Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campground

Beautiful campgrounds. Hiking trails. Super showers & toilets. Clean. Friendly staff.

We have infested cabin number 3 outpost. Crawling on our food children in our beds and biting our family. I was disappointed. And  shock. With conditions and attitude of the state park. Read correspondence. Beware.

I didn’t know what to do, what to pack, what to bring. I just brought a small 1 person tent and realized I needed an air mattress. I was right on the water and had an amazing, breath taking view when I woke up. The petiole worked with me on being late to the site. They have both showers and running water restrooms as well as not running water restrooms. They have a nice gift shop also.

They park is awesome, a few hikes inside and only a few miles from Ha Ha Tonka, we stayed 2 nights in the cabins, and cooked fresh food over the fire and stayed warm with our dogs with the interior wood furnace

This was our last camping adventure of the year and we picked the perfect spot! There are multiple parks, multiple fishing areas, beaches and so many beautiful walking trails! They had a fun store that had great prices and ice cream. This is the perfect spot for a family, a couple or someone alone. The perfect relaxing and fun campground.

This hidden gem has large campsites, trees for shade, trails for hiking and lake access on a protected branch of Lake of the Ozarks for fishing, boating, kayaking etc. Enjoyed hiking and warm fires away from the crowds. Poor cell coverage with Verizon

Youtube video can be accessed at http://DanPenGreatEscape.com

There are two different entrance to this state park. The first one took us to the marina with no campground and found out we have to go further to the next exit to get to the campground. The state park was beautiful.

We traveled to the Ozarks in early spring, before the park was "open" for the season and the lake was at winter pool.  The park is very clean, there are multiple vault toilets and several shower houses throughout.  Every site has electrical hookups and they are nicely spaced apart.  There is a boat launch, tons of shoreline for fishing, and many hiking trails as well.  Very close to the tourist town of Osage Beach which was great for exploring during the off-season with less crowds.  Short drive to Ha-Ha Tonka State Park for awesome views and the remains of a castle!  The deer that roam throughout the park are so fun to watch as they are not timid or scared off by the presence of people.  We will definitely be returning when we find ourselves in this area again!

This is definitely a family friendly spot. It is mostly RVs. We tent camped. Site had electric but not water. We were near the lake. There is access to launch boat, kayak jet skis, etc. There were a TON of deer. On a clear night you will see a star filled sky (beautiful for us who live with constant light pollution at home). This site is pretty deep into Lake of the Ozarks State Park. They also have yurts. I would love to go back and spend more time here. Showers were clean, customer service was good and the camp store has most needed amenities should you forget something.

This park was really clean. We drove down from Minnesota in late April to try to hit some spring weather. Very few people and the weather was great. Mission accomplished.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park campground is located in Kaiser Missouri about 5 miles down highway 134 off of highway 42. This campground is about 1.5 hour from Columbia and Springfield Missouri. It is approximately 3 hours from St.Louis and Kansas City Missouri .

Lake of the Ozarks State Park includes two different areas which are both located on Lake of the Ozarks.

The one reviewed here is located in Kaiser and includes Public Beach #1 , a marina/gas dock , horse stables/trails, hiking trails,beach,fishing dock,shore fishing and campground.

The other is located in Osage Beach about 20 minutes away and includes Public Beach #2, grand glaze marina/gas dock,shore fishing and hiking trails. No camping is available at the Osage Beach location aka PB 2 or grand glaze.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campground is a wonderful place to set up camp for the weekend and is one of my all time favorites. The State Park is clean and well maintained with plenty to do for everyone.

The camp sites range from primitive to full hook up 50amp and you will see a range of camping types from tents to class A's . The sites are well spaced out despite how the reservation map appears on the State Park website. I would however suggest staying at the campsites on the outer edges as the interior sites are a bit more cramped.

This area includes bath and shower houses that are of average cleanliness for a State park (typically worn but clean). As well as 3 playgrounds for the kids. Also on site is a Beach so bring a Towel and swimming suit.

A few things to note . If you come in the winter or spring the lake will be low and your lake side campsite will be Lake view instead. You are located about 15 minutes from a grocery store however a camp store is available also bring bug spray.

Your ideal sites are lakeside 160's I stayed at #163 and it was wonderful open with not a lot of tress for the dogs to get tangled in.

This is a true gem at the lake and even though I only live 15 miles away we visit many times throughout the year.

We stayed in Yurt B with two preschool age kids. The yurt was so neat and big enough for the four of us. Our only complaint for our stay was that the window flap on the yurt was not attached and flapped against the yurt in the wind all night. Very hard to sleep with the noise. The facilities were clean and well accommodating. Nice small playground for kids. Great view of the lake.

The coolest part of this campsite is the deer.  We stayed close to the river in the primitive area and the deer were all over.  These deer were super friendly and didn't move at all as we walked right past them.  The bathrooms are really nice here and there is some play equipment for kids.  Next time we go to the Ozarks we will be staying here again.  The sites are close together, but when we went there weren't many people so we had nobody next to us.  The access to the river is nice and next time we will make use of that as well.

Stunning place Easy access Very well maintained Sunrise on lake and limestone cliffs to die for

Huge state park. Section 4 down near one of the lake fingers was perfect. Quiet, very little wind, stunning fall colors across lake - with limestone and Dolomite cliffs in the background. Only electrical - but not a challenge at all. Facilities clean - well kept park. This has to be a hopping place in the summer. Fall was a perfect time for us. Inexpensive as well!

We have visited this campground a few times and enjoy this area. The campground is next to the Lake of the Ozarks and is beautiful and filled with wildlife. The deer graze throughout the campgrounds and we saw Amarillo’s, woodchucks, and numerous birds. There are yurts, primitive sites and electric. The bathrooms were clean and offer free hot showers. The only down side is that while swimming on our last day there we got swimmers itch and we’re miserable for 10 days after. The parasites bite us over 200 times and my husband had a very bad reaction to it. Ranger Review of Speedy Blaze Fire Kits and Starter. What I like: 1. The kits are wrapped and have everything you need all together. 2. So easy to light. 3. Nice fire that lasted about 1 1/2 hours. And not a tremendous amount of smoke. The only con I have is that if you buy them on the internet the shipping is crazy high so I would suggest to buy them at participating stores.

This was a pretty campsite with lots of trees and simple deer trails throughout. Sites are well spread out. The lake itself was filthy and smelly. Lots of trash and rotting fish on the shorelines. The campground website said they had WiFi throughout the campsite, however it was only available at the front office. No cell service. We had planned to stay for a week to school and work remotely, but had to cut our time here short because of no connectivity. If we hadn’t had the need for WiFi, this would have been a fine campground to stay at, as it is centrally located to many sightseeing locations.

Sties were level, kid and pet friendly, quiet campground, 30/50 amp electricity, no water hookups, firewood avail for fire pits, also had nice picnic tables. Inexpensive.

We stayed at spot 95 and had a very quiet experience. The camping spots were large and private. There are bath/shower houses with hot water and flushing toilets. The rangers completely sanitized all facilities early in the morning and we were very happy with our stay.

The campground hosts right at the front (I didn’t get their names) were so friendly and helpful! We had a travel trailer but opted to use their showers. Very clean and well maintained. Campground officials patrolled the area regularly but seemed very lenient (within reason of course). We walked many of the trails and visited nearby attractions. Great location, quiet, and friendly staff. Highly recommend.

My first time at this specific campground was when I was only ten days old in mid March, 1974! But I never get bored of being here as there is numerous of things to do. Of course relaxing with nothing to do is also an option because it is just so nice out here, My kids sure love it here too as I made sure to bring them here to reminisce of my childhood memories here. I Just love to be out here!

I was just there during spring break. I was the only tent camper. Maybe 8 RVs or so out of nearly 150 campsites. It was nice and quiet. Beautiful scenery—able to camp with a view of the lake. Each site has a table, fire ring and lantern hook. The water was off until the end of March but luckily the pump near the registration kiosk was on. It was just a bit of a drive to get it. And the bathrooms/shower houses are locked as well. Vault toilets were open. Plenty of trails around (though a storm changed my plans so I didn’t do any of them). With the beach I’m sure the place gets busy in the summer but it was very peaceful in early spring.

Huge beautiful park. A lot of hiking and biking trails. Boat ramp and store in the park. We saw about 20 deer each day.

This place is spectacular. Make sure you get a water spot right on the lakes edge. We lucked in and were close to the marina which was a short walk...had supplies , beer, firewood ..bathrooms and showers close. A must see park on an RV trip. Super friendly. Amazing

As a ranger for Dyrt I was really excited to come out to lake of the ozarks to get away from all the craziness in the world. The campground is massive and really the online version of it doesn’t do it much justice. I am here during the off season so things are a little cheaper. You have several different levels of sites to choose from. Some very close to the water and some away from water but a short walk from the water. The lake is a very popular lake and I’m sure from the start of the busy season it is packed. Right now...it is nothing but peaceful...seriously as I wrote this three deer walked wishing 20 feet of me.

I originally had chosen site 165 that is a primitive site on the water but since the lake is very low it is a lot of mud.

I moved to 87 which is right in the middle of the campground. Everything is very well maintained and you can tell where the crew has been clearing brush and fighting the rains. In the off season the showers are turned off but they do have a portable water source that is kept on.

Sites themselves are somewhat private...depending on where you book. Some sites are right on top of each other while others to can escape your neighbors a little.

All and all this campground was pretty dang amazing!

Product Review: As a Danger for Dyrt I get to demo and review products. This time around I got a slim folding kitchen from GCI. Super lightweight and product packaging was great. Cardboard box and the product...no plastic which is awesome to see. 1 piece of paper for instructions. Comes fully assembled right out of the box. It can easily be used for lots of ocassions; on a deck for a small grill, camping as a kitchen, tailgating for everything, or even just as an extra table. It is very lightweight and sturdy. Was very easy to transport it as it comes with a handle built in and is lightweight. Fold out for optimal use and has several different storage compartments. Also has the ability to hang tools off of it. I would highly recommend it as it will become one of my staples when traveling in the scamp bc it allowed me to cook outside.

The pros:

1. Lightweight and overall size
2. Practicality
3. Ability to transport
4. Multiple surfaces
5. Price and durability
6. Environmentally friendly packaging
7. Handle to carry it.

The cons:

1. No true places to hang bbq utensils
2. Shelves are a little flimsy until they are locked in place which could bend if you aren’t careful
3. If you break a part there is no way to replace it.

Hope you enjoy the review and most certainly come visit!

Sites were spread apart, lots of shade, close to the lake. Plenty of trails, fishing, and swimming.

Amazing state park. Sites are clean and for the most part level. Great tree coverage makes you feel tucked away. Abundant wildlife. Clean shower houses Some sites next to the water. Section four on the map. Recommend sites 159 through 139 if you can get them.

Raccoons can become a problem if food, lotions or anything with a scent if left out.

Large busy campgrounds but nice water front with close access to the beach. Plenty of paved roads and trails to keep the kids busy!

We were camping in October, and showed up midday on a Sunday - The campground had been quite full over the weekend and was still in the process of clearing out but someone had already vacated a nice site in the lower loop (one of 4) overlooking the Lake that was available for the next three nights. We are tent campers but in this shoulder season we like electric sites to mitigate some of the dark. The colors reflecting off the Lake and the flock of white pelicans hanging out on a sand bar made this a lovely place to hang out - stoking up a little afternoon fire, which we seldom do. Neighbors at this site were far enough away although there is little privacy between sites. The Park is situated on both shores of an arm of Lake of the Ozarks which allows it to feel more removed from the chaos of the tourist world which we appreciate and the waters are quite shallow in the area which reduced fast boat traffic - could almost imagine kayaking there. The trails in the park are many and we only sampled a few - nice forest. The Caverns were closed by this point in the season so ..... that will have to be fore next time.

this was a nice park on the lake. we stayed in site 157 and had a nice view of the lake. other sites like 139, 158 and 159 were so close to the lake. the site was electric but no water. the bathrooms and showers were nice. nice walking/hiking trails.