Are you planning a tent camping trip to Ashland? We've got you covered. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Ashland's most popular destinations.
Just minutes from Columbia, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park gives visitors the chance to scramble, hike and bicycle through a scenic environment – and lets them peek into Missouri’s underworld. The park contains some of the most popular hiking trails in the state and also offers solitude while hiking in the Gans Creek Wild Area. Visitors can also see a large cave system with its rock bridge, sinkholes, a spring and underground stream at the Devil's Icebox. You can explore Connor's Cave in the light of the opening for a taste of the underground world.
Non-profit, educational or Scout groups can take advantage of the special-use area for overnight primitive camping. It features two fire rings, a vault toilet and several picnic tables. There is no water or electricity. The cost is $2 per person, per night. Reservations are required. For more information, call 573-449-7402.
Dry Fork Recreation Area, a campground and picnic area located at the equestrian trailhead of the 36-mile Cedar Creek Trail. This area, located in central Missouri near Fulton serves recreationists with or without horses. This campground is situated in a quiet mostly oak/cedar forest. It is comprised of 8 single primitive campsites that can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet in length, each with table, fire ring, and lantern post. Other amenities include drinking water, vault toilets, and hitching rails. There is a picnic area across the road with picnic tables that can accommodate small groups. There are currently no camping fees, but donations are encouraged. A printable brochure is available.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
A sophisticated kitchen situated near a babbling broke. Lots of shade and a few natural rock waterfalls. Plenty of maintained hiking trails full of wild native edible foliage. Find a flat spot pitch a tent and enjoy the amenities needed for a weekend in the wilderness
$35 - $245 / night
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Guide
Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses. Camping at lake is open gravel or grass. Nice fishing lake with docks, boat ramp and vault toilet and the only one provided. Parked lakeside. Quite night with one fishing boat late morning. Get a brochure with park map at entrance as roads pass through park and private property.
ScoutGreat quite and secluded camp sigh. But can muddy due to sessional flooding
Guide
I stayed one night in the RV campsite. There was only one other camper. The grass had been mowed recently so the path around the pond was easily walkable.
Not many of the RV sites had fire rings and, with all of the fresh cut grass, it would have taken a lot of raking to make a spot safe for a fire anyway.
Guide
Basic tent site, potable water was right near our site. Bathrooms were clean. There were some families staying nearby but overall was a quiet stay.
Scout
Great stop 5 minutes off of I-70! The site has three camp sites available with car pull ins and fire rings. Lots of mosquitoes due to the site being right on the water. Also two cats hang out around the site. No bathroom we could find.
Legend
Check-in was quick and easy and we proceeded to pull through site 83 with FHUs. The gravel pad was very long and we had plenty of room for our 40’ rig and F450. The utilities were in the middle of the pad and water pressure was decent at about 40 psi. As we were on the end of a row, we had a lot of front yard space. The sites here are very close together, but long-term guests kept their sites nice and well organized, and overall this CG was very clean. There are mature trees so satellite placement could be challenging. We were able to place our Starlink in the yard area for a good shot to the north sky. We got 4 bars on Verizon and their WiFi worked well for a campground of this size. At the office, they have a nice store and gift shop with one of the best selections of camping shirts etc. that we have seen.
Traveler
During our stay at the campground, we found several positive aspects. The pricing was reasonable, the staff was friendly, and the pool was cute. The bathrooms and showers were clean, and the overall environment was pretty quiet and well lit. Additionally, our site was mostly level. However, there were also some drawbacks to our experience. The pond on the property was essentially a large ditch with standing water, which attracted bugs. The distance from our spot to the bath house was quite far, and we were disappointed by the lack of a clear view of the river. While the campground may be enjoyable for longer stays, we found it to be nothing special for a one-night stop during our travels. NOTE- I don’t think the contact info on this listing is correct.
Traveler
Stayed one night in a campervan. Would definitely recommend! We arrived a little late - right at sunset - but the friendly and helpful staff had already texted us all the info we needed for arrival. It was very quiet. Level spaces. Very dark, unlit walk to the bath house, so bring a light! Bathhouse was clean and well kept. Would recommend!
Scout
We stopped here overnight on a roadtrip from Ohio to Colorado. We were able to make a reservation online only hours before we arrived and it was such a simple process. The campsites are in the middle of the city park and it was nice to be able to walk our dogs around the park after a day of traveling. We had full hook ups which is always a relief!! The campsites are quite close together and this is not a forested area. It was perfect for us for a one night stop!
Guide
Lovely wooded spot. There are about 6-8 sites. Can back in a camper. Outhouse building. Only had one other camper. Shaded, wooded. We had a lovely night but woke up covered in ticks! Lots of ticks here. We ride our motorcycles here to tent camp. Sites are close. Fire rings , no picnic tables.
RangerOnly 2 miles off of the highway and is perfect for someone just passing by. I’m on my way from St Louis to Denver and it was perfect for one night. Very quiet but still close enough to hear the hum of the interstate traffic. It looked like there were 3 sites with fire rings and all very nice.
Guide
Good: It was clean and tidy, had ice and firewood for sale, was close to the boat ramp for the Osage River, and the bathrooms looked to be newly remodeled. Good shaded and flat spot for our tent.
Bad: No one on-site, no TP, no paper towels, no internet (Other campers said it had been working until the power went out during a storm a few days before; when the power was restored, the internet didn't come back)
Conclusion: For $44.29/night, I would keep going next time.
Scout
Don’t mistake this for the RV hookup site at Roberts Bluff. It’s a bit further down the road and called Roberts Bluff Access. You will eventually see signs for a Conservation site.
There were about 4/5 spots to pull/back into. Its a small space and really close to the river where you can see huge trout and turtles swimming. There is even a boat ramp.
TravelerEnjoyed a campfire before a thunderstorm rolled into the area. Ground away from the campsite was a bit muddy and made a mess. No surprises there! Established campfire ring at 2 spots. Another ring farther down in the turnaround beyond the boat launch.
TravelerSmall, quiet and out of the way. A few spots for camping. No restrooms, electricity or running water.
Traveler
Gorgeous little lake. Vault toilets. Our camp fire ring was shaped like a heart! Probably not on purpose but we liked it. Very quiet. Lots of fishing. And we actually saw the cat!
Scout
Stayed here overnight and the camphor was very friendly and helped us out. Bathrooms and showers were open, super clean. Peaceful and would definitely stay again to venture into the town
ScoutIf your camper has everything you need, it's a good campground. The website says it's 50 amp only, but it has 30 too. When we stayed there in March 2024, the shower/bathroom was locked. No park management came by our site, and when you call to get information, you get city hall telling you you need to call some other number...that they didn't have. So, everything's up to you.
GuideWe liked this place. It was a good place for an overnight camp on our travels. No restroom that we could find. No water or power. Camp is free. It has an old boat ramp so you can get down the the river easier, but water was way too low for a boat when I was there in September of 2023. Down a gravel road a few minutes off the highway in some corn field area. There are only a handful of spaces on the grass. So hopefully you get one or someone is willing to share. We had the place to ourselves.
GuideGreat spot. Enjoy the sound of owls and silence. Plenty of dead/down trees for firewood. 2 bars w/Verizon.
GuideGreat staff, wonderful level sites. Bathroom on site. Pool during season. Partially shaded. Dog walk area. Pet friendly.
GuideWe discovered this gym. On our way home. Just needed to stay overnight, but will definitely be back. The little details make it very homey. Sites are well laid out and easy to maneuver. Full hook ups or tent sites are available to meet the needs of the camper. Clean facility and family friendly.
GuideFar enough away from the highway to be silent. Toilet available. Fire pits. T-Mobile service is good.
ScoutGreat spot on my road trip west! Put in some miles and didn’t get in until about 2am and this was easy to find and great spots away from the highway but also didn’t have to trek far away
TravelerPark was full. We could only book a basic site (no hook-ups) through the website but the camp host easily upgraded us to a vacant electric site. Great park to bring your dogs! The walk or drive to the historic town literally park of the park was a surprise with a couple of hiking paths making each trip different from the first.
ScoutDecided to take my time heading from Southern WA to Southern IN and this is the best dispersed camping I’ve seen on this trip. I’ll definitely stop here again if I’m ever heading down I-70, and hopefully I’ll have my RV with me.
TravelerNot bad camp spots here, but there are a lot of drug deals going on here. Don't feel very safe at all. Sept 2023. Update... so I woke up to find out that the other campers we saw were actually homeless people. They're were people in the bathroom strung out on something also. Don't camp here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ashland, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ashland, MO is Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Educational Scout Camps with a 3.6-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Ashland, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Ashland, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
