Arkansas / Arkansas County

Wilbur D. Mills

Closed — Currently closed for the season. Typically operates seasonally, though specific reopening dates vary.

About

Wilbur D. Mills Campground is a small, quiet U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground offering 21 campsites on the lower portion of the Arkansas River, just below Wilbur D. Mills Dam. The campground provides electric and water hookups at all sites, with 17 sites available for advance reservation and the remainder first-come, first-served. One site is designated for disabled access. The waters below Wilbur D. Mills Dam offer excellent fishing opportunities for blue, channel, and flathead catfish, as well as crappie, white bass, striped bass, and their hybrids. The area is also known for quality whitetail deer hunting in the adjacent bottomland hardwoods on public lands. Birders can observe many species including the federally endangered Least Tern, which nests on sandbars in this portion of the Arkansas River. The non-commercially navigable river meanders 26 miles from the dam to its confluence with the Mississippi River. The campground includes hot showers, a boat launch, and trash dumpsters. Swimming, wading, and diving are prohibited in this portion of the Arkansas River, and boaters should exercise caution as water levels can change suddenly due to dam operations. Advanced reservation holders must check in at Pendleton Bend Park gatehouse, located 3.5 miles before the campground entrance. Nearby attractions include Arkansas Post National Memorial, Arkansas Post State Park, and the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge.

Directions

From Dumas, Arkansas, travel north on US-165 for 9 miles to State Route 212. Turn right and continue 4 miles east, through Pendleton Bend Park, to the campground.

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