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
Pet Friendly
River Access
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

Campground Amenities

  • Pet Friendly
    Pet Friendly
  • River Access
    River Access

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

Sites & Availability

39 Sites Available

Site
Price
01 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
03 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
04 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
05 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
06 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
07 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
08 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
09 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
10 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
11 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
12 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
13 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
14 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
15 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
16 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
17 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
18 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
19 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
20 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
21 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
22 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
23 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
24 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
25 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
26 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
27 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
28 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
29 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
30 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
31 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
32 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
33 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
34 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
35 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
36 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
37 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
38 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night
39 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp
6 guests · Campfire · Pet Friendly
$20.00
/ per night

Reviews (123)

What Guests Are Saying

Steel Creek Campground is consistently praised for its stunning beauty, cleanliness, and well-maintained facilities, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers. Campers appreciate the peaceful atmosphere, respectful guests, and friendly campground hosts, alongside easy access to the nearby Buffalo National River for activities like floating and hiking. While there are some minor issues with bathroom facilities and noise from other campers, the overall experience is highly positive, with many visitors eager to return.

Review Summary

4.5
123 reviews
5
75.6%
93
4
13.8%
17
3
4.1%
5
2
2.4%
3
1
4.1%
5

Sherri B

Verified

May 23, 2022 Stayed at: 32 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp

4

Highly recommend. Beautiful scenery, campground well kept. Already made reservations for Fall. Be sure to check out the waterfall and bluffs.

Jonathan H

Verified

May 9, 2022 Stayed at: 10 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Great campground and reasonably clean for how many people were there.

Jill L

Verified

May 8, 2022 Stayed at: 29 - Horse Site, Loop: Horse Camp

4

Lisa, camp hostess, is awesome, diligent, very competent, great communicator. Hydrant was broke, fixed, on a sunday, within several hours by lisa and maintenance staff. Camp is beautiful, however, drainage from first 1-3 sites is poor. Need signage to discourage, too fast and needless driving thru horse camping area by people looking to park, launch in river. River is spectacular, what a joy for all public to experience. Way to go to save the buffalo from damns and development!!! Kudos to residents and arkansas!

Jonathan H

Verified

May 5, 2022 Stayed at: 04 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Great campground fundamentals. Bathrooms reasonably clean during a busy time. Thanks!

Bobbie H

Verified

April 27, 2022 Stayed at: 04 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Love this campground. Park Ranger came to check in on us after a storm. Thought that was really nice.

Eileen E

Verified

April 24, 2022 Stayed at: 01 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Camp grounds were clean and gorgeous views. Park attendant was very friendly and helpful. Will stay there again. Loved the place!

Alyssa M

Verified

March 25, 2022 Stayed at: 08 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

4

Great place, just don’t like how all the campsites are right by each other and there is no privacy. But everything else is great

Hannah D

Verified

November 19, 2021 Stayed at: 02 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Amazing campground and experience. Beautiful scenery, especially in the fall. The drive to the site was crooked and steep but all paved and not too bad. No cell service at the site, but there is a wifi outside of a shop in Ponca about 10 mins away where you can pull your car up outside and connect to the internet. Lots of awesome hiking nearby as well and very dog friendly.

sneha r

Verified

November 11, 2021 Stayed at: 08 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

Steel Creek was wonderful! It's not primitive at all - so make sure your expectations are accurate. There's plenty of parking, clean restrooms (no showers), and easy access from car to campsite. Campsites don't have a ton of privacy and if full you'll be close to others, but we were there on a cold off-season weekend so wasn't an issue. The setting itself is beautiful, there's a trail directly from campsite that is in total >30 miles. And the location of the campground is central for many day hikes and is close to Jasper, Ponca, and Compton.

Recommend checking out JB Trading Post in Compton - they have gas, hot a la carte food including breakfast, any camping gear you may be missing, and lots of great trail info. Super helpful and glad we stumbled upon it!

Douglas T

Verified

October 31, 2021 Stayed at: 13 - Tent Site, Loop: Main Loop

5

The ranger was super nice and helpful. The area and facilities were clean and in nice working condition.

Location Steel Creek Campground

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

Latitude & Longitude: 36.0302 / -93.3419

Elevation: 476 feet

Policies & Rules

Category About
General

Sites 27 - 39 are our Equestrian Camping Sites only for campers with horses.   

General

The facility is available for camping free of charge outside of the reservation season, generally November 15th to March 15th every year.

General

Climbing and/or diving from the bluffs is dangerous and highly discouraged.

General

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. 

General

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.

General

Do not swim alone during high water.

General

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.

General

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.

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