OutReserve

Steel Creek Campground

View of the Steel Creek area from the Buffalo River Trail
Colorful tents seen on the green grass of Steel Creek Campground. Green trees and a gray bluff line can be seen in the background.
Steel Creek Campground-4
A dirt road can be seen on the right side of the photo with green grass and campsites on the left side.
Steel Creek Horse Camp-1

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly
River Access

About Steel Creek Campground

Steel Creek Campground is situated along the Buffalo River under the towering and picturesque Roark Bluff. One section of the campground offers 26 walk-in tent sites and another section of the campground offers 14 sites for those camping with horses. Half of the sites in the campground are available for reservations. Steel Creek is located about 3 miles (5 km) east of Ponca, just off Highway 74.

Number of accommodations: 39

Nearby Activities & Attractions

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Mar 13 to Nov 15

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly
River Access
Water Access

Water Access

  • River Access
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

39 Sites Available

Site
Price
01 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
03 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
04 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
05 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
06 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
07 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
08 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
09 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
10 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
11 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
12 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
13 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
14 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
15 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
16 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
17 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
18 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
19 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
20 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
21 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
22 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
23 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
24 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
25 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
26 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
27 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
28 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
29 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
30 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
31 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
32 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
33 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
34 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
35 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
36 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
37 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
38 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available
39 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
Price not available

Reviews (126)

What Guests Are Saying

Steel Creek Campground is highly praised for its beautiful, well-maintained grounds, friendly camp hosts, and clean facilities, including spotless bathrooms. Campers appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and proximity to the Buffalo National River, making it ideal for outdoor activities like hiking and floating. While some minor issues with noise and bathroom maintenance were noted, overall experiences were overwhelmingly positive, with many guests eager to return.

Review Summary

4.5
126 reviews
5
74.6%
94
4
15.1%
19
3
4.0%
5
2
2.4%
3
1
4.0%
5

Leslie S

Verified

May 31, 2021 Stayed at: 02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

We chose this campground because it was mostly an open field - my brother is into night sky photography and it seemed the perfect place. Sadly, it was cloudy the whole time for us, but it could have been awesome!

We had sites 2 and 4, and while there were far from the restrooms, I think they were the most private. Most of the other guests were camped out at that end (we were at the sites closest to the entrance). I liked that there was a path leading to the beautiful river at the backside of my campsite.

Can't say how the campground would be if it were full, but with the time we were there being cold and cloudy (40's at night), it was a nice, quiet stay.

We did use the fire-ring (someone had left wood) and the area was level and picnic tables were clean.

The campground was close to the places we wanted to see in the area, so it was a happy choice for us.

Michael D

Verified

May 31, 2021 Stayed at: 11 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

My sites were reserved and ready when we arrived. The park ranger was nice and very helpful. Beautiful place, can't wait to return. Thanks

LISA G

Verified

May 17, 2021 Stayed at: 08 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

4

Always a great place to camp!! NO cell service/internet so it's a great place to disconnect from the world and enjoy the views/beauty of the land.

Bobbie H

Verified

May 5, 2021 Stayed at: 04 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Great campground! Flushing toilets and water available. Firewood is for sale just up the road at several places...bring cash! Great little trails that lead to the river from the campground. I love it at steel creek!

Jorden R

Verified

May 2, 2021 Stayed at: 07 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

4

This campsite itself is fantastic. Beautiful scenery surrounded by giant cliffs and a running river.
The downside was the park ranger was overbearing. She would just walk into our campsites without saying a word and just start snooping. It was bizarre. She even at one point took two of our cast irons that were cooling off and began walking back to her ATV with them in hand. We had to run over and tell that those were ours. She acted like we were the weird ones. This was at 9am when checkout wasn’t until 12pm. So it’s not like there was a rush to clean up and pack up. This place isn’t very dog friendly either. You can pretty much only keep your dog at the campsite. There are no trails that allow dogs.

Mandy W

Verified

April 20, 2021 Stayed at: 10 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

1

Unfortunately, we were kicked out of the campground because we had a van, and friends had a car with a tent on the top. We had made reservations months in advance and were not aware that we couldn't camp with this set up.
Thank goodness we were able to find a spot at Ozark Campground further down the road and still had a nice experience on the Buffalo.

Kara A

Verified

April 11, 2021 Stayed at: 02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Beautiful, clean campground. The River area is awesome and the kids really enjoyed it.

Jair A

Verified

April 4, 2021 Stayed at: 02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

The location is fantastic, as always, even if there are thunderstorms in the forecast during your stay. There are multiple places to purchase firewood if that's the one thing you can't find a place for in your vehicle.

Bring a hammock if you're camping along the tree-line. You won't regret it. Floating the river when it's warm is always a fantastic activity. There's a lot of hiking trails around as well as the Elk in the early morning.

Dewayne A

Verified

March 29, 2021 Stayed at: 02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Always rains, but beautiful place.

Stephen O

Verified

March 24, 2021 Stayed at: 10 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Beautiful campground that was very clean during our visit. Bathroom was rustic but very clean. Camping spot had plenty of room and other sites are not right on top of you. Ranger was VERY kind and helpful when I called with a question before our trip. Be sure to visit the Buffalo Outdoor Center as they are a GREAT resource to give you activity ideas! You can hike, zip line, canoe, or just hang out and enjoy your time!

Location Steel Creek Campground

Address:
386 Nc 2104
Jasper, AR, 72641
United States

Latitude & Longitude: 36.0302 / -93.3419

Elevation: 476 feet

Policies & Rules

General

  • Sites 27 - 39 are our Equestrian Camping Sites only for campers with horses.   
  • The facility is available for camping free of charge outside of the reservation season, generally November 15th to March 15th every year.
  • Climbing and/or diving from the bluffs is dangerous and highly discouraged.
  • Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. 
  • All park trails are closed to pets with the exception of the Buffalo River Trail, only on the section of trail between Ponca and Steel Creek, the Villines Homestead Trail at Ponca, the Mill Creek Trail (trailhead is at the Pruitt river access area in the Upper District), the Tyler Bend Campground trails (Spring Hollow, Buck Ridge, and Rock Wall in the Middle District), and all three Buffalo Point Campground trails (Forest Trail, Overlook Trail, and Campground Trail in the Lower District). For more information visit the Pets page on the park website.
  • Do not swim alone during high water.
  • Please be aware that some special events held at the pavilions or anywhere in the park (such as weddings, press receptions, concerts, et al) require a Special Use Permit in addition to the pavilion reservation. To obtain a Special Use Permit or additional information, please contact the Commercial Services office at (870) 365-2724. For more information visit the Special Park Uses page on the park website.
  • Please be advised that providing business services within an NPS unit is prohibited per CFR 5.3 without a written Authorization or Permit approved by the Superintendent. This includes services such as RV or tent delivery & set-up, firewood sales and delivery, shuttle (transportation) services, and guided hikes, floats, etc. For a list of approved visitor services and to learn more about working with Buffalo National River, please visit the Doing Business with the Park page on the park website.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: June 3, 2026

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