Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

I hate to review this one because I don’t want it to get crowded and ruined. lol. It was a great spot. I think there are 20 spots and including us only 5 were taken. Very quiet and peaceful

There was barely anyone here when we visited in April , new pit toilets , water was not available and no power . The road getting there does vary in surfaces but our van made it fine no issues . Great hiking and scenery and it was very quiet at night . Cleaned up a mess someone left behind and watched another couple doing the same . Likely not a summertime destination for us but plenty of water you could go and cook off in .

We were here, and the ONLY campers! Loved that. Sites were spacious. Toilets were clean enough and stocked. Road in was rough blue easily passable.

Only stayed here for 1 night. Pit toilets were dirty even for pit toilets. Decent primitive sites, not very level though. Good for tent camping or small camper. Unfortunately some other “campers” showed up late in the evening, played music, yelled and partied until around 3am. It seems to be an ongoing problem at that campground. The only plus is the amazing rock formations, good trail system and great little swimming hole. Great place to spend the day and maybe the night if you can sleep though all the commotion.

Nice sites that were well spaced apart. Most were not suitable for large RVs. Beautiful red pines intermixed with beach and maple trees. No showers or flush toilets which might bother some people. Some of the comments mentioned the condition of the fire grates. Some of them could use replacing but many seemed fine.

We spent four days and nights here. The spaces were nicely separated. The campground was well-maintained and tidy. The surrounding area has many trails which were absolutely amazing. The only road noise comes from the road leading in. It’s completely quiet at night which allows you to hear the wildlife. The spot was large enough for a 30 foot motorhome. Absolutely loved this place!

Absolutely loved it here. Went camping last 4 days with 2 adults and 7kids we all had a great time. Only thing that could make it better was showers

I love coming to the Shawnee forest to camp and hike. We have absolutely no signal there with MetroPCS and it is very refreshing. We took three separate cars and they have a two car per site rule, but they have a lot at the front to park extra cars in so it was no problem. The springs have fun and challenging trails to hike along, and if you go far enough there’s a nice spot to swim. It was disappointing to see quite a bit of litter in some places along the trail, but that is more of a reflection on previous guests than it is on the park, I think.

This small campground is nice once you get there!  Just know it is remote and the road to get there is rough, so, if you are not comfortable with that, I would go elsewhere.  There are no hookups, although water is available.  Also there are pit toilets which are not the worst I have seen!  No cell service, so, also be prepared for that.  I was at this campground on a weekend in April and it was full, so, if you are going on the weekend, get there early on Friday as this is first come, first served.  There are several hiking trails accessible from the campground with interesting sites to see.  Sites are relatively large and well spaced with picnic tables and fire pits with grills on most.

This campground was perfect! Surrounded by nature and hiking trails, you’ll find 21 campsites (all without electricity). It’s $10/night and there’s a self pay station. There are 2 vault toilets (one has the handle broken off the door) but both super clean and fully stocked. I arrived around 3:30pm on a Friday and about half the camp was full. Upon departure the next morning, there was maybe 1 empty spot. There is a drinking water spigot near the first bathroom and also trash cans. The sites near the front allow for charging solar panels so that’s where I stayed. Towards the loop, there is much more tree coverage. I had 1 bar of LTE through AT&T at the front of the camp but lost service back in the loop. Overall, beautiful campground and will be back!

We found this little gem at a last minute camping adventure on the way home from out of town.  It was one of our first tent camping experiences.  Nothing fancy, but the pit toilet and water supply worked just fine for us and our kids.  We found some beautiful hiking and water holes.

This is a gorgeous park with beautiful sights around every turn. BUT the people who leave their garbage by the springs should be ashamed. There were beer cans, fireworks remnants, trash, diapers, you name it. I cannot believe people would defile this natural wonder, but there it is.

Loved all the hikes within walking distance, a bit of a drive in but fun to explore

21 campsites with a fire ring/barrel, lantern post and picnic table. A couple of the campsites had damaged fire rings. Most sites should be able to fit medium size trailers, other sites have trees in the way. Vault toilets and a water station. Very quiet, clean and peaceful. Trail system is about 8 miles and has great views. Don’t forget to bring your swimming suit!

This is a surprisingly good discovery. The sites are large and covered in gravel. Plenty of room for multiple tents. The woods are filled with poison ivy so the big camp area is very useful. There are a few vault toilets scattered around that are ok but not the best we’ve seen. A hand pump for water is near the garbage cans. We found plenty of empty sites but people were starting to fill them in. I imagine it might get full for the weekend. 

Just around the corner(or down the trail at the start of camp) is a network of hiking trails. They scurry around cliffs, falls and ravines. We found small pools perfect for a summer dip. Half the hikers were carrying towels so it must be a common plan. 

We didn’t do much hiking because our dog kept trying to hike right into the poison ivy. This would have been better with our dog sitting this one out. 

At only$10 per night, this is a great deal.

Couldn't have pick a better spot I definitely recommend red bud campsite.. the sites are spread out so you don't have close neighbors.. and the area is beautiful very quiet and peaceful..

Great hiking and great camp site. No shower but the springs offer a refreshing soak after a long day of hiking. Water is easily accessible and clean. Definitely lots of ticks but you’re in nature so it’s a given. Can’t wait to return!

Within hiking distance of the springs and very spacious. Lots of places to set up tents and drive into camp. Water access was easy and out houses clean.

Great place to go hiking and get surrounded by nature. There’s even a great spot to go swimming and cool down after a day of hiking. Highly recommended for any adventure enthusiasts.

This is a beautiful place with so much to see! Amazing rock formations, miles of hiking trials, springs to cool off, jumping cliffs. Great campsite, spacious, woody. Little over 20 campsites, get filled on the weekends. If you enjoy the untouched nature, this is definitely a place to visit. On the down side, you pay $10 per tent per night (if you have 2 tents on one site, have to pay $20 per night). bathrooms are not very clean. And the ticks were so bad!! Maybe it is just that time of the year (tick season). Otherwise absolutely beautiful nature!

This campground had just over 20 primitive sites. A well is near the entrance for drinking water, and the sites are very clean. Very quiet and remote. The park ranger said the campground is rarely used, but the upkeep is amazing. Miles of trails to explore with canyons, waterfalls, and the famous cliff jumps of bell springs.

One of our favortie places to spend a little getaway weekend.

My boyfriend and i stayed at Red bud a few weeks ago. We. had a great time. Camping was very quiet and serene. The spring is just a two minute drive up the road and hiking was amazing.

We went the weekend before Memorial Weekend and had absolutely no problem finding a spot. They were nice with variety between tucked away and fairly open spots. There are trailheads that lead down to the springs or you can just hike around. The springs were a great way to cool off on a hot day. There was actually a ton of people down there during the day but it didn't feel too crowded or dirty, everyone was having a good time letting the dogs run, or swimming. We took a hike at night and my dog stuck her snout right in a snake's face. It hissed and rattled at us but we hurried off and it left us alone thankfully. The spigots didn't pump water while we were there, must have been dried up. Overall a good experience! I would reccomend

We showed up on Friday and even by Sunday when all the spots were taken there was plenty of room between sites. Don't venture too far from the tent spots I saw lots of poison ivy. There are plenty of trails in the immediate vicinity but watch out you might see a copperhead, thankfully the I've we saw was minding his own business. Overall, very fun time coming from Ohio!

This is one of my favorite spots. I had no service and it was pitch black at night. The only amenities are a vault toilet and water. Plenty of hiking right from your site. 10 minute wAlk or 2 minute drive to the river where you can hike, swim or wade. Even if it seems crowded, just walk down the river a ways for some privacy. No problem finding wood.

Stopped at this campground on the way to St. Louis. It is remote with several trails to explore. The sites were level and good for tent camping.