Hey ya'll I am a new pilot (100hrs). I have a Cessna 182 and would like to dip my toe into some more back country flying. I am based out of Kansas and would love to take a trip this fall/winter to someplace where I can park the plane and just take off hiking and camp for several days. I don't have a ton of experience with grass strips so would prefer to stay on something paved. I know this sounds kinda boring for most of you but gotta start somewhere. I have been looking around the Arkansas area but I am open to other recommendations. Thanks!

Steve Johnson that runs the supercub.org website is from AR,
he could probably steer you onto some good places.
From what I've read, sounds like there's some good flying there.

hotrod180 wrote:Steve Johnson that runs the supercub.org website is from AR,
he could probably steer you onto some good places.
From what I've read, sounds like there's some good flying there.

I've also heard good things about Facebook.

The RAF is a great place to start.
Here is a good website for destinations.
https://www.shortfield.com/

+1 on AR-second Steve Johnson/supercub.org. Just left two weeks in NW AR (FlyOZ) last week; had a blast. Beautiful fun flying with many very nice grass RWs. Not as adventurous as ID backcountry but certainly fun and more scenic; although, there are a few challenging strips as well. Also, great biking; fun trails for old single track has been on ebike and fishing/kayaking Beaver Lake isn't bad either. Planning to reserve camper spot for next spring/early summer for a couple of weeks.

+1 on the RAF and their list of backcountry airports. While there are airports with paved runways that allow camping onsite, you're really missing out if you don't expand your flying options to include grass runways. Landing on grass is no big deal at grass strips that have good water drainage and are well maintained. Before heading out for your first airplane camping trip, I'd encourage you to fly to a couple of grass strips without camping gear first. If you're uncomfortable doing that by yourself, take an instructor with you. I guarantee you the effort will be time well spent and will open up your airplane camping options and aviation enjoyment considerably. A lot of these strips would be considered "side country" rather than full backcountry, but they may have amenities that a serious backcountry strip would lack. You might find potable water, showers, fire rings and views that an airport with paved runways will be hard pressed to match. When going car camping, pitching your tent next to a paved road usually isn't the goal. Think of airplane camping the same way.

Bill35 wrote:would prefer to stay on something paved.

To answer your actual question instead of directing you to other sites, here's a few thoughts:

You're wise to bite off as much as you can chew at 100 hours. I don't think grass strips add that much challenge even at your experience, but if you really want to stick to paved destinations during fall/winter, you're definitely going south from KS. Usually paved excludes a "backcountry" experience but I've been to many paved runways at what seem like abandoned airports in low population areas of the country.

If you really want paved, that's a lot of airports. All you need is a place to camp on the airport and a level of activity that is low enough to provide a fun experience where you're not laying awake at night in the light of the sodium floods, or dodging fuel trucks and heightening security awareness of people who don't realize that people camp next to their planes recreationally.

If you're trying to figure out your airplane camping system, that's a good time to do it so you can eliminate unnecessary stuff and lighten your load for next season when you fly out West.

Arkansas is a good place for you. Here are three places you might like:

HOT: Hot Springs, big-ish airport near the national park. Probably car rental or some kind of transportation available. Probably can't camp there. There's a little bit of terrain around there that'll make you think just a bit about getting in, wind effects, and so on.
MPJ: Petit Jean State Park. Beautiful state park, and the paved airstrip has a campground at the south end. But you'd need some other kind of transportation to get to the other parts of the park. Check out the Arkansas State Park website and they might have more info on this.
3M0: Gaston's. This is a famous resort on a grass strip, but I believe they'll pick you up at the nearby paved strips (FLP or BPK) if you make arrangements. The lodge and restaurant are well known for the good food and service... not fancy, but comfortable and friendly.

Another great way to do what you're looking to do is land someplace and rent a car. Northwest Arkansas is loaded with cool state parks and things to do. Fly into VBT, find a car, and go to Devil's Den for example. The Buffalo river is one of the most beautiful parts of the state with lots of hiking, camping, and paddling options. HRO is the closest airport, but I'm not sure if they have car rental or not. Some outfitters on the Buffalo might say they'll pick you up in Marshall (4A5) but I'd rather have my own wheels. Finally, there's a great airport restaurant at PBF if you get that far south.

Zane is right; grass isn't rocket science and I know that there are grass strips in Kansas that you can work on until you're comfortable. Then, you can get into 3M0, 51AR, or 4AR9 in your 182. Airfield.guide has a ton of info on many of these strips, most of which are grass and probably outside of your comfort zone for now.

I'm based at ORK. Let me know if you need anything more and I'll see what I can do to assist.

It sounds like the Custer State Park Airport (3V0) is what you are looking for. They have a 4,000 foot paved strip with a trailhead starting at the airport and more hiking nearby. There is also a lodge with amenities a couple of miles down the road. It might be getting to be late in the year for camping but it might be worth trying in the spring if it is open. The park is looking at closing the airport.