Army Corps of Engineers · Lake Ouachita · Mt. Ida, AR

Joplin

Joplin Campground on Lake Ouachita is an excellent destination for pristine lakefront camping. Joplin is perched on a slender peninsula with plenty of attractive scenic views of the water and surrounding mountain terrain. World-class striper fishing goes on in the lake, and wildlife watchers can find everything from bobcats to rare freshwater jellyfish.

Reservable · Recreation.gov64 sites20 ft maxFull hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: electric hookups in Arkansas · full hookups in Arkansas · reservable in Arkansas · pets allowed in Arkansas

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Joplin CampgroundJoplin CampgroundJP44JP14
Photos courtesy of USACE Lake Ouachita, USACE · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard with electric28
RV with electric17
tent only electric13
Host/management6
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 90 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

58 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadePowerWater / sewerWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFires
03ATent Only ElectricGravelPartial30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
04ATent Only ElectricGravelPartial30/20 amp12 / 2Yes
05ARV electricPull-through40GravelPartial50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
06ARV electricPull-through40GravelFull50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
07ARV electricPull-through40GravelPartial50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
08ARV electricBack-in35GravelPartial50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
09ARV electricPull-through40GravelFull50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
10ARV electricBack-in30GravelPartial50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
11ATent Only ElectricBack-inGravelPartial30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes
12ARV electricBack-in40GravelFull50/30/20 ampYes / –12 / 2Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 6:00 PM, checkout 4:00 PM.

Campground map of Joplin
Campground map published by Army Corps of Engineers on Recreation.gov, credited to USACE. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric, water, sewer
Max vehicle length20 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

All 59 campsites have electric hookups, but keep in mind the spaces are small and unpaved. Campsite pad lengths vary greatly from site to site due to the terrain. No campsite lengths are posted on the website due to the varianciances of camper slidout configurations and the visitor trailer towing skills. Water hookups are not available, but a water faucet is located in each loop. Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp and a swim beach.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Joplin40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 3.81 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.04 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.01 inches of precipitationApril: 6.17 inches of precipitationMay: 5.44 inches of precipitationJune: 4.77 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.20 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.66 inches of precipitationSeptember: 4.14 inches of precipitationOctober: 4.44 inches of precipitationNovember: 5.25 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.82 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 41.8°F averageFebruary: 45.5°F averageMarch: 53.3°F averageApril: 61.5°F averageMay: 69.4°F averageJune: 77.2°F averageJuly: 81.0°F averageAugust: 80.4°F averageSeptember: 73.4°F averageOctober: 62.2°F averageNovember: 51.5°F averageDecember: 43.6°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mount Ida Asos, 8 miles from the campground at 702 feet, station USW00053921 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year.

Getting there

From Hot Springs, Arkansas: Take US 270 west for 23.5 miles to Mountain Harbor Road. Turn right and follow access road three miles north to the park.

Nearest townMt. Ida, Arkansas
Coordinates34.5752° N, 93.4426° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

RV sales & serviceRazorback Camper Sales, Inc. ↗19.9 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗36.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Joplin Campground - Mountain Harbor. - Lake Ouachita

Worth a stop

Head to Hot Springs National Park and discover how it earned the nickname, "The American Spa." Or take a scenic drive through the 1.8 million-acres of Ouachita National Forest. Boat rentals, horseback riding rentals and the Hickorynut Mountain Vista are not far from the campground.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.2 mi
    Lovit - Eagle Vista Spur
    1 mi trail
  • 1.5 mi
    Lovit - Fire Tower Spur
    0.3 mi trail
  • 1.7 mi
    Hickory Nut Lakeside Trail
    1.7 mi trail
  • 1.8 mi
    Lovit - Holly Spur
    0.3 mi trail
  • 1.8 mi
    Lovit - Thompkins Bend Spur
    0.2 mi trail
  • 2.1 mi
    Hickory Nut Vista Trail
    1.6 mi trail

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Ouachita National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains of Central Arkansas, Lake Ouachita spans a surface area of over 40,000 acres, making it the biggest lake completely within the state of Arkansas. The region has a climate with four seasons. Spring and fall are mild, summer is hot and humid, and winter is variable with temperatures ranging from below freezing on up to the 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Recreation

Prized as one of the clearest lakes in the nation, Ouachita Lake is ideal for scuba diving. Visitors also enjoy hiking, biking, scenic driving, water skiing, fishing and hunting, as well.

Guidebooks for Arkansas

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • The Ozarks: 43 spectacular hikes in Arkansas and Missouri
    Jim Warnock, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Arkansas Nature Lover's Guidebook
    Tim Ernst and Pam Ernst, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Scenic Routes and Byways the Ozarks
    Don Kurz, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Joplin?

Sites at Joplin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Joplin?

Check-in 6:00 PM, checkout 4:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Joplin have?

64 sites, including 28 standard sites with power, 17 RV sites with electric, and 13 tent only electric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Joplin?

The longest site here provides 20 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Joplin have hookups?

Yes, electric, water, and sewer hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there showers or a dump station at Joplin?

Other amenities include a dump station, fish cleaning station, hot showers, boat ramp and a swim beach.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Joplin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Joplin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Joplin?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Joplin?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G and AT&T 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Joplin?

Prized as one of the clearest lakes in the nation, Ouachita Lake is ideal for scuba diving. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Joplin?

Mt. Ida, Arkansas. Head to Hot Springs National Park and discover how it earned the nickname, "The American Spa." Or take a scenic drive through the 1.8 million-acres of Ouachita National Forest.

Source: Getting there

What if Joplin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Tompkins Bend (1.6 mi), Denby Point (3.4 mi), and Little Fir (4.2 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby