Pendleton Bend Campground & Recreation Area Review
The Pendleton Bend Campground and Recreation Area sit along the Arkansas River in Eastern Arkansas, surrounded by lush alluvial bottomland forest. It’s an incredible place for RV camping, bird-watching, hiking, and fishing.
The Wilbur D. Mills Dam is known for world-class fishing. With Pendleton Bend’s proximity to the Mississippi River Delta, Arkansas River, and surrounding wetlands, waterfowl migrating to and from the Gulf of Mexico come through for fantastic bird watching.
Pendleton Bend Campground is also close to the Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area. The surrounding area has a lot of history and culture and is close to the Arkansas Post National Memorial. This article will tell you everything you need to know about RV camping at Pendleton Bend so that you can explore the beautiful area and its rich history!
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Pendleton Bend Campground Review
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the campground. It is located on the banks of the Arkansas River. The Pendleton Bend Recreation Area is excellent for RV camping, fishing, boating, hiking, bird watching, and walking around. You can also check out the Wilbur D. Mills Dam and Arkansas Electric Coop Hydropower Dam.
How Much Does It Cost to Camp at Pendleton Bend Campground?
Costs per night are between $16 – $19 a night.
The sites have:
- Standard Electric 30 Amp
- Standard Electric 50 Amp
Be sure to review costs while booking on recreation.gov.
You can make reservations ahead of time at recreation.gov, which we highly recommend when traveling.
It is nice to have a place to park your RV after a long drive or a much-anticipated outdoor weekend adventure.
Pendleton Bend Arkansas Camping Details
Pendleton Bend is tent and RV-friendly.
- Reservations: Make reservations on recreation.gov.
- Campsites: Yes, 31 designated paved campsites
- Water: Yes
- Electricity: Yes
- Restrooms: Yes, bathrooms have hot showers and flushing toilets
- Dogs Allowed: Yes
- Wood for campfires available: None; bring locally purchased firewood to help keep invasive species out of the local forest.
- Time restrictions for stay: Yes, no more than 14 consecutive days allowed
- Site Shelters: Campsites have shelters over the picnic tables
- Hosts: Available on site
- Campground Gate: Closes from 10 pm to 6 am, so be sure to get there before 10 pm.
There are a handful of campsites that sit right on the banks overlooking the Arkansas River. The rest are tucked away in the forest with beautiful tall shade trees.
The park is well-manicured and very welcoming. Campsites are spaced out well.
There is minimal lighting which makes for incredible stargazing!
Funny story, when we visited, we actually arrived at 9:30 pm (right before the gates closed), in the pouring rain, and it was pitch dark! But, we made reservations at site A1 which is one of the only pull-through sites. We got so lucky!
Pendleton Bend Campground Map
Below is a map showing the location of the Pendleton Bend Campground and Recreation Area, along with its proximity to the Arkansas Post Museum, Arkansas Post National Memorial, Wilbur D. Mills Dam, and Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area.
How to Get to Pendleton Bend Campground
The Pendleton Bend Campground is located 15 miles north of Dumas, Arkansas, along the Arkansas River. Once you get close, you will see the giant silos; keep driving down the road – the campground is past the silos.
Latitude: 33° 59′ 12.9998″ N
Longitude: 91° 21′ 38.9999″ W
Read more about our Aliner Ranger Camper!
Is There Cell Phone Reception at Pendleton Bend?
We hate to disappoint, but cell phone reception is limited at the campground and the surrounding area.
We had one bar that was slow to load with Verizon occasionally. Most of the time, there was no service unless you were closer to the dam.
We recommend planning how to get to the campground while you have cell phone reception. Be sure to map out the stops you’d like to see in the area, such as the Arkansas Post Museum, Arkansas Post National Memorial, Wilbur D. Mills Dam, and Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area.
The area is pretty rural, but things seemed well-marked.
Pendleton Bend Recreation Area & Surroundings
Along with camping, the Pendleton Bend Recreation Area and the surrounding region have so much to offer! At the Pendleton Bend Recreation Area, there is a boat dock with a two-lane boat ramp. The area near the dam is known for world-class fishing.
We visited in mid-May, and the area was not crowded at all. We genuinely enjoy finding tucked-away gems in the USA that are not crowded.
Pendleton Bend Campground is a perfect place to camp if you plan on visiting the Arkansas Post National Memorial or birdwatching along Arkansas’s Mississippi Valley Delta Region and Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area.
Did you know the Arkansas Post National Memorial is home to the first European Village west of the Mississippi River? There is so much history in the area. It is worth visiting!
Why You Should Visit
We really love helping people discover hidden gems in the USA.
To explore this tucked-away Arkansas treasure, plan a road trip stop or a weekend outdoors to:
- Camp at Pendleton Bend and enjoy all of its opportunities for outdoor recreation
- Visit the Arkansas Post National Memorial
- Birdwatch at the Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area
- Explore Arkansas’s Mississippi Valley Delta Region
Thanks for reading. We hope you have a wonderful trip!
Happy RVing!
Ashlee & Pablo
Don’t forget to bring bug spray! There are mosquitos here.
Did you know? In 2007, Arkansas passed a law indicating that the proper way to punctuate the possessive form of Arkansas is Arkansas’s and not Arkansas’ (just in case you thought I was using bad punctuation).
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