Griffin Ridge Camping, Kingston

Stephanie is an absolutely wonderful host! She made us feel welcome and gave impeccable directions. The camp is so well equipped! We loved lounging in the hammock, the fire pit was perfect for s'mores, but our favorite feature was the pavilion. It was perfect for family meals, card games and a place to get away from the sun. If you are on the edge, don't be! Stay here! You won't regret it :-)

One of the nicest campsites I've stayed at! They've really thought of everything from keeping a supply of fire wood to covered patio table and even a compostable toilet. The location was gorgeous, albeit a few miles of gravel roads to get there (I drive a low clearance sedan but made it just fine). Great proximity to the Upper Buffalo River area, with great swimming and hiking nearby.

This was the best camping trip I've ever had and was an amazing first camping experience for my friend. Stephanie had a lot to do with that! She really made us feel special and the campsite was way more than we expected.

It was set up just right and so comfortable. Tents were up on the platform. We cooked under the pavillion and made smores at the fire pit. There is a charcoal grill but we used a portable camping stove. There is also a camping toilet close by.

We hiked Sweden Creek Falls and Lost Valley Trail. I HIGHLY recommend going over to Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch. They were also the nicest people we ever met! [Is everyone here this nice??? We didn't come across an unkind person in AR.] We paid $10/person to hike on their 3000 acres and it was more than worth it. Not only was theirs the most beautiful view I've ever seen in my life, we got to drive through a herd of bison and saw a baby buffalo! They said their overlook was comparable to Whitaker Point. I have to say though, their overlook was absolutely breathtaking. I can't imagine what Whitaker Point would do to me.

That being said, if you have a truck or a 4x4 vehicle, bring it! I did just fine with the dirt, rocky, sometimes steep and bumpy roads in my Scion XB but we should have taken a truck rather than save on gas with my car. You'll be able to get to more places to do more things in a truck. If you have ATVs, this is the perfect spot. Bring those too.

Also, double check with Stephanie the directions to whatever trails you're doing. Google will send you some crazy ways and she's very knowledgeable of the area. Service is also very spotty. Print out her directions she sends you just in case. It's funny the campsite gets very good cell service, but driving around you will lose it. Download maps and directions to your phone if you can.

WE WILL BE BACK!!!!!!!!

Excellent campsite in the best county in the Ozarks.

Stephanie’s spot is absolutely beautiful and very private! The platform worked wonderfully for the two tents our group brought and the covered table area and beautifully designed fire pit were perfect places to handout and make food. We didn’t use the charcoal grill, but that was also a great feature to the spot. The firewood was dry and Stephanie supplied plenty. It was wonderful having a clean toilet of our own to use as well! There is so much nearby including great places to hike and swim. We went to Buffalo Rider Wilderness Ranch to hike one of our days and loved our time there! Stephanie’s land was also large and private enough for us to let our dogs off leash to explore, which they loved! As wonderful as the site was (and it truly was wonderful), the highlight might have been the host. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a host as generous and caring as Stephanie! She was checking in throughout our trip to make sure we had everything we needed, gave us amazing suggestions, was quick to offer any help we might need, and even offered her place up to us for an extra night free when we had car trouble and arrived late! We took her up on on the extra night since we loved being there so much, and she was so generous and offered us a place to shower when she had an empty cabin. You truly can’t go wrong staying at Stephanie’s place and I can’t recommend it highly enough! We won’t be staying anywhere else when going down to Buffalo River in the future!

Host was great and had a wonderful time. Thank you!

We really enjoyed our stay at Griffin Ridge, Steph was incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful. Awesome communication! Beware that hipcamp's location on the map is not where the campsite is located, it is about 20 miles away (about a 1 hour drive due to the mountains) from the green dot on the map. Steph sent us accurate directions using google maps after we booked the site, but make sure to double check the location when you are planning your trip because the area is quite remote and we had bad cell service once we reached the area.

Stephanie’s campsite was awesome! Really off the beaten path down miles of country gravel roads. The site has great amenities like a wooden platform for your tent, a covered gazebo with table and chairs for eating, a covered charcoal grill area, and a large stone ringed fire pit. They provided wood and charcoal for the first night. Stephanie brought us some gas to help us get the fire started. She also gave great recommendations on kayaking and hikes based on what we wanted. Really great communication during our entire stay! The sky around the camp is dark, so nice for stargazing. We also had deer grazing one morning. I would definitely recommend this site if you’re looking for rustic and private.

An amazing spot to camp! So quiet and secluded. Hiked Sweden Falls trail. Stephanie was an amazing host and this location was in tip-top shape!! Loved the platform for our tent, and i could have slept in the hammock for days straight. Highly recommend for a weekend away!