White Rock Mountain Recreation Area
We don’t think it should be. Every campground should hold some sites for whoever drives up.Tell your representative →
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 16:39 UTC
- A night
- $15From, per site
- Sites
- 13All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Experience nature and adventure at historic White Rock Mountain! This National Forest Recreation Area features three unique and rustic natural stone cabins and a large natural stone lodge built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Each features a stone fireplace new, antique, and original wood furniture handcrafted by the CCC. Wind, rain and natural elements had caused the deterioration of the buildings over the years. In 1987 a volunteer group, Friends of White Rock, began a project to renovate the historic structures. Keep reading
With a lot of commitment and hard work, the lodge and cabins were restored to their original state in 1991. White Rock Mountain also offers nine primitive family camping sites. These easily accessible shaded campsites include tents pads, fire rings, grills, picnic tables and access to restrooms and water. Small RVs or pop-up campers can be accommodated at a few sites.
Recreation
White Rock Mountain is the hub of several national forest hiking trail systems including the easy 2 mile trail around the mountain top rim, the 17 mile Shores Lake/White Rock loop trail, and the renowned 170 mile Ozark Highlands Trail. Other recreational activities include swimming, boating (non-motorized) or fishing at Shores Lake Recreation Area; swimming, floating or fishing the National Scenic Mulberry River; Mill Creek and other National Forest ATV trails; mountain biking, hunting and more.
Facilities
The grounds at White Rock Mountain are open year-round. There is a gravel parking area, clean vault toilets, and eight family picnic units with grills and tables. The facility features four CCC crafted shelters along the White Rock Rim Trail that offer spectacular views. Overnight parking for the Ozark Highlands Trail access is available onsite. The lodge and three cabins are available for rent at White Rock Mountain. The lodge and cabins have electricity and running water. All units are equipped with bathrooms and a full kitchen. Each kitchen includes a stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, crock pot, dishes, cooking utensils, and cooking pots and pans. The furnishings feature new, antique, and original CCC furnishings. Each building has a large private patio with a charcoal grill and fire pit. There is no air conditioning; the stone lodge and cabins stay cool in the summer months. Heat is provided by wood burning stoves during the winter and firewood is provided. Linens, towels and bedding are not provided. Guests should pack food, towels, pillows, blankets or sleeping bags, and all other necessary overnight supplies. There are nine family campsites at White Rock. The sites do not have electric or water hookups. Sites are equipped with tent pads, picnic tables, fire rings, grills and lantern poles. There is access to drinking water and an accessible vault toilet within close proximity to all sites. Firewood is available for purchase onsite. Visit the onsite General Store for information, souvenirs, snacks, pizza, beverages, maps, firewood and other backcountry supplies.
Natural Features
White Rock Mountain is 2,309 feet above sea level and received its name from the appearance of the lichen on the sheer bluffs that appear white from a distance. Guests at White Rock can enjoy incredible scenic views from the lodge, cabins, campground and bluffs. The forest is home to a large variety of wildlife including deer, bear, bald eagles, turkey and more. In the fall season White Rock Mountain offers unrivaled opportunities for taking in the bright red, orange and yellow autumn foliage that sweeps across the Ozark National Forest. The forest around White Rock is also a waterfall hunter's paradise featuring several great falls located in the surrounding area. Contact Info This location is staffed. Please call (479) 369-4128 to speak with local staff.
Nearby Attractions
Ozark Highlands Trail, Shores Lake Recreation Area, National Scenic Mulberry River, Mill Creek and other ATV Trails, Waterfalls, Scenic Drives, Mountain Biking, Wineries (Altus, AR) and more.
Charges & Cancellations
Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees.
What the agency tells you
Thank you! For general information please call 479-369-4128, Monday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or visit whiterockmountain.com . - Campground Check-in: 1:00PM - 7:00PM - Cabin Check-In: 3:00PM - 7:00PM - You must call 479-369-4128 the DAY OF ARRIVAL to arrange for a late check-in or to hold your site or cabin if you are not arriving on your scheduled day. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of reservation and/or a $20 no show fee. - Check-out for all sites is 11am. Failure to do so will result in an extra nights fee. - The Primary Guest will be required to sign a waiver at the time of check-in. If your party is arriving early you must email: whiterockrecreation@gmail.com with their names to allow access prior to your arrival. The Primary Guest will still need to check-in upon arrival.
DANGER! High Cliff Area! Hike at your own risk. Children MUST be strictly supervised at all times.
DAY-USE: Picnic areas and shelters are for day use only, open from sunrise to sunset. There is a day use fee of $3.00 per vehicle. Guests with Cabin or Campsite reservations do not pay the $3.00 fee.
Everything else this campground posts · 12
PETS: Pets are allowed in the recreation area and campground, they must remain on a leash at all times. CABIN PET DEPOSIT: $200 CASH ONLY, fully refundable, is required for pets in the Cabins. Required at time of check-in. Failure to pay will result in a $200 fine. View the pet policy here: https://www.whiterockmountain.com/pet-policy
WILDLIFE: Wildlife area, keep all food & trash properly secured especially when you are away from your site. DO NOT feed the bears/wildlife.
CABIN AMENITIES: The Lodge/Cabins are fully furnished, guests must bring their own bedding, pillows, and towels. Please visit whiterockmountain.com for full details and photos of each cabin. PLEASE NOTE: There is a strict limit on guests per Cabin or Campsite, exceeding the limit will terminate your stay immediately. Campground guests are not allowed to use the Cabin amenities. NO EV charging available at this time.
OHV USE: OHV use is not permitted within the park. Any guest that brings OHV's must keep them on the trailer and must trailer them to approved OHV trail heads for use. We are more than happy to help with directions.
HUNTING: No hunting, cleaning, nor remains disposal allowed within the 58 acre White Rock Mountain Recreation Area. Please review Ozark-St. Francis hunting information here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/osfnf/recreation/hunting
STORE: The General Store/Office offers souvenirs, HOT pizza, snacks, charcoal, lighter fluid, beverages, ice, ice-cream, firewood ($8+tax, delivered), trail maps, and other supplies. The nearest grocery store and gas station is approximately 1 hour away, please plan accordingly. For a list of grocery stores and excellent restaurants please visit: https://www.whiterockmountain.com/faq
FIREWOOD: Firewood is available to purchase at the White Rock General Store. $8+tax for a large bundle, delivered to your site. Orders must be placed by 5pm for delivery, PLEASE call ahead and order if you will be arriving after 5pm. Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal. Visit dontmovefirewood.org
IMPORTANT: For navigation PLEASE use Google Maps ONLY. Enter "White Rock Mountain Recreation Area" for the most accurate directions. DO NOT use your vehicles GPS for navigation. Please call 479-369-4128 for assistance.
Quiet hours are 24/7. Rowdiness, loud music, abusive language, drunkeness, and possession or use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited. GENERATORS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
YOU MUST keep your campsite and cabin clean and orderly at all times. Excessive filth will result in a $250 cleaning fee.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Recreation.gov charges customers a $10.00 cancellation fee, and they also keep the reservation fee. You will forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or campsite reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. The only reason that justifies a fully or partially refunded cancellation/early departure is ice and snow that make the roads impassible. Rain, cold, heat, NOR ANY OTHER REASON, including a personal emergency, temproary utility disruption, etc will warrant a fully refunded cancellation within 14 days of your stay or an early departure refund.
TRASH POLICY: THE CAMPGROUND is STRICTLY pack it in, pack it out. Trash service is (unfortunately) not available in our area, please keep that in mind when packing. Be prepared to take your trash home or to the nearest gas station/recycling center. Thank you!
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 13 · 3 tent-only, 1 group, 4 cabin
- Hookups
- 4 electric, 1 water
- Longest rig
- 20 ft
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets · Vault Toilets
- FLUSH TOILETS on 4 of 13 campsite records, ACCESSIBLE FLUSH TOILETS on 1 of 13 campsite records / ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 8 of 13 campsite records
- Showers
- Accessible Showers
- ACCESSIBLE SHOWERS on 1 of 13 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- DRINKING WATER on 12 of 13 campsite records, WATER SPIGOT on 2 of 13 campsite records
- Store
- Nearby
- Firewood
- Sold here
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Waterfall, Lake, River, Creek
- Backpacking
- Berry Picking
- Birding
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Hotel/Lodge/Resort Fs Owned
- Hunting
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Mushroom Picking
- Observation Site
- Off Road Vehicle Trails
- Rafting
- Night sky · 73rd darkest of 158 in AR
- Bortle 4
- Cell signal · Cell signal · Forest Service says
- Yes
Full this Saturdayread 16:39 UTC
How full the weekend is nationally.
2 campgrounds have sites open within 30 miles, read 15:57 UTC. See them
OpenBooked
Every one of the 13 sites on offer is taken this Saturday. 7 are free on Wed, Oct 21. read 16:39 UTC Why the weekend fills and the week doesn’t
Watch for a cancellation
Watch this campground
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 15
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $15 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount.” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
Open within 30 miles this weekend · 2
Sites the agency is offering this Friday and Saturday that nobody has taken, nearest first. read 15:57 UTC
- AUX ARCOzark Lake · 17 mi · 5 of 170 site-nights open
- Clear Creek - Ozark Lake (AR)Ozark Lake · 21 mi · 16 of 64 site-nights open
recreation.gov availability, read 16:39 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
13 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 13 mapped sitesAll 13 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 12 of the 13 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 01 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 120 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 02 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 103 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 03 | standard nonelectric | 103 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 04 | rv nonelectric | 20 ft | 186 ft | 1.4 mi | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 05 | standard nonelectric | 115 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 06 | tent only nonelectric | 115 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 07 | tent only nonelectric | 125 ft | 1.4 mi | $15 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 08 | tent only nonelectric | 151 ft | 1.4 miWhite Rock Creek | $15 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | 09 | group standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 334 ft | 1.4 mi | $20 |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | CABIN A | cabin electric | 208 ft | 1.3 mi | $125–$215 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | CABIN B | cabin electric | 237 ft | 1.3 mi | $125–$215 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | CABIN C | cabin electric | 277 ft | 1.2 mi | $125–$215 | |
| WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA | LODGE | cabin electric | 208 ft | 1.3 mi | $125–$215 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Shores Lake Recreation AreaOzark National Forest · 3.2 mi
Redding CampgroundOzark National Forest · 9.6 miRedding Recreation AreaOzark National Forest · 9.6 mi
AUX ARC17 miWolf Pen Recreation AreaOzark National Forest · 18 mi
Wolf Pen CampgroundOzark National Forest · 18 miFrom Interstate 40 at Mulberry, Arkansas, take exit 24, turn north onto Arkansas 215 and continue for approximately 12.3 miles. Turn left onto Forest Service Road 1505 toward Shores Lake/White Rock and follow for approx. 5.3 miles. Turn left onto Forest Service Road 1505 and follow for approx. 2.2 miles. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 1505 and follow for 0.5 miles. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 1535 and continue for approximately 0.5 miles to White Rock Mountain.
For alternative directions and/or GPS navigation enter "White Rock Mountain Recreation Area" into Google Maps. If you need further assistance with directions, please call us at (479) 369-4128.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Mountainburg, AR
Typical weather
Typical October night 51°F, day 70°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 30°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it · a letter you can send
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
White Rock Mountain Recreation Area is in Arkansas’s 4th congressional district. Its representative, Bruce Westerman (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
Who can change it · 3
Two offices, two different asks. The draft to the agency asks it to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up. The draft to Congress asks why that share is zero and presses for a published minimum at the campgrounds it funds.
- The member who votes the moneyBruce WestermanU.S. Representative · Arkansas’s 4th district
- Your senator, on the same appropriationJohn BoozmanU.S. Senator · Arkansas
- Your senator, on the same appropriationTom CottonU.S. Senator · Arkansas
Read the draft, or change the wording
For the camper who turned up, or tried to book, and couldn’t get in. Every draft is written from this campground’s own record (its agency, its unit, its site count and its own weekend) and the buttons above copy whichever wording is selected here.
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas
Dear Bruce Westerman, I’m a constituent in Arkansas’s 4th district. I tried to camp at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas, and couldn’t. All 13 sites at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 13 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. White Rock Mountain Recreation Area keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run White Rock Mountain Recreation Area. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about White Rock Mountain Recreation Area (Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas
Dear John Boozman, I’m a constituent in Arkansas. I tried to camp at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas, and couldn’t. All 13 sites at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 13 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. White Rock Mountain Recreation Area keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run White Rock Mountain Recreation Area. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about White Rock Mountain Recreation Area (Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas
Dear Tom Cotton, I’m a constituent in Arkansas. I tried to camp at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas, and couldn’t. All 13 sites at White Rock Mountain Recreation Area are reservable, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 13 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. White Rock Mountain Recreation Area keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run White Rock Mountain Recreation Area. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about White Rock Mountain Recreation Area (Black Mountain National Game Refuge, Arkansas) via campanac.com
How we know this · 4
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“the agency's own site records list "CELL PHONE SERVICE" on 13 of 13 campsites here”