Daisy State Park, located on the outskirts of Ouachita National Forest, in northwestern Arkansas, is a wooded lakeside RV-camper’s paradise. The park is a year-round facility that offers visitors and guests many different opportunities to experience nature, education, and recreation within the peaceful atmosphere of the Arkansas hills.
Daisy State Park sits next to Lake Greeson, a 7,000-acre lake formed from the waters of the Little Missouri River. The lake is 12-miles long and features clear water, long peninsulas, and numerous islands inside of the lake. Water tours and self-exploration of the river and the lake bring in people from all over the state. People enjoy both the river and the lake because both bodies of water provide visitors with plenty of boating, floating, and fishing opportunities.
Visitors will find this thickly forested area beautiful, scenic, and serene. Many people travel to Daisy State Park to stay in a quiet recreational location that is within an hour’s drive of both Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, or Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Both places provide visitors with experiences that are only found in the state of Arkansas, so the location of Daisy State Park makes the perfect central location for both tourist attractions.
Daisy State Park is located a quarter-mile south of the small town of Daisy, 103 miles from Little Rock, and less than an hour from Hot Springs National Park. The park, located just minutes from the Ouachita National Forest, requires drivers to take two-lane, tree-lined highways that have numerous curves. Because of the terrain, be prepared for slower driving speeds when you are towing or driving an RV. In fact, even where the roads allow for faster speeds, it is best to take it slow and watch for wildlife crossing the road while you enjoy the scenery of the Ouachita Mountains.
The park is located a quarter of a mile south of the town of Daisy, off of US-70. Eastbound travelers on US-70 should disregard GPS units that might erroneously direct drivers to turn right on West Park Road. Instead, continue east on US-70 for a quarter of a mile, and turn on East Park Road, which is the entrance to the park.
Once you are in the park, the roads are well-groomed but can be tricky if you are driving one of the larger motorhomes or pulling a trailer. Take it easy, watch for potholes and narrow roads, and be aware of other park visitors, including children and dogs who may be running around.
Near Pike County, this year-round campground offers RV campers a wooded camping location with waterfront views of Lake Greeson. The 82 asphalt-surfaced sites accommodate many different sized rigs, and each space has a picnic table, a campfire pit with grill for cooking, and some have additional BBQ pits. Campers can choose spaces with either 50- or 30-amp electrical service. All RV specific sites have water hookups. The park also has 21 tent-only sites for those who would rather get even closer to nature.
The campground has modern restrooms with showers, exchangeable propane, and an RV sanitary dump station. There is also a playground for the kids and trails where you can hike, bike, or go ATV riding. Please observe quiet hours by silencing any noisy equipment, such as generators, between the hours of 10 PM to sunrise. You can bring along your furbaby, too, but you have to keep it adequately restrained and supervised at all times during your visit.
Park guests who crave adventure can spend time on the Bear Creek Cycle Trail, exploring the shoreline of Lake Greeson and delving deep into the mixed pine and oak forest. The yellow and blue-blazed, 31-mile trail begins at Daisy State Park and ends near the west end of Rough Mountain. This awesome trail, which gives riders a panoramic view of the Ouachita Mountain Range, is a moderate to a strenuous level trail that has steep inclines and declines, and only expert riders should attempt traversing the path. More inexperienced riders can enjoy the section of the trail between Bear Creek and Kirby Landing, where it is easier riding. Please keep all ATVs on the trail system. ATVs are prohibited in recreational areas.
Some of the best fishing in the area is found in the Little Missouri River. The Little Missouri River flows in and out of Lake Greeson. Fish for rainbow trout and stream-running walleye above Lake Greeson in the colder months, and fish for bass, catfish, and bream below lake Greeson year-round. The river provides spectacular fishing opportunities, especially in the winter! All anglers over the age of 16 must possess a valid fishing license to fish in the state of Arkansas.
One of the most popular Arkansas attractions, Hot Springs National Park, is less than 50 miles away from Daisy State Park. Take a day trip to the national park and tour the historic bathhouses. Fill your drinking containers for free with some of the purest thermal spring water in the nation. This park is unlike any other national park because it sits on the north section of the main street in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Visitors can tour the bathhouses or reserve a spot to soak in one of the bathhouse spas, or just sample food and drinks made from the local thermal springs. You don’t need your national park pass to visit this park, because the facilities run through a public street. If you collect passport stamps for your visits to national parks, be sure to bring your book. There are a few opportunities to get unique bathhouse passport stamps for your collection.
During the off-season, you can enjoy hunting in the Daisy State Park along and around Lake Greeson. You will have to follow the Arkansas state hunting rules and regulations and be sure to have your hunting license on-hand when hunting. During the fall, squirrel, rabbit, and quail are hunted regularly here, and closer to the winter, you can hunt for deer and turkey. There are specific dates for each season, and you must not hunt within 500 feet of any campground or public structure.
If you need some target shooting practice before (or after) you go hunting, the Ouachita National Forest has quite a few shooting ranges to choose from. Reed Mountain Shooting Range is off Forest Road W42 in Mount Ida, Bear Mountain is off Forest Road 98A in Royal, and Pigeon Roost is in Glenwood off of Forest Road C27A. They are all free and are open from sunup to sundown. If you would rather practice your archery shooting, Daisy State Park offers archery target shooting classes at certain times of the year. Contact the park office for more info.
The Daisy Creek Trail is an easy three-quarter-mile trail, created for park guests who want to spend time getting closer to nature. Take a leisurely day hike through the scenic loop trail while searching for waterfowl, owls, small mammals, and other local wildlife. The Daisy Creek Trail takes hikers through the different ecosystems of the park. It begins in a wooded area and then travels along Lake Greeson and Daisy Creek. Hikers can complete the loop in under an hour. For a lengthier hike, complete the circuit more than one time or reverse and walk the trail from finish to start.
During the summer months, the park hosts a variety of events and programs for visitors of all ages and interests. Nature talks, crafts, guided hikes, and movies presented in the park’s outdoor amphitheater are just some of the activities that guests can participate in at Daisy State Park, free of charge. If you are staying between Memorial Day and Labor Day, contact the park office for more information on the events happening during your visit.
Visitors who love water sports will enjoy spending time exploring the waters of Lake Greeson by boat or stand up paddleboard. Bring your own watercraft or rent a paddleboard, kayak, or tandem kayak from Daisy State Park. Patrons may rent watercraft by the hour, half-day, or a full day, and use one of the park’s two boat ramps to access the water. To make reservations or inquire about boat rentals, please contact the park office.
You cannot go to Daisy State Park without taking a dip in Lake Greeson or the Little Missouri River, so be sure to pack your swimsuits in the RV before heading out. Although there is no designated swimming beach, previous visitors boast about the many areas around the lake that are sandy and make perfect swimming spots. In many of these locations, you can also find picnic tables or a hiking trail so that you and the kids can go exploring after having a picnic lunch.
If you are looking for a place in the Ozarks to go on a float trip, Daisy State Park is one of the best places to float. Bring a raft, rent one from the park or nearby outfitters, or bring some inner tubes to float on. No matter what you choose to float on, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time! The Little Missouri River starts just south of Mena and flows through the Ouachita Mountains and Ouachita National Forest, where you will enjoy some of the most stunning views in the country.
