Live Simple Live Free: Eastern Arkansas and Mississippi Boondocking 4 x 2 months

If you like hunting or bird watching then this trip will suit you just fine. Those with a canoe can take advantage of a nice leisurely float trip to see the wild life. In this series of free camping spots, I selected 4 places you can stay for 14 days each. After each 14 day stay, visit a low cost campground with full services to take that long hot shower and recharge your batteries. After your water tank is full, you can travel along to the next boondocking adventure. Two months and you only have to pay for for those 4 nights camping.

This excursion starts as a trip to do some bird watching in wildlife areas then on to some nice primitive forest camping. If you want to continue on you can connect to the following areas for additional excursions in Arkansas or Louisiana or Alabama.

Bayou Meto is a system of creeks, sloughs, ditches, backwaters, and drainages partly created by nature and augmented by man. This is a hunters paradise but even if you don't hunt you can take advantage of the area to get away from it all by doing some camping and wildlife watching. For those of us that use a camera to do our hunting, you can canoe into the back water for a nice slow trip into the wet wilderness. Stay away during the duck hunting season which is busier than grand central station in NYC.

Primitive camping in both the north and south areas. Check with the local rangers for the best locations to suit your particular RV.

This is the area of Arkansas where the Ivory Billed Wood pecker was spotted years ago so the bird watching is really good. If you have a canoe, you can float around in this area for the whole time you are here. White River has hundreds of miles of trails. Check out the Champion Cypress Tree Trail to see the largest tree in the state of Arkansas. The White river flows through the NWR and there are 300 lakes and ponds here. There are bald eagles and black bears in the NWR so get out your camera and take a few home with you.

There are approximately 30 primitive campsites (no facilities) scattered about the White River refuge. There are no camping fees and no reservation system. Stays are limited to 14 days and the sites must be occupied daily. Camping at some sites is limited to March-December. Check with the local rangers for the best locations to suit your particular RV.

The Holly Springs National Forest has over 50 lakes that were dug for soil erosion control so the fishing is water sports are good here. Fishing, swimming, and boating can provide for hours of relaxing fun. This forest  is famous for its unique wetland communities, natural habitats and wildlife. You can find plenty of hiking in the area or just take an evening walk to view some of  the local wildlife.

You can select one of the  dispersed camping spots in the forest. Check with the local rangers for the best locations to suit your particular RV.

The Chewalla, Puskus, and Choctaw Lake Recreation Areas are found in Holly Springs. These recreation areas have lakes, campgrounds, picnic areas, swimming beaches and trails. There are plenty of hiking opportunities here. Departing from near the picnic pavilion in the day-use area of the Chewalla Lake Recreation Area, the Chewalla Lake Hiking Trail runs for three miles into the hills southwest of the lake. Much of the forest is open to mountain bike and ATV use.


You can select one of the  dispersed camping spots in the forest. Check with the local rangers for the best locations to suit your particular RV.