9 Waterfront Campgrounds In Arkansas With Swim Beaches To Visit In 2026
Right about now I start thinking seriously about camping season in Arkansas. The weather is still on the cool side, but it won’t be long before the lakes warm up and the swim beaches start getting busy again.
I like planning ahead because the best waterfront sites tend to book fast once warm weather rolls in. A campground with a real swim beach makes summer trips feel easy and relaxed.
You can walk down to the water whenever the afternoon heat sets in and cool off without packing up the car or driving anywhere. Over the years, I’ve found a handful of places where swimming and camping just go together naturally.
These nine waterfront campgrounds are some of the best spots I know for staying close to the shoreline and making the most of a 2026 trip.
1. Lake Catherine State Park, Hot Springs
Pulling into Lake Catherine State Park for the first time, I genuinely could not believe a place this beautiful was just sitting quietly off the highway near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The park sits at 1200 Catherine Park Road, Hot Springs, AR 71913, located between the Ouachita Mountains and the glittering surface of Lake Catherine.
A designated swim beach gives campers a clean, safe place to splash around, and the water here has that rare blue-green clarity that makes you want to stay in until your fingers prune.
Campsites range from basic tent spots to full-hookup RV pads, so the park works equally well for weekend warriors and families hauling a big rig.
Fishing is serious business on Lake Catherine, with bass and bream practically daring you to drop a line off the dock in the evening.
Hiking trails wind through the surrounding forest, giving you a chance to stretch your legs between swim sessions and spot wildlife like white-tailed deer and wild turkey.
The park also offers rental cabins if sleeping on the ground is not your idea of a good time, and those cabins book up fast in summer, so planning early is a smart move.
Hot Springs National Park is only about a 20-minute drive away, making this campground a great base for exploring the wider region.
Every time I pack up my tent here, I find myself already checking the calendar for when I can come back to this peaceful corner of the Ouachitas.
2. Lake Dardanelle State Park, Russellville
Straddling the Arkansas River Valley like it owns the place, Lake Dardanelle State Park delivers a camping experience that feels genuinely bigger and bolder than most state park options in the region.
Located at 100 State Park Drive, Russellville, AR 72802, the park wraps around the edge of Lake Dardanelle, a massive 34,000-acre reservoir that gives you plenty of room to swim, boat, and fish without feeling crowded.
The swim beach here is well-maintained and popular with local families, featuring a roped-off area that makes it comfortable for younger kids and nervous first-time swimmers.
Campsites sit close enough to the water that you can hear the lake at night, which is the kind of white noise that no sleep app has ever quite managed to replicate.
Bald eagles are a regular sight over the water, especially in the cooler months, and spotting one while you eat breakfast at your campsite is the kind of moment that makes you put down your phone.
The park’s visitor center has exhibits on the natural and cultural history of the Arkansas River Valley, adding a little depth to what is already a visually impressive destination.
Boat rentals are available nearby, and paddling out onto Dardanelle on a calm morning is one of those experiences that feels almost unfairly good.
Mount Nebo State Park is a short drive away, giving hikers a rewarding side trip with panoramic views of the valley below.
Russellville itself has solid restaurants and grocery stores, so resupplying mid-trip is never a hassle.
3. Lake Ouachita State Park, Mountain Pine
Lake Ouachita holds a reputation among Arkansas outdoor enthusiasts that borders on reverent, and after spending a few nights at the state park, it is very easy to understand why.
The park is located at 5451 Mountain Pine Road, Mountain Pine, AR 71956, right on the edge of one of the clearest lakes in the entire United States.
Visibility in the water can reach up to 12 feet in some areas, making swimming here feel less like splashing around and more like floating inside a giant aquarium.
The swim beach is protected and well-signed, with picnic tables nearby so you can dry off and eat lunch without walking far from the water.
Scuba diving is actually a popular activity on Lake Ouachita, and the park is one of the few Arkansas state parks where certified divers can explore submerged formations beneath the surface.
Campsites vary from primitive tent spots in the trees to full-hookup sites closer to the water, giving solo campers and large family groups plenty of options.
The Ouachita National Forest surrounds the park on multiple sides, which means hiking trails extend far beyond the park boundaries if you want a longer adventure.
Sunsets over Lake Ouachita have a particular quality, all pinks and deep oranges reflected across that impossibly clear water, that makes sitting at the shoreline feel like a reward in itself.
If you only visit one waterfront campground in Arkansas in 2026, this one deserves serious consideration for the top spot.
4. DeGray Lake Resort State Park, Bismarck
Few campgrounds in the entire South can compete with the sheer range of things to do at DeGray Lake Resort State Park, which sits at 2027 State Park Entrance Road, Bismarck, AR 71929.
Arkansas’s only true resort state park, DeGray Lake comes with a lodge, a golf course, tennis courts, and a marina, all wrapped around a 13,800-acre lake that practically begs you to jump in.
The swim beach is one of the most popular features here, with clean sand, calm water near the shoreline, and enough space that it never feels too packed even on a busy July weekend.
Campsites at DeGray range from basic tent sites shaded by tall pines to premium RV spots with full hookups, meaning the park welcomes every kind of camper from minimalists to those who bring the whole house on wheels.
The lake is a well-known destination for striped bass fishing, and it is not unusual to see serious anglers launching boats at dawn while families are still sleeping in their tents.
Guided trail rides on horseback are available through the park, which adds a fun activity for kids who are not quite old enough to appreciate a long hike.
The on-site restaurant at the lodge is a genuine convenience if cooking over a camp stove loses its appeal after day three.
Bismarck is a small town, so the park itself provides most of what you need, which honestly adds to the feeling of being truly away from it all.
DeGray rewards visitors who stay longer, revealing new corners and quiet coves the longer you explore its shoreline.
5. Jacksonport State Park, Jacksonport
Sitting where the White River and Black River meet, Jacksonport State Park has a different personality from the mountain lake campgrounds on this list, and that difference is exactly what makes it worth the drive.
The park is located at 205 Avenue Street, Jacksonport, AR 72075, in the small historic community of Jacksonport, which was once a thriving 19th-century river port town.
The swim beach here is along the White River, giving you the experience of swimming in a moving river rather than a still lake, which is a genuinely different and refreshing sensation on a hot Arkansas summer afternoon.
The Mary Woods No. 2 riverboat is permanently docked at the park and open for tours, connecting visitors to the region’s rich steamboat history in a way that feels surprisingly immersive.
Campsites are shaded and spread along the riverbank, so you get that constant background soundtrack of flowing water that turns even a restless night into something close to restful.
Fishing for catfish and bass in the White River is a beloved local tradition, and the park’s location makes it easy to set up a line in the evening after a long swim.
The surrounding Delta landscape is flat and wide-open, which is a striking contrast to the Ozark and Ouachita settings of other parks on this list.
Jacksonport is not on every traveler’s radar, and honestly that is part of its charm, because you are far more likely to share the park with locals than with crowds of out-of-state tourists.
History, river swimming, and quiet evenings by the water make this park a genuinely underrated choice for 2026.
6. Woolly Hollow State Park, Greenbrier
Compact, quiet, and genuinely charming, Woolly Hollow State Park is the kind of place that reminds you that a great camping trip does not need to involve a giant reservoir or a five-star marina.
Located at 82 Woolly Hollow Road, Greenbrier, AR 72058, the park centers around Lake Bennett, a small, calm lake that is perfect for swimming, paddling, and lazy afternoons with a fishing pole.
The swim beach at Lake Bennett has that ideal mix of shallow entry water for little ones and deeper swimming area for stronger swimmers, making it a reliable choice for families with kids of different ages.
Paddleboats and canoes are available to rent at the park, and gliding around the quiet lake on a weekday morning when few other visitors are around feels like a private paradise.
The surrounding forest is threaded with hiking trails that pass through hardwood stands and along creek drainages, giving you a taste of the Ozark foothills that define this part of central Arkansas.
Campsites are clean and well-maintained, with enough space between them that you do not feel like you are camping in your neighbor’s backyard.
The park draws a loyal crowd of central Arkansas families who return year after year, and the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere reflects that community feel.
Greenbrier is a growing town just north of Conway, so picking up groceries or grabbing a meal before heading to camp is easy and convenient.
Small in size but big on atmosphere, Woolly Hollow earns its spot on this list by delivering a consistently peaceful and enjoyable waterfront experience.
7. Crowley’s Ridge State Park, Paragould
Crowley’s Ridge is one of the most geologically unusual landforms in the entire United States, a narrow, forested ridge rising out of the flat Mississippi Delta, and the state park that sits on it is just as distinctive.
Located at 209 County Road 757, Paragould, AR 72450, Crowley’s Ridge State Park surrounds a small lake that offers one of the more surprising swim beaches in Arkansas’s entire state park system.
Swimming in a lake perched on a wooded ridge in the middle of the Delta is the kind of experience that sounds made up until you are actually there, towel around your shoulders, watching dragonflies skim the surface.
The beach area is sandy and clean, with a gentle slope into the water that works well for kids and adults alike, and the surrounding trees provide shade that makes the whole area feel cooler than the open-air Delta surrounding it.
Hiking trails on the ridge pass through a forest of tulip poplars and oaks that look more like Appalachian woodland than anything you would expect to find in northeast Arkansas.
The park’s campground is small and intimate, which means you are unlikely to deal with the noise and crowding that sometimes plague larger state parks on summer weekends.
Paragould is the nearest city, about ten miles away, with enough dining and shopping options to handle any supply run without much effort.
The park’s unique geology and ecology make it a natural conversation starter with fellow campers, and the staff are genuinely enthusiastic about explaining what makes the ridge so special.
Coming here feels like finding a secret that northeast Arkansas has been keeping to itself for years.
8. Lake Charles State Park, Powhatan
North Arkansas has its own quiet magic, and Lake Charles State Park in Powhatan captures it better than almost anywhere else in the region.
Sitting at 100 State Park Road, Powhatan, AR 72458, the park wraps around a 645-acre lake that sits in a landscape of rolling hills, hardwood forest, and wide-open skies that feel a world away from any city.
The swim beach at Lake Charles is one of the more relaxed and unhurried spots on this entire list, drawing mostly local families and repeat visitors who have figured out that this corner of Arkansas is worth protecting from too much publicity.
The water is clear and inviting, and the shallow entry area makes it easy for younger swimmers to build confidence before heading into deeper water off the dock.
Fishing on Lake Charles is consistently strong, with crappie, bass, and catfish all present in good numbers, so it is easy to spend a full evening working the shoreline after the swim crowd heads back to their campsites.
The nearby Powhatan Historic State Park adds a fascinating cultural layer to any visit, with a preserved 19th-century courthouse and jail that tell the story of this once-busy river county seat.
Campsites at Lake Charles are shaded and comfortable, with hookup options available for RVs and a separate tent area for those who prefer a quieter, more wooded setting.
The pace of life out here is slow in the best possible way, and after a few days at Lake Charles, you start to wonder why you were ever in such a hurry.
9. Brady Mountain Campground, Royal
Brady Mountain Campground sits on a peninsula jutting into Lake Ouachita, which means you are surrounded by water on three sides, a setup that makes every morning feel like you woke up on a private island.
Located along Brady Mountain Road in Royal, AR 71968, this U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground is one of the most beloved waterfront camping spots in the entire Ouachita National Forest area.
The swim beach here is sandy and well-used, with that impossibly clear Lake Ouachita water lapping at the shore and a view of forested hills stretching across the horizon in every direction.
Unlike the state parks on this list, Brady Mountain has a more rugged, back-to-basics feel that appeals to campers who want to feel truly embedded in the landscape rather than visiting a managed resort.
Boat ramps and dock access make this campground a favorite among water-skiers, kayakers, and anglers who want to spend more time on the water than on land.
The campground has multiple loops spread across the peninsula, so finding a site with a water view or direct lake access is very achievable if you book early enough in the season.
Sunsets from Brady Mountain are the kind that stop conversations mid-sentence, with the light hitting the hills across the lake in layers of gold and deep shadow that no camera quite does justice.
Royal is a small community, so coming well-stocked is the smart play, though Hot Springs is only about 20 miles away for any last-minute needs.
Brady Mountain is the kind of campground that turns casual visitors into loyal regulars after just one stay.