Tent camping at Steel Creek Campground.
Photo: NPS Photo/Terra Fondriest
About
Steel Creek Campground has 26 tent-only sites and 13 sites for campers with horses/stock animals (six people and six stock animals allowed per site). There are no electrical amenities, but flush restrooms and water are available from approximately March 15 through November 14. All sites are available for reservation at recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Reservations can be made same day and up to 6 months in advance.
Campsites
Location
n/a
Ponca, AR 72742
Fees
Hours
Steel Creek Campground is about 3 miles east of Ponca, Arkansas off of Highway 74 and 13 miles west of Jasper, Arkansas. The tent campground has 26 campsites and the horse campground has 14 sites. It is open year round, restroom and water system in the tent campground are closed in the winter (November 15 - March 15).The vault toilet in the tent campground will be open in the winter, but with very limited servicing. RVs are not allowed.
Reservations
All sites are available by reservation only through recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.
Make a Reservation →Directions
Steel Creek Campground is located off of Highway 74 in the western end of the park. The campground is approximately 2 miles east of Ponca, Arkansas and 13 miles west of Jasper, Arkansas. The access road to Steel Creek is paved about 2 miles to the bottom. On the valley floor the road becomes gravel. The horse campground is to the right and the tent campground is to the left.
Weather
Summer in the Ozarks can be very hot and humid. Please check the weather forecast prior to your arrival and plan accordingly. The weather the rest of the year has the potential to be wet and cool or dry and warm. Please pay special attention to river levels and the rain forecast when planning a trip on the river. River levels can rise dramatically in a short period of time so please be aware of conditions.
Accessibility
The terrain is grassy and uneven.
Cell phone service is not reliable unless you drive several miles towards Jasper on Highway 74 or north of Ponca on Highway 43.
Please keep fires in the designated fire rings. Cook stoves are allowed.
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Trailers are only allowed in the horse camp.
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An emergency phone is available at the visitor contact station, near the old barns and horse stables. This phone can also be used to call recreation.gov to make camping reservations and the local canoe concessionaires.
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Steel Creek Campground does not have any ADA compliant campsites. The restroom facilities are ADA compliant.
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Unpaved Roads - All vehicles OK in good weather
Developed Campground