I read the most recent reviews before I booked and I disagree with the negative ones. My husband and I are in a converted van and secured a spot in the park for one night. It was such a pleasant experience! Our spot (fill hook ups for only $34) was adjacent to the creek and under large trees. There are showers for paying guests. Each spot has a charcoal grill and a wood-burning fire pit. I would stay here again. read more

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This could be a very nice campground. The setting is beautiful but the campsites can use some improvements. I was unable to set up my tent because the site was small and too many obstructions. This was more of an RV site than a tent site. They need to advertise that a tent will be challenging. Plus, they need to have hosts on site. They posted a number on their whiteboard, but somehow it got smudged and the number was unreadable. I needed someone to help as a camper was in my site upon arrival. I waited three hours till the people returned to resolve the issue. A host could have been helpful as I needed a different site. read more

This was a great campground close to the park. it was just off the main highway to the hot springs, so very convenient, but far enough away to be in the woods. you do get a bit of road noise in the evening/morning, but overnight is pretty quiet. some sites are near a stream. read more

Nestled in a beautiful gorge with a creek running through. Close to the bathhouse row and great stop on our way through. Quiet and peaceful. Nice hiking trail nearby. However this is mostly built for RVs and our spot didn't have a place for our tent. We were in #39. Was a challenge. Spots are close to each other. There appears to be other spots with some grassy spots for a tent. The street lamps were nice except the one right above my tent that kept it from getting dark. read more

This is a beautiful park because of its location, we also think the price is right since they offer full hookups. The hiking trails are awesome, and it's very close to town. We think they should have a system to know which sites are no longer taken when you arrive, so you can just look for those available sites. We would recommend arriving between 11-12 noon because checkout is at noon, and a lot of people leave then. No showers, no laundry at this RV campground, just FYI. The dump station was closed, they need to fix that even if they have full hookups. read more

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No doubt a beautiful national park campground, very accessible to large RVs. We're it not for a few drawbacks, this would be a five-star campground. 1. Situated next to a fairly busy local roadway used by a lot of heavy trucks. Traffic dies down overnight, but starts pretty early. 2. No Wi-Fi, both good and bad. Can't sit around surfing the net, but everyone needs to go online nowadays just to take care of business. Cell phone reception is adequate. 3. Sites are not quite level. Even the newer installations, which are very nice otherwise, are not level. This should have been addressed during construction. In all, a very nice, small campground that is great for no more than a few nights stay. read more

This was a great stop over. The town was a little ways away took us nearly two hrs round trip the campground itself was ok,! There is no showers but the host said they as soon to be installing a shower! The place was almost full so lots of ppl for beginning of Dec 2023 read more

I would give it an easy five. It's the campground located inside of the Hot Springs National Park. No reservations are available. It's a first come first serve campground that is pretty much an RV catered campground. What makes me categorize it as such? There is no showers. There is a bathroom with a few stalls, but if you're tent camping and in need of a shower, the $30 rate is pricey. But considering the sites include full hook ups, including sewer, that's a pretty good rate for an RV site. It was my first time experiencing the self check-in. There is a building in the center of the campground that houses maps, brochures and the self pay machine. This isn't to be confused or represent the campground as unmanned, because it was very much so attended to. The park ranger was on site and there were also several camp hosts. I must mention that the camp hosts were fantastic... not overbearingly friendly. As we were leaving, one told us that if we ever came back, to let him know and he would pick us up from downtown. The campground was unexpectedly busy, especially for a late summer weekday. Check out is at 12pm, but a lot of people leave earlier. We arrived around 9am and there were only about 5 sites. So, I would recommend you arrive early. It's wooded and most of the sites are shaded. Our site and several others back up to a stream. The wildlife on site and on the trails surrounding add the experience. Bring a camera and your hiking shoes and download the Hot Springs app, there you can find the map and details of the trails. Bathhouse Row and downtown Hot Springs was about a two mile hike on Dead Chief Trail starting from the campground past the communal fire pit area, over the stream and to the left. Then you will see signs guiding you through the Dead Chief Trail. read more

I just got back from a cross country trip (NYC---LA---NYC) and this campground was actually the first one we stayed in. The babbling brook that runs through the campsite is incredible.. since it was early May, it wasn't busy at all, so I slept like a baby to the sound of the water. Also, it cost $10 for the night to pitch my tent which was awesome. No showers, but we basically cleaned off in the mineral bath we took at the bathhouse the next morning (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE! @ BUCKSTAFF BATHHOUSE for only $33, but that's a whole other review). Each site has a table, BBQ pit, and a slice of area for your tent. Clean. I wish I could have stayed longer to hike the trails, but this actually ended up being one of my favorite places on my whole trip and I plan to go back for more hiking and hot springs!! read more

Gulpha Gorge Campground - camping yoga - Campgrounds Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

We did not have reservations, arrived around 8:30 pm. Several sites were empty, don't know if they were reserved. Host had no idea what was reserved or open. Called reserve America and indeed all were reserved. There has to be a better way to free up sites if a no show. Ended up at a Walmart. read more

This campground was dirty, the lock on the only woman's bathroom stall not clogged with feces didn't work, and sites were very close together. read more

This is a great place. The staff on duty was incredibly kind and helpful. The sites are clean. They all have power and water. The running water is at edge of campground and if you're lucky enough you can camp next to it. Bathrooms are ample and clean. (No showers though.) There's cliffs. It's beautiful. Some bummer parts are that not every campsite has a fire ring, a major road runs right by the campground and it's busy all the time, and the campground sites are definitely built with RV's in mind and not tent campers. I'm a tent camper. I'd come here again and have already recommended to others. read more

I had a terrifying experience here. Was totally harassed by the federal park police almost upon arrival. Drove in at night, parked outside the campground to check in in the morning and within 30 mins I am being ID'd and having my plates ran while being accused of being on drugs, drunk and stealing my vehicle and it gets worse from there. I am cleared, told I can stay to go online and try to check in, I find no availability so start looking around online for possibilities. This time I am blocked in and surrounded by three federal police park rangers demanding I exit my vehicle and it gets worse from there. I refuse to because I don't want them grabbing and arresting me so I end up leaving with a ticket that warrants my return to Arkansas even though they know I am in a cross country move stopping in Arkansas, accidentally parked in the wrong area, happy to move but nope- had to pay hundreds, deal with complete harassments and shaming for weeks until I could clear this from my home state. Animals- predators- disgusting and when I tried to make a complaint? Stone walled- still have no idea of their names. Be ware!!! I left Arkansas immediately not even visiting the Hot Springs. read more

They need to turn the water on the restrooms and check them messes. The kids hard a good time in the creek.

As always, a nice stay. Do wish they could make a better access across the creek to the walking trails.

Have been camping all my life. Both tent and camper. This place is beautiful and has very few bugs. Down side you won't sleep!!!!! There is a major highway that runs along one side. Apparently like all Arkansas road need repair or everyone loves hitting pothole. Around 12:45 AM a mosquito spring truck I was thinking desired to go though camp site. So if you are in a tent, little sleeper, have a child, or just want peace and quie. This is not your campground. read more

we have visited Gulpha Gorge Campground for several years, and this past April discovered on arriving that they had changed from a first come system to reservations. Obviously we were taken by surprise, and of course no spots available. We found the park full of "local" campers and upon checking the reservation windows found that it was full almost continuously the entire month of April and May. We thought the first come first serve system was the fairest and eliminated the campground being used as long term camping for those close. It is not a campground for a family to spend the summer, it's main attraction is that it is close to Hot Springs. We have found that the National Parks that we have camped in have all went to the reservation system, which makes the way we travel almost impossible to have an opportunity to stay. They "fixed" something that wasn't broke in our opinion and denied the traveler a chance to use the park. read more

I loved staying at the Gulpha Gorge, my husband and I found it extremely peaceful and met some of the nicest people. It's an affordable getaway. I think it was $10-ish for tents and $20-ish for RV's, but don't quote me. We were able to pay with plastic, which is basically awesome. The Good: It belongs to the National Park Service so they maintain the property really well. A stream runs alongside the campsite which is really lovely and a few trailheads start at the gorge. (Though I will caution that the Dead Chief Trail is a bit of an unexpected challenge with its loose gravel and dramatic elevation changes.) And there's a volunteer campground host usually around to keep a handle on things. There's a good feeling of security here; people look out for each other. The Bad: A spur road runs next to the campground and you don't notice it until a big semi-truck drives speeds through, which of course happens in the middle of the night. So if you're a light sleeper... Then there's the bathrooms, which are just bathrooms. As in, no shower. read more

Beautiful location. Walking or hiking trails, and a sallow swimming hole are nearby. All sites are either blacktop or concrete. Most appear level, but some may be dangerously sloped. I came in late and got the only site available. It was level laterally, but longitudinal or lengthwise was scary, as the site was on a hill and sloped steeply towards the road. I had my trailer backed all the way in to the curb stop, my tongue jack cranked to its highest position, and the trailer still was slightly sloping to toward the road. I guess it would have been okay if I had only a 10' tear-drop or pop-up trailer, but if you want level, a long 25' or 30' foot rig is going to leave your tongue in the stratosphere. Oh, and better have a couple of good chalk blocks. You don't want your rig breaking loose and running for the river, or someone else's campsite! Site sizes and lengths vary, so it's the luck of the draw. There is a paved parking area outside the campground where you could park and maybe boon-dock for a night if you rolled in late and no sites were available. People tend to leave early, so be ready to jump on an open site quickly, as there are no reservations-it's first come, first serve. Bathrooms were okay, but could be better maintained, and it would be real nice if there were showers. Overall, I wouldn't mind staying here again for a couple days, but not for an extended time. read more

This is really interesting find: a National Park campground with fill hookups, landscaping and a beautiful locations. The hosts and camp service people do a good job of keeping the place clean and within the rules. It's a bargain at $30 per night for full hookups and $10 for dry camping. read more

Gulpha Gorge Campground - Gulpha Creek flows along the western edge of the campground. Maybe half of the campsites back up to the creek. - Campgrounds Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

This is probably the worst campground in a National Park that I've ever seen. The campsites are not good for tent camping at all - there is barely any room to set up your tent, and privacy is about zero. Most of the people here are in RVs, so you can expect to hear generators, TVs, and even bug zappers. I only saw 2 sites with fire rings, the rest all have BBQ stands only. To make things worse, US 70 is right next to the campground so you should expect to hear trucks, semis, and cars most of the time you're there (even at night.) There were also several homeless people staying here, which isn't an issue except that some of them seemed like they were on drugs. You have to use the machine to pay for your site, and it was only taking cash. Be careful which site you pick, if it has RV hook-ups it will cost more (and these are the better sites.) The good news is that there are hiking trails, and you can hike to the bathouses. read more

Four star rating for the location! Very close to a lot of the Hot Springs amenities. And the staff was very nice. The campground was well maintained and the bathroom was always very tidy. That being said, it would be amazing if this place was a little more tent friendly. It was a busy weekend with the holiday and we had only a few spots to choose from. Once you take into account that not all spots have a level area for a tent, you can run into some trouble. Also, it is a fairly expensive campground, comparatively. $30 flat rate whether you're in a tent or an RV. And there are no showers, which was a big con for us. That being said, I would stay here again. It's just too convenient. There are also several trails that start at the campground which made for easy hiking. read more

This is a great campground for a national park: paved driveway sites, full hook ups, most spots have some or a lot of shade, and a creek runs through the campground. The campground is a 10 minute drive or a 2 mile hike over a cool, wooded trail to the central core of Hot Springs. Because the sites cannot be reserved, we decided to arrive on a Monday to increase our chances. We had several to choose from. We've been on the road for three months and this is one of the best campgrounds we've stayed at. read more

Stayed overnight in Gulpha Gorge campground due to its location inside Hot Springs National Park. We were little surprised to learn that self registered machine take full price at $30/night for full hookup. No pull-thru, only 40' back-in sites. High price but no shower take the fun out of staying this campground. Granted, there is no entrance fee and visitors can lug all the amazing clean cold spring water (near The Happy Hollow) they can drink, or the hot spring water (near Visitor Center) to their heart desired, but other national park campgrounds have better sceneries and not completely and utterly commercialized like this one for less. RV sites near the creek were flat and most shaded, whereas sites near the Hot Springs National Park road needs leveling blocks and content with road noise. Clean and spacious picnic area before the campsites are inviting. Day trip to this park for playing in the creek, use picnic area, and site-seeing hot springs make more sense than overnight camping. read more

FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. I can't stress this enough. Don't roll in here during Spring Break or the summer and expect to nab an RV site unless you get really lucky. You pay via kiosk and can camp in the same spot for up to 14 days. Rate is $30 per day. Full Hookups. You are surrounded by terrain so you only get a couple TV channels. This campsite is beautiful, lots of room, and some of the sites back up to a fast moving stream. read more

The location is awesome, right next to a gentle stream and access to hiking trails. The hookups are adequate, and the self-registration system is fairly easy. The lack of shower facilities wouldn't be helpful to those in need of a shower, but since we have our own trailer, we were fine. I'd highly recommend this Campground to anyone visiting Hot Springs National Park. read more

This is our second trip to Gulpha Gorge Campground. Both visits have been terrific. Campsites are very clean, well maintained and full hook-ups at every site. Sites are also well spaced. We had no difficulty with the first come first served policy and, in giving it some thought, this may be an excellent solution. We were told that Wednesday arrivals find the most open sites. Very highly recommend and looking forward to returning again. read more

Wonderful campground for folks camping in an RV. I wouldn't recommend it for tent camping as there are no showers in bathhouses and the place seems to be geared more towards RVs. Full hookups at every site. Toilets were clean. $30 per night. It's first come first served. Self service registration was easy to use and accepted my credit card. Some sites are more level than others but all are paved. Best sites are right on the river. Stay away from the sites right on the road if you can. You'll hear the cars going by. There are amazing hiking trails that start/end right at the campground. You can hike to Bathhouse Row and to the observation tower. Cell service for both AT&T and Verizon decent at the campground. I would definitely stay there again. read more

There is a babbling creek along the campsite you can hear as you sleep. Be prepared to pound your tent stakes in with a log or a hammer as the ground is gravelly. There isn't any privacy between sites but there is decent space between each. We didn't have any issues hearing our neighbors although they weren't rowdy either. It's 1.7 miles from Bathhouse Row. Sites are $10 per night. No showers but we did the bathing experience in town. Nice, clean bathrooms. We regret not hiking any of its trails as we heard they're lovely. read more

great campground. nice stream, quiet and friendly peeps, beautiful surroundings. good amount of flying bugs.. what you expect of the region, but had a couple annoying wasps that made us eat inside the camper van. Quiet after sun down and relaxing in the day. really nice hike up the hill behind the campsites. read more