Best campgrounds in Missouri
Missouri

Best Campgrounds in Missouri

Curated guides to help you find the perfect camping destination in Missouri. From tent-only sites to full-hookup campgrounds.

Featured Campgrounds

Handpicked destinations that define the region

1
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park Campground
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0.0
(0)
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park Campground
Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park

Ancient volcanic rhyolite formations create natural water slides and swimming pools where families splash through million-year-old rock channels. The rugged St. Francois Mountains backdrop offers wilderness hiking and geological wonders just steps from well-maintained campsites.

2
Greenville Recreation Area
Star
4.7
(639)
Greenville Recreation Area
Greenville, MO
Wappapello Lake

This sprawling lakeside campground sits atop the submerged ruins of Old Greenville City, where 106 full-hookup sites provide modern comfort amid historic intrigue along Wappapello Lake's northern shore.

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RVs
3
Mill Creek (Missouri)
Star
4.7
(804)
Mill Creek (Missouri)
LAMPE
Table Rock Lake

Perched on Table Rock Lake's shoreline, this 67-site haven delivers everything from morning swims off your own beach to evening barbecues overlooking Missouri's crystalline waters.

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RVs

More Top Campgrounds in Missouri

Discover 21 additional top-rated campgrounds in Missouri

Sparrowfoot
Photo coming soon
Star
4.6
(295)
Sparrowfoot
Clinton
Harry S. Truman Lake

Dramatic rocky bluffs tower over spacious campsites where the Grand River meets Harry S. Truman Lake, creating a stunning backdrop for your lakeside stay.

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RVs
Arrow Rock State Historic Site Campground
Star
4.6
(553)
Arrow Rock State Historic Site Campground
Arrow Rock
Arrow Rock State Historic Site

Towering oaks shade your campsite just steps from a meticulously preserved 19th-century Missouri village, where you can explore authentic frontier museums and historic taverns by day.

Tents
RVs
Redman Creek Recreation Area
Star
4.5
(491)
Redman Creek Recreation Area
Wappapello
Wappapello Lake

This spacious campground delivers modern comfort with 109 full-hookup sites and freshly renovated restrooms, while six secluded boat-in island sites offer true waterfront seclusion.

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RVs
Cape Fair
Star
4.5
(400)
Cape Fair
Cape Fair
Table Rock Lake

Waterfront sites along Table Rock Lake's James River Arm deliver unobstructed sunrise views and direct access to swimming beaches and boat launches. Impeccably maintained facilities—including spotless showers and a attentive host team—create a welcoming basecamp for exploring nearby Mark...

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2 Campground
Star
4.6
(279)
2 Campground
Branson
Table Rock State Park

Towering oaks shade spacious sites that cascade down to Table Rock Lake's pristine waters, where your morning coffee view includes fishing boats gliding across the glassy surface.

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RVs
Campbell Point
Star
4.5
(630)
Campbell Point
Shell Knob
Table Rock Lake

Towering trees shade spacious sites along White River Arm of Table Rock Lake, where a sandy beach leads directly to crystal-clear waters for swimming, boating, and fishing.

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RVs
Long Shoal
Star
4.5
(438)
Long Shoal
Warsaw
Harry S. Truman Lake

Ninety-four campsites stretch along Harry S. Truman Lake's shoreline, where sandy beaches meet crystal waters and eagles soar overhead. Paddlers launch from the nearby marina while swimmers enjoy the beach, all backed by clean facilities and stunning lake vistas.

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RVs
Damsite
Star
4.4
(388)
Damsite
Hermitage, MO
Pomme De Terre Lake

Anglers cast lines into Pomme de Terre Lake's trophy waters, where muskie, crappie, and bass create some of Missouri's best catch ratios. Spacious lakeside sites provide front-row seats to spectacular Fourth of July fireworks that light up the water each summer.

Tents
RVs
Piedmont Park
Star
4.4
(398)
Piedmont Park
Piedmont
Clearwater Lake

Dramatic limestone bluffs tower over crystal-clear Clearwater Lake, creating a stunning backdrop for 97 spacious campsites nestled in the Ozark foothills. Launch your boat at sunrise, swim in pristine waters by afternoon, then gather around the campfire as the bluffs glow golden at sunset.

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RVs

Camping Style

Find campgrounds in Missouri that match how you love to camp


By Activity

Campgrounds in Missouri with the best access to your favorite outdoor activities


Campground Locations

Showing top 20 campgrounds near Missouri

Map Key
1
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park Campground
2
Greenville Recreation Area
3
Mill Creek (Missouri)
4
Sparrowfoot
5
Arrow Rock State Historic Site Campground
6
Redman Creek Recreation Area
7
Cape Fair
8
2 Campground
9
Campbell Point
10
Long Shoal
11
Damsite
12
Piedmont Park
13
River Road Park
14
Frank Russell
15
Indian Point
16
Nemo Landing
17
Baxter
18
Big M
19
Ruark Bluff West
20
Theodosia Park

About Camping in Missouri

The Current River runs clear and cold past Round Spring, and by mid-morning in June the gravel bars are dotted with canoes pulled up for lunch. That stretch of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is where a lot of Missourians learn to camp.

Best Time

Missouri's prime camping season runs from April through October, with late spring (May) and early fall (September-October) offering the most comfortable conditions and spectacular scenery. Summer months from June through August bring warm temperatures ideal for swimming and water sports at lake campgrounds like Mill Creek and Campbell Point on Table Rock Lake, though this peak season also means larger crowds and the need for advance reservations, particularly on holiday weekends.

Why Camp Here

  • Curated selection of top-rated campgrounds
  • Verified reviews and sentiment analysis
  • Diverse options for every camping style
  • Local insights and seasonal recommendations

Plan Your Trips

Popular Activities

Lakeside camping with full hookups and modern amenitiesBoating and water skiing on Table Rock, Truman, and Wappapello LakesBass, crappie, and catfish fishing from shore, pier, or boatSwimming at designated beaches and natural water featuresHiking scenic trails including Table Rock Lakeshore Trail and Memory LaneWildlife viewing for deer, turkey, eagles, and waterfowl

Tips & Recommendations

  • 1Reserve lakefront sites on Table Rock, Truman, and the other Corps lakes by early spring for summer weekends, because the best spots go first on Recreation.gov.
  • 2Missouri State Parks are an excellent value, and the popular ones like Johnson's Shut-Ins and Ha Ha Tonka fill on holiday weekends, so book ahead.
  • 3If you want to float-camp the Current or Jacks Fork, line up a canoe and shuttle through an outfitter in Eminence or Van Buren, and tie your boat off well above the waterline overnight, because spring rains can raise the river fast.
  • 4Bring water shoes for the gravel bars and the rocky spring branches.
24 campgrounds ranked
Based on real camper reviews
Curated for Camping in Missouri

How to Book These Campgrounds

The most popular campgrounds for camping in missouri book up months in advance. Here are the tools to help you get a site.


Missouri Camping FAQ

Late spring and early fall are the sweet spot. April and May bring dogwood and redbud across the Ozark hills, the best float levels on the Current and Jacks Fork, and mild temperatures. October turns the hardwoods gold and red and thins the summer crowds. Summer is prime lake season but hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms that build fast over Table Rock and Truman, so watch the radar. Winter camping is doable in the milder southern Ozarks, though many park loops and bathhouses close from November through March.

The Mark Twain National Forest covers about 1.5 million acres across the Ozarks and allows dispersed camping in most of it at no cost, plus some very cheap developed sites. Many Missouri Department of Conservation areas allow primitive camping for free, though the rules vary tract to tract, so check the specific area first. Along the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, gravel-bar camping on the Current and Jacks Fork is free if you float or hike to it. Bring all your own water and pack out everything.

Table Rock Lake near Branson is the clear-water favorite, with Corps campgrounds like Mill Creek and Cape Fair on deep blue-green water good for swimming and bass fishing. Harry S. Truman Lake near Warsaw is the crappie and catfish capital, with Sparrowfoot and Long Shoal as the go-to campgrounds. Lake of the Ozarks has the most shoreline and the most development. Wappapello and Clearwater in the southeast are quieter and cheaper. Pomme de Terre is small and easy. Lakefront sites book first, so reserve early on Recreation.gov.

Yes, and it is one of the best float-camping trips in the Midwest. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways protects 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork. You can camp for free on gravel bars if you float or hike to them, and there are developed campgrounds at Round Spring, Pulltite, and Alley Spring that book fast in summer. Outfitters in Eminence and Van Buren rent canoes and run shuttles. The water is spring-fed and cold, in the 50s even in July, so bring water shoes and a dry bag.

Yes. Table Rock Lake wraps around the southwest side of Branson, and the Corps of Engineers campgrounds there are the best base. Mill Creek and Cape Fair both put you on clear water with boat ramps for $25 to $50 a night. They are far enough from the Branson strip to feel like real lake camping but close enough to drive in for a show or a meal. Reserve lakefront sites by early spring for summer weekends, because they fill first.

Yes. Missouri State Parks take reservations through the state system, and the popular parks like Johnson's Shut-Ins, Ha Ha Tonka, Meramec, and Bennett Spring fill on summer holiday weekends, so book ahead. Missouri runs one of the better-value park systems in the country, with many sites priced low. Some smaller parks hold a portion of sites as first-come, first-served, but you should not count on walking up to a lakefront or trout-park site on a busy weekend.

Very. The big Corps reservoirs are the draw. Table Rock is known for bass and trout below the dam at Lake Taneycomo, Truman for crappie and catfish, and Pomme de Terre for muskie. The trout parks at Bennett Spring, Montauk, and Roaring River run put-and-take trout fishing right next to the campgrounds and have their own daily tag system. The float streams hold smallmouth bass and goggle-eye. A Missouri fishing permit is required, and trout fishing needs the extra trout permit or daily tag.

Three things. Heat and humidity in summer, so plan for shade and watch for fast-building afternoon thunderstorms over the lakes. Ticks and chiggers in the tall grass from May through September, so treat your clothing with permethrin and check nightly. And the rivers, which rise quickly after spring rain, so tie canoes off well above the waterline and never camp low on a gravel bar if storms are in the forecast upstream. Cell coverage also drops out in the deep Ozark hollows, so save offline maps.

Missouri Camping Guides

Planning reads to pair with your Missouri trip


Nearby States to Camp

Compare Missouri with the best campgrounds in neighboring states, or browse the full best-campgrounds guide.


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