Looking for tent camping near Quincy? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Quincy, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Quincy, Illinois's most popular destinations.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
This recreation area is part of Mississippi River - Pools 11-22
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visitors at John Spalding are in the perfect location for recreation on Mark Twain Lake. The day-use area is the only facility within reach of the sandy public beach. It's also directly connected to the Joanna Trail, a 32-mile multi-purpose trail for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Tour the birthplace of world-famous humorist and writer, Mark Twain and explore the region that inspired his most beloved stories, such as "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
Swim and enjoy the beach all day, or take a boat out for water skiing and fishing. For hikers and bikers, the lengthy Joanna Trail lines the northern banks of the lake.
The day-use area is equipped with a swimming beach, showers and picnic shelters. Shelters have electric hookups.
The Salt River of north-central Missouri feeds Mark Twain Lake, the regions largest body of water, spanning 18,000 acres. A variety of recreation areas surround the lake, including the Mark Twain State Park.
Visit Mark Twain's birthplace in Florida, Missouri or his boyhood home in Hannibal. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is below the dam and M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center is above the dam.
$30 / night
Missouris Spillway Recreation Area is tucked in a cove near the Wappapello Dam on Wappapello Lake. The area provides plenty of recreation for day-use visitors, including boating, fishing or playing volleyball by the lakeshore.
Wappapello Lake has a seemingly endless string of secluded coves hugged by a winding, wooded shoreline. The public recreation area spans 45,000 acres in the southeastern Ozark foothills.
Boating and fishing are the most popular activities with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass and channel catfish, among other species.
Pine Ridge Natural Trail, a 3/4-mile double loop, starts at the Spillway Recreation Area and provides an excellent way to explore the beautiful woodlands.
This day use area includes two large picnic shelters, 8 picnic sites, a volleyball court, playground, horseshoe pits and bank fishing.
The extensive 33-mile Ozark Trail, starts just south of Sam A. Baker State Park and winds along the west side of the St. Francis River and Wappapello Lake.
$6 / night
Scout
This campground has the best tent camping sites we have stayed at. It also has great hiking! We have been 2 times and plan to go again!
Guide
I tent-camped at Driftwood during a bike tour along the Mississippi River Trail. The showers and restroom were impressively clean. The hosts could not have made me feel more welcome.
Traveler
Real nice campground with bathrooms and showers. Only $5 to tent camp here! Great view of the lake and easy to hike trails. Only downside is that the mosquitoes will eat you alive!
Traveler
Very quiet and beautiful here. We are on site 93 with a partial view of the Mark Twain lake. Had to use blocks site goes down hill. Stayed 2 nights for $18 total with National senior pass. Electric hookup only. 91 degrees needed fan air movement. Water and dump are $24 a night. They also have tent camping.
Traveler
This campground use to be a great place to camp until it got new owners. They no longer offer tent camping and they completely shut it off from the public. My family has been going there for generations including having family reunions there. That place helped so many parents and kids get thru their summer breaks. Now you can't step foot on the property without having rented an rv spit.
Guide
Level grass tent sites. Shade of trees. Electric outlets at sites. Water accessible. Bath house kept very clean. Plenty of hot water for showers. Picnic table & fire ring at site. Economical. Laundry. Ice bags available. Picnic shelter with sides, 3 picnic tables, small mini fridge, electric lights & outlets, ceiling fan, portable fan, water and deep sink available for campers to use.
TravelerLove this place, it’s quiet and peaceful. Not a lot to do but they are trying. Tent camping, RV and a few cabin rentals, boat docks too where you can bring your boat! There are some hiking trails and pavilions and a softball field. There’s a stage they sometimes have plays and bands. I would give it a 5 stars (it’s in my hometown) but they really need some kind of draw. One shower house and a small playground. It’s worth a stay if you are in the area. It’s clean and neat.
Legend
Currently this is an RV only campground due to Covid restrictions, but there is ample space for tent camping when they return to allowing tents. So, RV sites include pull through and back in with water and electric hookups, and a dump station on site. There is a nice bathhouse and super clean laundry with a little lending library. Also on site is a community room(currently closed due to covid restrictions), an outdoor pavilion, and a miniature golf set up. The campground is wedged between the highway and a cow farm, so expect some noise, especially with few trees or landscaping to absorb the sound.
Legend
No frills camping on the edge of the fairgrounds, there are campsites mostly for RV’s (full hook ups- 50 amp and 30 amp, and sites with sewer), and space for tents on the margins (might be why tent “sites” are free). The bathhouse was locked when I passed through, and no one was camping here, but there is an emergency number to call, so I guess if I had wanted to camp here I could have had someone come out and unlock the bathhouse for me. The town is a short walk away with a convenience store and not much else, but still cute. Don’t expect any privacy or shade here as there are no trees.
Legend
All I can say of this fairly new campground is WOW! Tent sites in the trees with river views, water/electric at all of the RV pull thru sites, on site dump station, cute cabins in a variety of sizes, great hammocking trees, and a super clean bathhouse. If that is not enough, there is a coffee bar that serves light sandwiches, on site kayak outfitter, and summer concerts on the stage. About the only drawback I can see is that it will be so popular that it will be hard to get a site in the busy season without advance reservations. Even sitting next to the busy highway, there isn’t a lot of road noise thanks to the trees. If I was in a tent I would want to try and get sites 15 or 17 as they are large and have great views of the river.
Ranger
We spent last night camping at Indian Camp Creek park and it’s a great mix between primitive camping with limited connection and camping at an RV parking lot. We took our 4 year old daughter tent camping for the first time and this was a great location. Although there’s only 8 individual tent spots available, it seems as though there’s always a spot available and each site is secluded by a group of trees. Each spacious site is equipped with a nice sized firepit, a concrete pad with a picnic table and a soft flat level space for a tent. One restroom with no running water is well kept and trash was picked up in the morning.
The park is loaded with activities. Great hiking trails, a huge kids playground, a pond with trails, and a full frisbee golf course. There’s a nice creek that runs through the front of the park you can cool off and float on a tube. The park is incredibly clean and well maintained. You could easily spend a weekend doing various activities without getting bored.
You can reserve a site online, but it has to be 4 days in advance otherwise it’s first come, first serve. There’s also the option for group camping, although we never checked it out.
All in all, it’s a great site, about 15 minutes away from wentzville. If you are looking for extreme primitive, or a place to park your camper, this is not your place.
GuideThe rain was a pain but didn't ruin Mark Twain! Though I grew up outside of St. Louis, I'd never been to this campground or to Mark Twain Lake. Really enjoyed exploring the area and the campground was nice. Showers were a short walk and campsites had a decent amount of privacy. The Loop we were on was really better suited to motor homes and we were tent camping. We had two tents and had to set them up in kind of a odd location near the loop road. Some sites were better then others but I wouldn't come back to this exact site to pitch a tent. If you have a camper though, its great.
You are right on the lake here, though it's a bluff so when you get to the edge, there is a steep drop off. It's very pretty and my kids are 9 and 11 so I wasn't worried but if there were much younger I'd be concerned about letting them wander toward the lake as they could slip and fall in. Since part of the reason I take the kids camping is to be able to let them explore, I'd go to another area with younger kiddos.
That being said, there was a trail that you could take for about 10 minutes that took you down to water level and is decent for swimming.
We took a day trip to Hannibal, which is a fun little town. Took in the Mark Twain Museum and took a riverboat cruise. On another day, we rented a pontoon boat to explore the lake, which I'd recommend as well.
Once you get the to the campground, you are at least 30 minutes from any store, gas station, etc, to stock up.
We were there mostly during the week and it was very quiet. As it got closer to the weekend, it started to really fill up and get more lively. Mostly families and such so didn't mind but just a heads up.
In the end, lovely area, really well maintained campground and would recommend.
Ranger
Wildcat is a very nice campground operated by the City of Hamilton, Illinois. Campground has only 17 RV slots of various sizes. We had room to put our 32 foot fifth wheel and room to park our truck alongside. Ours was one of a couple of sites large enough to handle our size.
Their website says the nightly fee is $15 for tents and $25 fir RV. When we arrived we were informed that it had gone up to $20 fir tent and $30 for RV.
Service excludes electricity of 30 and 50 amp. Water is also available at each site. A dump station is on site.
Also on site is a very nice public pool and interesting Disc Golf course.
Very quite and peaceful surroundings. Just a half mile off of the Mississippi River.
We will definitely return here when we get back to the area.
TravelerAt one time this campground was a KOA campground so if you are familiar with KOA, you know the basic layout. We stayed here in our tent and while the tent area was closed for receding new grass the owner let us stay in a grassy area under the trees near the office. It was a great stsy and the restrooms and pool were nice and clean. We enjoyed ourselves and cooled off in the hot weather.
Legend
Boulder Lake is the larger of the two campgrounds here at Wakonda State Park. It is also crowded with RV and campers in the main part of the campground, with a small loop that is sort of tent only. The tent part is a loop with sites in the middle (37-50) having the best trees for hammocks and the sites on the outside of the loop having the most level places for pitching a tent. If you can get site 44, you have probably the best site in the campground as it sits at the end of the loop with no close neighbors, close to the lake, and backs to nice trees. None of the other sites are as private. This site is the furthest from the bathrooms and shower house, however. You can purchase ice and wood, and there are laundry facilities. All of this is located near the shower house. There are a couple of water spikots scattered around the campgrounds, and there is one hiking trail that heads out of the campground near the woodlot. Elsewhere in the park is a nice swimming beach with a place to shower off the sand, and some interesting cement tunnels/bunkers that kids might have fun exploring.
Legend
This quiet little campground had some hidden trails that would not expect to find in Illinois. The sites were shady and spaced out for some privacy. The woods around the lake make it a fun spot to explore with families The campground was quiet which lead to the enjoyment.
GuideWe visited in October so the campground was not very crowded. The park itself is gorgeous, especially in the fall. Lovely fall foliage. The hiking trails are challenging for 2 middle aged folks- lots of climbing up, then down, at some pretty steep inclines. And the trails don't loop around on themselves so you come out a mile or more from where you started and just have to hoof it along the road to get back.
There is a boat ramp and fishing available, if that's your thing. There's no differentiation between RV camp spots and tent spots so if you are tent campers, like we are, you might end up next to a HUGE RV in the spot next door.
Traveler
Well-maintained. Lush but neat. Good privacy. Twain Shrine has very limited hours. Only RVs and families here at present. Most sites and entire Coyote loop open, on a Tuesday end of June. Some of the basic sites in the Coyote Loop are more suited to small pop-up trailers than tents—eg, site 45 does not have much room for a tent unless you want to set it up on gravel, while site 43 does. Site 43 looks the best imo. The sites on outside of loop in the Coyote loop are better in general. They have no view of lake though, just glimmers. Two raccoons popped out at me (site 45) from a hollow tree. Apparently ticks and chiggers are bad here. I did not hike because of this. There is a fishing cleaning station. Periodic vault toilets throughout sites though they do not show up on map. Shower houses with flush toilets and sinks. Nice.
Guide
Nice campground, mainly tenting but Eva are welcome. Grass sites, fire pit and picnic tables. Lake with free paddle boats(do need life preservers) and fish hatchery across the street. Free potable water and dump station behind ranger station. Generators are ok just make sure they are not too loud and try to if possible running them only when needed
GuideI stayed here for one night in a tent. There were some locals having a birthday party at the gazebo. They were friendly and told me that the attendant had left for the day. So resorted to leave the fee in a mailbox near the official's RV. The campground is right above a lovely, which I rode around on my bicycle in about thirty minutes. The showers are quite nice, with hot water and no additional cost. I would definitely stay here again.
GuideThe whole park doesn't match the awesomeness of site 97 and the few around it, but the end of this loop is almost perfect. Great shade, almost no slope to pads, all power options, great water pressure, and a sewer hookup. Plenty of rocked lounging or tent space with each site. Good size fire pits, lantern post, and an aluminum picnic table on a concrete pad. All the sites have enough empty space in between that most campgrounds would have stuck another site in-between. Restroom/shower house very close by and it's regularly cleaned. 2 trails to lakeside access are close by too.
GuideWe always stay in the main campground area. Either in a normal camper, pop-up, or tent, Siloam is a perfect place to stay. The bathroom and showers are good, and the walk from the main circle of sites is super close. The pines give great cover when hot and add that familiar pine sent to the whole park.
From hiking to fishing to boating/kayaking, there is a lot offered. I prefer to spend most of my time hiking and every once in a while, I will rent a kayak. The trails are pretty well marked and are best in mid/late fall or early spring. We’ve redone them numerous times and still enjoy them. My favorite trails are the Red Oak and Hoot Owl!
My family and I have always enjoyed Siloam Springs as a good weekend getaway!
Legend
I tried to camp here, but it was closed temporarily due to high water on the Mississippi River. In fact, part of the the campground road was under water. However, I was able to check it out and talk with a city worker who was mowing the empty campground. This is a primarily RV campground next to the Mighty Mississippi, with all spots having nice gravel parking pads, hookups, and great views of the river. The worker told me that tents are welcome, but not what they usually have show up. There is no dump station. Bathrooms were porta-potties (it wasn’t clear if this was the permanent bathroom situation because of the river flood potential or temporary), and there were no showers. There was a nice playground in the middle of the campground. Just up the road a short walk is the lock and dam that you can visit with interpretive signs and nice benches to sit on while you watch the barges go through the locks.
RangerCamp Nauvoo is a nice, church operated, park only 5 minutes from downtown Nauvoo. We stayed one night on our way to Minnesota. The sites are sunny and all are pull-through.but some have shade. The park streets are gravel with concrete pull-through sites. The park is very quiet. Great value for $32. Full hookups.
Stayed in campsite#10 which has no shade. It was a concrete pull-through with more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side. The site included: picnic table. Utilities were located in different spots. 20A/30A/50A electric in the middle, water near the rear, and sewer near the front. Site was level. No neighbor on passenger/awning side.
AT&T had 3 bars of LTE and Verizon 1 bar of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 56.8 Mbps down, 9.3 Mbps up. Free WiFi available, but I had trouble connecting.
If you are southbound on Illinois Hwy 96, the left turn off the highway is very sharp and steep. Might be easier to continue about a mile south and use the scenic turnout to turnaround. It is a pull-through turnout. Then, turn off the highway on the right.
Would stay here again. We camped at Camp Nauvoo in a Travel Trailer.
Legend
We were surprised to discover this state park in Illinois but searching on the Dyrt App helped us have a great visit. There are 4 different camping areas within this park. There are electric sites near the showers. Another loop of electric sites is down the road. Keep going and you find a small loop of nonelectric sites ($8! It’s hard to beat that price). A mile further and there is a gravel road where you can find walk-in sites (some didn’t look cleared but others were stunning).
In our loop of rustic campsites, it filled up on the first night. There isn’t as much greenery between sites so this was a bit of a struggle noise wise. The rest of the weekend only had a couple other sites filled. We were well distanced and this ended up being a really enjoyable campground. There are vault toilets near the road. Garbage cans are almost at every other site. While they weren’t emptied out while we were there, they didn’t really fill up with just a few of us.
Recent storms brought trees down and even damaged the road around the lake. Cars are only able to go halfway around - but you can go halfway and then drive back around to see it all. The camp host recommended hiking the road. The 5 mile journey was popular even though it is a series of steep climbs and descents. We loved it and our dog loved meeting all the other dogs walking their owners around the lake. This hike became our morning ritual as it was cooler temps and shady.
There is a small restaurant at the lake. It’s near the boat launch. We saw many boats and even people fishing from shore. This man-made lake is a popular spot.
Having looked at some other campgrounds in the area, this one appealed to us the most. Even hearing a train once or the sound of distant shooting didn’t take away much from our experience. We’re glad we discovered it!
ScoutOur first night out in our new travel trailer. Very impressed with the park when it was supposed to be closed. They extended their season because the weather was so good. Highly recommend it if you are in the area. We'll be staying here again sometime in the future.
TravelerClean facilities, full hookup sites with concrete pads. A pool for the warm months, and a conservation site across the street. Plenty of fishing on the Mississippi river
Tent camping near Quincy, Illinois offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With several campgrounds nearby, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Quincy, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Quincy, IL is Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Quincy, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Quincy, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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