Tent Camping near Malvern, Arkansas

Ouachita Campground at Edendell

15 RV Sites, 10 Tent Sites, 2 Lodges

Ouachita Campground at Edendell in Oden, AR, offers 15 full-hookup back-in RV sites, 2 lodges, and 10 tent sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 60 feet. Sites come in two categories, 20/30/50-amp back-ins and deluxe mountain view sites, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table, and ADA-accessible sites are available. The campground is rated big rig friendly, open all year, and offers EV charging — rare in the Ouachitas. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a dump station, and kayak rentals cover the rest. Pets are welcome, and there's a playground. Walk-ins are welcome but reservations are recommended, especially for the guest house. River and creek frontage, a pond, walking trails, hiking, swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, birding, and dark-sky stargazing fill the forested grounds, with off-roading and boating nearby. Oden sits between Mena and the Talimena Scenic Drive on one side and Mount Ida — the self-proclaimed Crystal Mining Capital of the World — on the other, in the geographic heart of the Ouachita Mountains. Rates for sites, lodges, and tent spots are on the booking page. Deluxe mountain view sites book first.

from $20/night

Rollin Oaks Park

20 RV Sites, 226 Tent Sites

Rollin Oaks Park in Center Ridge, Arkansas, offers back-in RV sites and extensive primitive tent camping in the wooded river valley country of Conway County, with rigs accepted to 30 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. This is a nature-first, 55-plus community that prioritizes the Arkansas woodland setting over amenity infrastructure — and prices accordingly. Back-in sites accommodate rigs to 30 feet, which suits smaller trailers and vans rather than large coaches. Primitive tent camping makes up the bulk of the property's capacity. A dump station and firewood are available on site. Guests should arrive largely self-contained; the infrastructure here is deliberately minimal. On-site programming is simple and traditional — a playground, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and seasonal special events, which is what family primitive camping has always been built around. Hiking runs from the property, and the dark rural sky makes for genuinely good stargazing. Pets are welcome. Supplies require a short drive, so stock up before arrival. Center Ridge Grocery and Quick Stop are each 6.7 miles out with food, drink, gas, and ice, the Dollar General in Center Ridge is 6.2 miles, and Birdtown Grocery is 7.4 miles. Conway County sits where the Ouachita foothills roll north toward the Arkansas River valley, in the rural interior that has kept the unhurried character larger campgrounds systematically remove. Petit Jean Mountain — among the most scenically spectacular and historically significant sites in Arkansas — is within practical range. The park serves the Arkansas camping season, with spring and fall delivering the most comfortable conditions for primitive camping. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends.