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Great little camping spot, far away from population. Really quiet. So peaceful. River perfect temp, nice to swim in. Lots of hiking in the area. Really pretty. We had it to ourselves. No reception on Verizon, tho.
I spent 10 days camping at Barkshed Recreation Area in May 2019. It was a really nice time, that was mostly quiet. I only had the campground 100% to myself for one night, but there were about 4-5 nights with only 1-2 others campers around. The weekends were somewhat busy, but I was there during peak season. I used Barkshed as a base camp to explore the area on my dual sport motorcycle. I found lots of rarely traveled gravel roads in the area, and that is always fun when your out on a dual sport. The camp was also very close to Push Mountain Road or HWY 341 whichever you prefer to call it. This road was excellent for any motorcycle. Lots of twists and turns plus great scenery to take in. There are plenty of beautiful sights to see within a short ride from the campground. I recommend checking out Blanchard Caverns and the several waterfalls they have. Also at Blanchard caverns they have mirror lake, which is stunningly beautiful. At the bottom of the Mirror Lake waterfall is what’s left of an old mill that was powered by running water. There are also many hiking trails in the nearby area including one trail that goes right through the campground. The Buffalo River is about a 35 minute ride away, so we had a chance to spend the day canoeing. All in all it’s a nice place to get away from the city, and it does feel remote, but it’s not too far away from necessities.
Absolutely beautiful and peaceful place to enjoy the surroundings. Kids always have a blast, crystal clear water and cliffs to jump for all ages. Very cold water, you do need water shoes because there are rocks and stones of all sizes.
Definitely recommend for a fun family day, there is also hiking. Some watrerfalls during the rainy season.
We stayed for a couple of nights in the campsite beside the public restrooms. Great campsite, close to Sylamore Creek. The water is cold and crystal clear, great for swimming. We hiked about 2 miles down the trail toward Gunner Pool and the scenery was amazing. Not a difficult hike at all. Highly recommend you check it out if you like a secluded getaway.
The water was low when we went, but we had the place to ourselves and had a great time. Our biggest concern was the road getting there. It is a one lane road with no turn outs for a bit so a bit unnerving. Road is rough and steep in places. Low clearance vehicles may bottom out.
