TrailheadSeason not published
- Billy Creek Recreation AreaFirst-come, first-served
- Camp ClearforkMay · Reservations accepted
- Cedar Lake Recreation AreaYear round · Reservations accepted
- Charlton Recreation Areato 80 ft · 48 sites · ElectricReservations accepted
- Fourche Mountain Recreation AreaFirst-come, first-served
- Jack Creek Recreation AreaFirst-come, first-served
- Lake Sylvia Recreation AreaLake Sylvia is managed by Arkansas State Parks.
- Little Pines Recreation Areato 65 ft · 9 sites · ElectricReservations accepted
- Shady LakeFirst-come, first-served
- South Fourche Recreation AreaFirst-come, first-served
- Sugar Creek MultiuseSeason not published
- Winding Stair CampgroundFirst-come, first-served
- Wolf Pen GapSeason not published
Ouachita National Forest
The Ouachita National Forest is a vast congressionally-designated National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of extreme-eastern Oklahoma, USA.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Caney Creek Wilderness14,262 acres
- Black Fork Mountain Wilderness13,466 acres
- Poteau Mountain Wilderness11,141 acres
- Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness10,799 acres
- Flatside Wilderness10,142 acres
- Dry Creek Wilderness6,301 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
National parks close enough to pair
Drive to Ouachita the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.