Shoal Bay in AR -- Campground & RV Camping

Shoal Bay Campground occupies a shaded arm of Lake Dardanelle in the river valley between the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests. The park offers 45 campsites, mostly with electric hookups, as well as two large picnic shelters. Amenities include hot showers, a playground, and a boat ramp providing access to the 40,000-acre reservoir. Anglers target white bass, largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie on the water. Nearby, the Bridge Rock Trail leads along a rugged slope overlooking Shoal Creek, while the Bona Dea Sanctuary provides 6 miles of trails through 86 acres of wetlands.

Getting there: From New Blaine, Arkansas, take State Route 197 north for 2 miles. Follow signs into campground.

• Limited separation from through roads or other sites here, a 77-site campground with the nearest through road 0.7 miles off.
• Sits on broad, near-level ground.
• The Lake Dardanelle shoreline is 0.1 mi off.
• Most sites here have an electric hookup, with most of them shaded.
• Estimated night sky: Bortle 3, a dark rural sky.