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Arkansas Free Camping Rank and Rules

Arkansas ranks #11 of 50 for free camping

Arkansas ranks #11 of 50 for free camping, with 11.9 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Arkansas free camping in numbers

Arkansas ranks #11 of 50 for free camping, with 11.9 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#11
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
11.9
Known dispersed sites
620
Land area
52,035 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
334
State-land rule
Marked sites only
Forest restrictions tracked
0

Dispersed camping in Arkansas

Can you camp on Arkansas state land?

Marked sites only. The Game and Fish Commission keeps camping to marked areas. It publishes 552 camping points, about 19 of them on leased timber-company land. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Arkansas?

Our records hold no National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in Arkansas. That is not the same as having none, so check the forest's own alerts page before you camp.

How far from a forest road can you camp in Arkansas?

  • Ozark-St. Francis, Ouachita, and George Washington & Jefferson National Forests (150 ft). All three publish the same 150 ft figure for how far off the road you may camp.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.