Meramec Caverns Natural Campground

Stayed here overnight en route to New Mexico. We arrived just after dark in Oct at 7p. The person manning the entrance thought we couldn't be campers because we had just a pickup truck. RTTs must be new here. They didn't offer a map and there is zero signage to help you find your site in the dark. The bathrooms have no mirrors, no hot water and were not the cleanest, we passed on showers.

Quiet RV park area very quaint very nice along the river, gorgeous by the caverns shower house and bathrooms provided couldn’t be happier

From the person on the phone, to the one you see at the check-in gate, everyone is incredibly friendly :)

We were amongst the only campers during our stay, so it was pretty quiet. This campground has a great set-up for family reunions, celebrations, group camping, etc.

We stayed there for a scout event. They had hot showers and bathroom which is always a plus. There was a little trash at the site but nothing bad. 

We had a ton of room between us and others. We could choose our site. I appreciate that quiet hours were enforced.

We stayed just one night but were impressed with the lovely spot. The night was cold, but temps rise quickly after sunrise. We walked the Walking Fern trail, just half a mile but offered varied terrain and its own cave. We were sorry that the Fisher Cave was closed for the season, and the store and grill was only open on the weekend. Would definitely come back.

Snagged lot 3 with shady river views. Great quiet stay. The river access and bathhouse were both just a quick walk away. The cave entrance is just down the street as well. Overall great experience.

I took my daughter and a friend on their first camping trip here. We stayed the last weekend of the season (10/29-31). It was quiet with only two RVs on one end. We picked a tent site at the other end, right on the river. The girls ran all over the camp ground. The ranger was super friendly and shared information about the area. Since it was the end of the season, the coyotes were coming back closer to the area and serenaded us all night. We can't wait to go again next year

Stayed here two nights mid Labor Day weekend, so it was quite busy, crowded and noisy. The Caverns themselves are a very cool experience but the campground itself isn’t ideal. It’s first come first serve, no designated spots, so some people do end up close to each other.

Our whole (cousins and everyone) met her for a week long vacation and we had a blast. The cabins were clean and the Murphy beds allowed for so much space when we weren't sleeping. We went rafting down the river and the kids had so much fun playing in the woods and swimming. It was a great trip. We are already talking about planning another one.

The area as a whole is neat. The primitive sites are spacious and lovely. We have an rv with 50amp service and essentially, we were on a converted parking lot next to a pavilion. The sites facing the river were a bit nicer.

There is security that drives around to check on everyone which is nice and the camp store was super convenient.

Additionally, the river was amazing. We got down early to ensure we had a spot for our chairs and umbrella. Our kiddos played (with life vests) for 8 hours straight. The river can be dangerous there but if you respect it and have life vests, it makes for an amazing day.

Love this place.  The pannjng for rocks is awesome

The area was closed when we arrived. But from the looks of it, lots of good camping sites right along the river. Saw lots of grills and plenty of space between each site.

We were happy to be able to find space available on short notice, especially with lockdown restrictions being lifted. Basic sites are first come first serve, and the security guards come round in the evening to register you.

First timers should definitely consider the cave tour or float trip on site, but if on a budget I would stick to the camping.

My son and I have stayed here multiple times. We love it! The campgrounds are clean and beautiful, and even during peak times the people that stay are usually very friendly, as are the rangers when they make their nightly rounds. There are some amenities, a small restaurant and gift store and the cave tour is really cool although a little pricey. All in all its a fantastic little hideaway. The only reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because sometimes the park closes or they have to evacuate due to the quick rise of the river. Easy fix though, just call ahead to see if they're open

This is a nice place to go for a quick adventure with family. Especially on a hot day. A little more expensive than I would expect, but still worth doing at least once. My kids and parents enjoyed our last trip, however there is a spot that was too steep for my dad. They did warn ahead of time when we were coming to that point and he did not miss very much. They have a route around it to catch up and enjoy the light show at the end. Light show is pretty but was also very “AMERICA!” but some people are all about that. They know their crowd I suppose. They have a snack shop with ice cream, zip line across the river, and a boat ride also available but we have not experienced those yet. I would say allow about 2 hours or so for the cave tour.

Beautiful location friendly staff great facilities! Cell service is sketchy but it’s perfect for getting off the grid. Camp sites are very convenient most have fire pits as well as grills for cooking. Do the cave tour it’s really cool!

Clean and peaceful, very few campers when I was here maybe because it was before school was out & during the week. Cave makes for a nice cool break from the heat.

I enjoyed the cave, but the tour was much more cheesy than Onondaga cave. I also thought the zip line was a cool thing to have. Thankfully, everything from the flood a couple years back has been cleaned up!

Good swimming! Clear water. Camp store. Firewood available.

This is a private campground run by Meramec Caverns. The campground is large and shaded, right on the river. There are hook up sites and tent sites. My advice is to try and get a spot all the way to the left of the entrance. These sites seem quieter and more spread out. The down side is that they are pretty far from the shower house and bathrooms. Most of this sites (but not all) have picnic tables, grills and fire pits. There are a few really nice sites right on the river. There is a restaurant, general store, canoe rental, zip line (it goes across the Meramec River, not sure how you get back!), and of course the caverns. The cave tour is a bit hokey, but if you can look past the mannequins and silliness, the caves themselves are really spectacular. You can definitely see why Jesse and Frank James used this as a hideout.