St. Francis National Forest in Arkansas offers Forest Service recreation at Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area. For a walking or hiking visit, start with Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area. Each recreation site has its own facilities and access rules; use the official maps and current site instructions to plan your visit.

Camping & reservations

The booking button opens official site-specific camping instructions for Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area. Check current reservations, first-come arrangements and any permit requirements there.

Truck-camping & permitted overnight use

Confirm with the district whether your chosen designated campsite accepts a truck camper or RV. Check pad length, turning space, approach surface and seasonal access; a trailhead or day-use lot is not an overnight campsite.

No forest-wide permission to camp is implied. Check the district’s current dispersed-camping rules, designated areas, fire restrictions, stay limits and seasonal closures before choosing an undeveloped site.

Activities, hiking & trails

Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area ↗
The 625-acre Bear Creek Lake Recreation Area has 30 miles of shore line and offers the following recreational opportunities: camping, picnicking, swimming, canoeing, fishing and hiking. Sitting atop Crowley’s Ridge, the recreation area offers three campgrounds, two picnic areas, a mile-long nature trail, a swim beach and a handicap-accessible fishing pier which all provide visitors a variety of recreational experiences. Bear Creek Nature Trail provides a one-mile loop winding through a forested area. There are excellent scenic views of the lake shoreline, including Beech Point, and interpretive posts that highlight ecology in action. Trophy Largemouth Bass, Red-eyed Bream and Channel Catfish are just a few of the many species of fish that you’ll find in the lakes and streams in the area. Fish Your National Forests: This site can be accessed by Passenger Car; Fish available include: Bass, Panfish; Types of fishing available include: Shore, Motorized boat, Float tube, Fly, Spin, Bait;…

Maps & road access

• Official visitor maps, trail maps and Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) ↗
• Interactive Forest Visitor Map ↗

Consult the current Motor Vehicle Use Map for permitted motor routes, vehicle classes and seasonal designations. A route on an MVUM is not a guarantee that it is maintained or passable. Check current road closures and conditions with the district; carry an offline map.

Use the official directions for the exact named campground or trailhead; forest boundaries and administrative offices are not campsite entrances. Official directions / site access ↗

Before you travel

Check the forest’s current alerts, seasonal services, fire orders and campground rules. Download the relevant official maps before entering areas with limited reception.

Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. USDA Forest Service official information ↗

Photograph sources & licensing

Banner: Storm Creek Lake, St. Francis National Forest
Storm Creek Lake In the St. Francis National Forest in Phillips County Arkansas
Credit: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomas@machnitzki.com). Original source ↗ · CC BY 3.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Second large photograph: Storm Creek Lake entrance
Storm Creek Lake In the St. Francis National Forest in Phillips County Arkansas
Credit: Thomas R Machnitzki (thomas@machnitzki.com). Original source ↗ · CC BY 3.0 ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.

Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.