ARKANSAS - CAMPGROUND REVIEWS

Carter Cove Corps of Engineers Campground - Ola, Arkansas  - RATING - 4.5/5

DATE OF STAY - October 2018

WIFI - No 

ATT - Yes 2 bars - 4 bars with WeBoost

VERIZON - Yes 3 bars - 5 bars with WeBoost

COST - $18 Nightly  $9 with Access Pass

DISCOUNTS - Access Pass

SERVICES - Water available with some at sites, 30 Amp power, Accessible Flush Toilets, Beach Access, Boat Ramp, Boating, Drinking Water, Dump Station, Fish Cleaning Stations, Fishing, Flush Toilets, Picnic Shelters, Playground, Showers, Swimming, Water Spigot

REVIEW - This is a very nice park. There are two camping loops. Loop 2 has just been improved with new paved roads, mostly level newly paved sites, covered picnic table, and water on site. Loop 1 has yet to be improved. The sites are gravel and many are not level, short and some are washed out badly. . 

Loop 2 sites are very large abd spread out.  However, the entrance road is fairly narrow and entry into your site can be challenging with an RV or Coach approaching 40' long. I had little difficulty putting our 40' coach into the site but be mindful of trees that are near the road while backing into your site. 

For those of you who enjoy happy hour, this is a DRY county so prepare accordingly. Nearest shopping is 35 minutes away. No beer or wine sold in grocery stores including Wallmart in Rusellville.

There are 34 RV sites in the park and our site was site #29 

  

Chicot State Park - Lakeview, Arkansas - RATING - 4.8/5 

DATE OF STAY - October 2018

WIFI - No
ATT - Yes 1 bar, No improvement with Weboost
VERIZON - Yes, 3 bars, 4 bars and fast with Weboost
COST - $34 + tax Nightly - $18.34 with Access Pass

DISCOUNTS - Access Pass

SERVICES - Paved roads, paved sites, FHU's, 20/30/50 AMP, Picnic table, Fire pit, Lantern hanger, boat launch, fishing docks, fishing, boating, boat rental, bike rental, marina, Nice visitors center, trash bins and recycling bins. seasonal swimming pool, laundry playgrounds and indoor pavilions for groups and reunions. The marina store sells food, bait and tackle. Warm-season, Lakeview evening barge tours of a swampy area at the lake's north end reveal alligators, owls, raccoons and other wildlife.

REVIEW - I would have given this park a 5/5 rating but the roads to the park are very narrow. The park itself is a gem, it is on an oxbow of the Mississippi River that was cut off from the main river 600 years ago.  It is North Americas and Arkansas's largest natural lake at 20 miles long and a mile wide in place. The RV sites are very big, back in and pull through sites available. Though I didn't fish here I am told it is an exceptional fishing lake. It is the largest natural lake in Arkansas. There are 14 cabins and 122 campsites within the park.

Our campsite was a pull through #7  

Lake Fort Smith State Park, Winslow, Arkansas - RATING - 4.6/5

DATE OF STAY -  August and April of 2017

WIFI - No  

ATT - Yes 2 bars

VERIZON - No or very spotty

COST - $32 Nightly  FHU's (low water pressure 20 psi)

DISCOUNTS - Senior Citizen and Disabled

SERVICES - FHU'S

REVIEW - Concrete pads, wonderful setting with fall views of the lake. There are only 30 campsites in this park so make reservations early. Within 30 miles of Fayetteville, Arkansas and the University of Arkansas Nearest grocery shopping is in Alma, Arkansas

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Rocky Branch C.O.E. Campground, Beaver Lake, Arkansas - RATING - 1.5/5

DATE OF STAY - May 2017

WIFI - No

ATT - Not used 

VERIZON - No bars

SERVICES - Water, 30amp, water pressure 18# and you need a 150' hose to fill your tank.

COST - $24 Nightly (way to high for this dump)  15/30 AMP  shower house, dump and trash bin are 1 mile away

DISCOUNTS - 1/2 price with "Access Pass", "America the Beautiful Senior Pass" and the "America the Beautiful Pass" provides free access into the park.REVIEW - No water anywhere near the camping loops, The power pedestals are in deplorable condition, website says 50 amps and there is only 20 and 30 amps, no sewer. Old growth pine trees dead from the pine beetle infestation right next to many rv sites just waiting to fall in a storm. The sites hadn't been mowed in months, debris everywhere including garbage from previous campers. The campground hosts seemingly did very little because they had no support from the ranger staff. STAY AWAY FROM THIS HELL HOLE. Sites are not level and some are extremely hard to get into. NOTHING IS MAINTAINED.

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