River & Mountain Tent & RV Camp

Caroline and I spent the day in Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas) and ended up driving west. We didn’t really have a plan and ended up picking up a field scout assignment, Shelly’s site, The Blue Farm on the Irons Fork River in the Ouachita Mountains. We didn’t really know what to expect but were treated to one of the coolest experiences we’ve had yet as Hipcamp field scouts.

Shelly, the host, is super friendly. Her and her son and their dogs, I think there were six, greeted us upon arrival. She gave us a little bit of ice to chill our beer and then gave us a tour of her property. We followed her in our 4Runner and she stopped in two or three places before we parked our vehicles and went for a short hike. She showed us the place that she and her family have called home since 1897 and it left us with a deeper sense of appreciation for her property.

There are lots of different places to choose from when it comes to deciding where to pitch your tent or park your RV. We opted on a spot up on the ridge that looked out onto two small ponds and gave us beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. We had the best time just walking around exploring her land and taking photographs of one another and her dogs.

We ate our dinner as the last of the light faded off to the west and then turned in for the night. It was early but the shorter days and the howling wind had us ready for bed. Sleep was easy due to the lack of light pollution and we were treated to the sounds of coyotes howling in the distance as we drifted off to sleep. At some point the wind died off and there was nothing but stillness and peace.

When we woke up we were surrounded by about a dozen cattle! They were curious about our coffee-making but were friendly enough. Still, we kept our distance and it wasn’t long before they became bored of us and moved on down the pasture. We hated to leave but it had to eventually say goodbye.

We recommend this site to anyone looking to spend some time in a really cool spot in the Ouachita Forest.

This was a pretty private site out in the middle of a very large cow pasture. Even though there was a lot of cow manure everywhere, we were able to find a flat spot next to the trail in to set up our tent (free of poop). It was a pretty rough road to get out to the campsite but we managed to do it even with our hitch basket attached. It was a cold night the night we stayed but it was super quiet in between the howling coyotes and the cows. When we got up pre-dusk, the sky was unbelievably beautiful since it was in its natural state free of light pollution. Shelly was super sweet, allowing us to "freshen up" in her bathroom and showed us around her property. They have several zip lines and she told us we were welcome to us them although we didn't have the time. Overall it was a unique experience we enjoyed. We would definitely stay there again if we ever pass through Arkansas again.

We arrived super late (around midnight) and Shelly made sure we knew how to get to our site by setting up solar lights to guide us. She gave us her number so we could call for any issues/for direction. This was above and beyond what she had to do and we really appreciated it! The site was large and clean with plenty of space to spread everything out and get cozy for the night. Would highly recommend this site!