Best Campgrounds near Benton, MO
General Watkins Conservation Area provides free primitive camping near Benton, Missouri, with several small sites suitable for tents and smaller RVs. This conservation area features only 3-5 basic campsites with fire pits and picnic tables but no hookups or drinking water. Several developed options exist within a 30-minute drive, including Hinton RV Park in Sikeston offering full hookups and Trail of Tears State Park Campground in Jackson with both tent and RV sites. Most campgrounds in the region accommodate both tent and RV camping, though amenities vary significantly between primitive conservation areas and private RV parks.
Road conditions vary seasonally throughout the camping areas near Benton, with some conservation area access roads becoming rough during wet weather. General Watkins Conservation Area is accessible via gravel roads that may be dusty in dry conditions. Campgrounds like Hinton RV Park provide easy highway access for those traveling along I-57 or I-55, while conservation areas require more careful navigation. Cell service is limited or non-existent at some primitive sites, particularly at General Watkins Conservation Area. "The last mile is good, but very dusty, gravel road. No cell coverage in the parking lot for T-Mobile, some coverage on loop trail," noted one camper about General Watkins.
Several visitors mentioned fishing opportunities as a highlight of camping in the Benton area. General Watkins Conservation Area features multiple ponds with good fishing and walking trails. Horseshoe Lake Alexander County offers unique scenery with cypress trees growing in the lake, creating a distinctive swamp-like environment that campers describe as "gorgeous place big beautiful cypress and tupelo trees." The camping experience varies between busy RV parks like Hinton, which receives positive reviews for cleanliness and friendly staff, and more remote conservation areas that offer greater solitude. Public campgrounds tend to be busier during hunting seasons, particularly mid-November during Missouri firearm deer season when General Watkins Conservation Area typically fills to capacity.
