Where can a person camp alone within a couple hours of Conway?

Not asking for a group trip, just me. I want a quiet spot where I can set up for a couple nights and not hear somebody's generator or a bunch of kids on four wheelers. I've got a small camper, nothing fancy, and a bag of hand sewing to keep me busy.

We used to camp at Petit Jean years back and I can't imagine it's quiet now, especially on a weekend. I've driven past the Cadron Settlement park plenty of times (the old settlement history there is something else, if you've never read up on it) but I don't know about camping out that way. Woolly Hollow is closer but I figure it gets busy in summer too.

With all the rain and high water lately I'm also not sure what's open or washed out. Anybody camped solo around here, or know a spot that stays peaceful? Open to national forest or wherever, I just don't know the rules for some of it. Thanks

Midweek is the trick at Woolly Hollow and Petit Jean. Sunday night through Thursday you can nearly have the place to yourself, even in June. It's the Friday-to-Sunday crowd that wrecks it, so I'd skip the weekends there.

If you want real quiet, I'd look at the Ozark National Forest. It's a bit of a drive, but dispersed camping is allowed in a lot of it and you won't hear a generator. Forest roads wash out something awful after this much rain though, so call the ranger district before you head up, and don't count on a small camper getting down a gravel road that's been flooded. Check the water crossings too.

Not sure about camping at Cadron Settlement, I only know it as a day stop. Hope you get to do your sewing in peace.

Midweek is easy for me, retired so every day is a weekday, ha. I hadn't thought of it that way. Might try Woolly Hollow Sunday through Wednesday first since it's close, and if the camper and I both like it I'll work up to the forest.

Good point on the gravel roads too. It's a little pull-behind and sits pretty low, so I don't want to get stuck somewhere with a flooded crossing and no signal. I'll call the ranger district before I go and ask what's actually passable. Thanks Rick.

Still curious if anybody knows whether you can camp at Cadron Settlement. I'd love to sleep near all that history for once.

Barb, I drove out by Cadron Settlement yesterday and walked around a bit. I saw picnic tables and the trail, but no campsites or hookups that I could find. I'd say it's a day-use place, but I wouldn't swear to it. Call the Conway parks department and ask, they'd know for sure.

If you want to sleep near the history, Woolly Hollow is probably your best bet, and it's only a short drive over.

One more thing, when fall comes the wildlife management areas fill up with hunters, so save those for after you've tried the midweek trick. Good luck with it, and bring plenty of thread.

Good rundown, Rick. Cadron Settlement is day-use as far as I know too.

Barb, Woolly Hollow is just up 285 past Greenbrier, so it's an easy test run. Call the park office first and ask about the water and any washed-out spots after all this rain. If you do end up on a WMA come fall, wear orange.

Thanks Austin. I'll call the park office Monday before I hitch up, mostly to ask about the water and whether the low spots got washed out. I know where 285 goes past Greenbrier, so at least I won't get lost, ha.

Fine by me if Cadron is day-use only. I'll pack a sandwich and go walk the old settlement site on a weekday morning, then drive over to Woolly Hollow and sleep there. Seems like the right way to do the history and the camping both.

And noted on the orange. I wouldn't be anywhere near a WMA in deer season anyway, I'm not that brave. Will report back after the first trip.