Camping At Buckville Campground On Lake Ouachita in Arkansas

Buckville recreation area and campground is a primitive campground located on the north end of Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. It’s a free campground run by the Army Corps Of Engineers and has a 14 day stay limit.

There are around five spots at the campground with a couple being right on the lakeshore. It is geared toward tent and car camping and I don’t think anything over twenty feet would fit at the particular spot we were at.

During our stay we saw people camping across the peninsula, but never explored it to see what camping was available there.

I also read there was a boat ramp in the area that people camped near. We did not see a boat ramp either, but didn’t really explore the peninsula much.

After some research to write this post I’m beginning to think we missed another camping spot in the area.

This is dry camping so no water or hook-ups can be found here.

There are vault toilets, but they were closed during our visit ( I believe it was the off-season). There is only one trashcan near the bathrooms so whatever you pack in make sure you pack out. Leashed pets are allowed just please pick up after them.

Most sites had a concrete picnic table and metal firepit with a grill covering. A lantern post and pedestal grill were also located at most of the sites. Please place campfires in rings only and make sure all sparks are out before leaving camp or going to bed.

There is plenty of shade here, but if you’re running solar don’t fret. We still managed to get enough sun to power our batteries most days. We only had to run our generator for a couple hours on a few different days to top off.

If you have to run a generator keep in mind campground quiet hours are 10 pm-6 am.

Let’s talk about cell service while we we’re camping here.

We have both AT&T and Verizon and I believe both worked, but were a little weak. They got much better with our booster though.

It’s been a while since we visited so I can’t be sure. Moving ahead I’m gonna start taking notes at each camp we visit while we’re there so I’ll know when making a review in the future.

We were lucky and snagged a large spot right on the shore of Lake Ouachita. If you’ve never been this lake is gorgeous. It has all these islands in it that are perfect for exploring. We kayaked multiple times during our stay at multiple camps around the lake.

According to the locals and rangers it’s also great for fishing.

Jamey and I didn’t really have much luck though. One ranger we saw even spent half an hour talking with us and going through our fishing gear giving us tips. I forget his name, but we saw him multiple times and he was a super nice guy.

If you like to swim, the water in the lake is perfect. The campground actually has a little roped off swimming area with a beach included.

Hot Springs National Park is an hour drive away and it’s the reason we chose this spot to begin with. It was the closest free camping spot we could find to the park. We ended up not making it to the park though.

Truthfully, we ended up not leaving camp at all during our stay. We were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to just relax and take it all in.

Which reminds me, make sure you are completely stocked up on food and supplies before heading out to camp here for any extended length of time. There really isn’t anywhere close to go shopping.

We had a great time here and would stay at this spot again in the future. The sunsets and sunrises here are spectacular. It got a little busy on the weekends and I imagine it’s busier in the warm months, because of the swimming area.

We only had other campers stay for a day or two before moving on and being replaced by another. Many nights we were the only ones there and the solitude was great.

It’s a quiet and safe camping spot on a beautiful lake I would love to spend time at again.