Excerpted from Favorite Ozark Campgrounds by Steve Henry

Redding Campground is a nice place to be. All sites are well shaded and spacious. Most are separated from neighboring camps by thick woods and brush. They're spaced far enough apart to ensure privacy but close enough to socialize with your neighbors if you want. Water spigots are scattered through the campground, and it's only a short walk to hot showers and flush toilets. The only sites to avoid are 21, 22, and 24—they're packed close together with no brush between them and are across from the bathroom and its all-night lights and squeaking door.

Campground Ratings Beauty: Site privacy: Site spaciousness: Quiet: Security: Cleanliness/upkeep: Redding, with a nearby trail system that connects to the Ozark Highlands Trail, is a hiker's dream. National Forest Campground Guide: Redding Campground

When the river's up, the campground gets busy. People flock to the Mulberry from all over Arkansas to challenge its whitewater. The 16-mile section from Wolf Pen Recreation Area above Redding to Turner Bend below is a very popular stretch for river runners. Dropping 13 to 15 feet per mile on this run, the Mulberry roars through sharp turns, cascades over rock ledges, pushes through strainers and willow thickets, and smashes over boulders. It's a blast to paddle—with a set of rapids named Whoop and Holler, how could it ever be boring? Water levels are usually suitable from late fall to early June.

If river running isn't for you, bring your mountain bike. You can ride 23-mile Spy Rock Trail from camp. It climbs up onto Morgan and Hare Mountains on well-maintained Morgan Mountain Road/FS 1504, follows a very high ridge for several miles, and then returns to AR 215 on rough, rugged FS 1533. One-and-a-half miles up Morgan Mountain Road you can ditch your bike and hike a quarter-mile spur trail to Spy Rock, where you'll admire a vista of the Mulberry River Valley. On FS 1533 you'll pass an old chimney and foundation, all that remains of a long-gone homestead.

For a less technical ride, drive over to Turner Bend, park at the store, and pedal the 18-mile Ragtown Road Loop. This ride won't require expert bike-handling skills, but you'll not get off easy. It has some long climbs—but those climbs translate into scenic views, so it's worth the huffing and puffing. On the loop you can visit Gray's Spring, a mountainside picnic area, and pedal through Bee Rock, where the road squeaks between two huge stone formations.

For a real technical challenge, take your bike over to the Mill Creek ATV area south of Combs. This 42-mile trail system features a 27-mile main loop interlaced with 15 miles of interior loops and connectors. It varies from laid-back cruises on ridges and streamsides to thigh-burning climbs and white-knuckle descents. Except for the easy Burrel Mountain Loop, Mill Creek is only for strong and experienced riders. For hikers, Redding is a dream. The Redding-Spy Rock Loop leaves from a trailhead a half mile east of the campground. This 9-mile loop climbs the side of Morgan Mountain to Spy Rock Vista and returns, passing several small waterfalls along the way. Near Spy Rock a connector runs over to the Ozark Highlands Trail, tying you into nearly 200 miles of scenic wandering.

The 19-mile section of the Ozark Highlands Trail between Cherry Bend on AR 23 and Lick Branch Trailhead on County Road 33 is gorgeous. It goes right over 2,380-foot Hare Mountain, the highest point on this 175-mile trail. An old well and a haunting rock wall are all that remains of a farm that once worked this flat-topped mountain. The old wall is an ideal seat for admiring the valley of the Mulberry and surrounding Boston Mountains fading into the distant smoky blue haze. The rest of this section of trail travels bluff edges, splashes through streams, skirts waterfalls on Indian Creek, and passes through the Marinoni Scenic Area, a fantastic little canyon not far from Lick Branch. For an easy hike to the peak of Hare Mountain, use the Hare Mountain Trailhead 4 miles up Morgan Mountain Road from AR 215. From there it's only a 2-mile hike on a razorback ridge to the top of Hare Mountain.

Move on to Richland Creek

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