Joplin

Show on map 870-867-4472 lakeouachita@usace.army.mil

303 Campground Rd.
Mt. Ida, AR 71957

Overview

Joplin Campground on Lake Ouachita is an excellent destination for pristine lakefront camping. Joplin is perched on a slender peninsula with plenty of attractive scenic views of the water and surrounding mountain terrain.

World-class striper fishing goes on in the lake, and wildlife watchers can find everything from bobcats to rare freshwater jellyfish.

Click here for the Lake Ouachita Virtual Tour.

Recreation

Prized as one of the clearest lakes in the nation, Ouachita Lake is ideal for scuba diving.

Visitors also enjoy hiking, biking, scenic driving, water skiing, fishing and hunting, as well.

Facilities

All 59 campsites have electric hookups, but keep in mind the spaces are small and unpaved. Campsite pad lengths vary greatly from site to site due to the terrain. No campsite lengths are posted on the website due to the varianciances of camper slidout configurations and the visitor trailer towing skills. For questions contact the fee booth at 870-867-4472. Water hookups are not available, but a water faucet is located in each loop. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp and a swim beach.

Natural Features

Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of Central Arkansas, Lake Ouachita spans a surface area of over 40,000 acres, making it the biggest lake completely within the state of Arkansas. The region has a climate with four seasons. Spring and fall are mild, summer is hot and humid, and winter is variable with temperatures ranging from below freezing on up to the 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Contact Info

This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (501) 767-2101.

Nearby Attractions

Head to Hot Springs National Park and discover how it earned the nickname, "The American Spa." Or take a scenic drive through the 1.8 million-acres of Ouachita National Forest. Boat rentals, horseback riding rentals and the Hickorynut Mountain Vista are not far from the campground.

Camp site features

Across 58 camp sites:

Electric hookups: all 58 sites
Water hookups: 20 of 58 sites
Fire pit: 54 of 58 sites
Picnic table: 54 of 58 sites
Pets allowed: 57 of 58 sites
Longest RV: 20 ft
Largest party: 12 people
Power up to 50 amps
Equipment: RV, Tent, Trailer

Directions

From Hot Springs, Arkansas: Take US 270 west for 23.5 miles to Mountain Harbor Road. Turn right and follow access road three miles north to the park.

Stay Limit

Check in from 6 PM, check out by 4 PM.

Reviews

284 reviews

5 stars

163

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Jon E

Loop:D

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Great park. Beautiful. However, the road repair in the park was absolutely horrible. Black tar and loose chips were encrusted on the bottom of my vehicle. This is very disappointing and unacceptable. Sloppy, cheap road repair. I’ve spent hours cleaning the underside of my vehicle and still haven’t been able to get it all off. I’m never going back.

Claire T

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The location is great - right on the lake, with sunset views. Nice to have a restroom and shower, but they were both quite dusty & had cobwebs. If I'd been in an RV, I probably would have had a great time, but I definitely won't tent camp here again. Within hours of setting up, the ants were on EVERYTHING. I kept all my food & cooler in the car to deter them, but it didn't really make a difference. They even swarmed the inside of my tent in the middle of the night, crawling through the zipper and all over my sleeping pad. I also tried setting up a hammock to sleep in, as the other bugs weren't too bad, but the trees must also be infested as ants crawled on the straps too. On the plus side, they weren't biting, just seemed to be searching for food.

carl d

Loop:B

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

very clean

Bobby T

Loop:B

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Beautiful scenery. Campground host was very polite and helpful. I would recommend to take some spray to treat your camp spot because ants are so bad. Bath houses were very clean. People were polite and turned down their music at the prescribed time. Wildlife was plentiful. Deer would walk right up into your campsite. We will be back many times.

Tommy W

Loop:D

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Everything is always good and has been for years and years

Susan O

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

We put tent up. Went to get something to eat and came back. To lots of ants, I slept with ants even spraying to try to get rid of them. Had to buy 2 cans of spray to try to get rid of them. We packed up and left a day early. I hated it

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve