Best Tent Camping near Black, MO

Recent Tent Reviews in Black

834 Reviews of 24 Black Campgrounds

• 

  Chelsea G.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 7, 2025

  Courtois Creek Dispersed

  Heavy on the Hills Have Eyes vibes

  First of all this is way down Berryman Rd. Go look up Michael Berryman (RIP) and his movies, then come back to me.

  Got that picture? Ok great.

  First thing you see when you turn off the highway is a tiny Baptist (first red flag) church and graveyard to set the tone.

  If that doesn't put you off, make sure your car can handle terrain and you can handle your car. This is barely a road. It's a trail of moguls for your tires. Fallen trees and branches that narrow the lane and threaten to scrape the sides of your vehicle. One tree overhead barely cleared my car. Puddles that could be who know how deep or what's in them (I may be the red flag here). You can not turn around anywhere on this road; you have to go to the end where there's a loop or worst case scenario reverse out while ideally not in a state of panic.

  I however as a cultist who worships at the altar of my Subaru's cargo hatch forged ahead because gotta get that creekside spot.

  Anyway I got to the site without popping any tires and half set up before going for a walk. There's not a lot of walkable ground out there, really just the flat ground around the campsites and the road. Road was barely even an option. Water-filled pits made the muddy road difficult to traverse and eventually prevented me from going any further. The brush and reedy grass were too thick to walk through safely to get around, and in places the roadside embankments were too steep and loose to climb up and around puddles.

  I did see a big ol mudbug, which was cool, but it was terribly quiet out there during my short walk. I was glad to get back to my car, where up the low cliff on the opposite side of the creek was a nicer-looking house with the sounds of people hanging out on the deck.

  As night fell and the animal sounds picked up, I decided to sleep in my car instead of the tent. If you're ever out and you hear the animals and insects go silent, and then the next thing you hear is dogs barking, you should also probably sleep in your car.

  After a hot and filling foil wrap dinner, I enjoyed some of the good green, because who doesn't like a sleep aid that also activates the amygdala, especially in these particular conditions. I'm soaking up the stars and the moon and the sound of running water, when suddenly I heard a heavy-bodied splash in the creek right by me.

  And when I tell you I bolted to the car so fast leaving behind a tangled trail of chair, blanket, charger cable, etc

  Because the shore on my side of the creek is flat. Waltz right on up from the creek. Nope not here not me.

  Anyway nothing ended up happening, I slept fine, woke up to a bright sun and beautiful view. I did still get out of there pretty fast.

  ⭐5/7 might go spook myself again

• 

  Cody S.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 5, 2025

  Hawn State Park Campground

  Fall Favorite

  Hawn is a one of the best fall campgrounds close to the St. Louis area.  There are a number of hiking options around the campground in the park and nearby nature reserve.  

  It is a smaller campground with a good mix of electric and non-electric sites.  The restrooms were clean and they also have some vault toilets in the park for convenience.

• 

  Cody S.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 5, 2025

  St. Francois State Park Campground

  Loud and Crowded Camping

  The campground has oddly shaped campsites causing a crowded feel.  The campground is also loud on the weekends especially if there are races at the nearby Bonne Terre drag strip.

• 

  Gonzo A.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 3, 2025

  St. Francois State Park Campground

  Nice But A Little Crowded

  St. Francois is a nice park tucked in the forest off of Hwy 67.  It's a quaint park that tends to fill up fast depending on time of year.  The sites are a bit more snug together than I would prefer.  There are some nice hiking options within the park.  It was exceptionally quiet when I stayed both times.

• 

  Gonzo A.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 3, 2025

  Hawn State Park Campground

  One of MIssouri's Many Gems

  Hawn is a lovely park just south of the city a few clicks.  It's tucked away into the trees with ample shade and options for backpacking, backcountry hiking.  The park is nice and sites are spaced out enough.  Not sure about cell service but had a site in the 2nd campground in the middle where there's a break in the trees.  I was able to use Starlink.  People were friendly and overall lovely park and experience.

• A

  Alex B.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 28, 2024

  Black River Hideaway Campground

  Absolutely great place!

  If you’re floating at Jeff’s, you do not want to camp anywhere else! Less than two minutes down the road from Jeff’s Canoe Rental and the beautiful K Bridge Black River public access. This place has an in ground pool that’s lit up until 10pm (or later if the kids aren’t being too loud), a large lake with swings and fire pits around it, a bigger playground, and a REALLY wonderful little store with anything you’d need plus more! Every spot is very level. It’s also cheaper than most other private places who charge the “per person, per night” bullcrap on top of the site rental. We always look forward to our time here!

• J

  John B.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 26, 2024

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Very good experience

  Chose this location to be our hub while completing a Missouri springs tour. Visited 8 springs in total. Checked out the camping facilities at every spring that offered camping. All locations looked similar. The grounds were well kept and all the folks working their we’re courteous, knowledgeable, and helpful. Very short drive to get to the spring & mill. Wouldn’t call it a “hike” but a very nice path to take a stroll on a loop at the mill. Highly recommend.

• 

  EZGO B.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 19, 2024

  Meramec Valley Campground & RV Park

  Um, not very good.

  lots of disrepair, expensive for what you actually get, fast moving golf carts and side X sides, Kids driving golf carts, rude employees, filthy, gross bath/locker rooms in the Lodge, derelict campers onsite near the entrance, overflowing, smelly garbage dumpsters near the gate (Like 10 of them), terrible gravel roads with huge potholes and uneven RV sites. Our hookups worked but they were in need of updating, poor wifi signal, and just kind of needs to invest in its infrastructure and appearance. The miniature golf was tore up from neglect and although they have a teen center it was not open which left a lot of teenagers just slumming around out of boredom. Camp sites all had firepits that were decent and the fishing lake was beautiful. Could be a really nice park if the investment was made.

• A

  Alicia N.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 4, 2024

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Small sites with little privacy - campground fine, but not great

  I'd seen a lot of great reviews for this campground, so I had high expectations when we arrived for a night in early November. We reserved a spot in the 900 loop, just to be safe - a few of the camping loops allow reservations, and the rest are walk in. The loop was very open, spaces all fully visible to each other. The bathrooms were locked for the season after 10/15. 

  Since things were pretty empty, we moved to the 500 loop, which was more tree covered, near the river, and next to the shower house, which was the one park bath open for the winter. Bathrooms and showers were clean, though no camp host was present the night we stayed. 

  We were the only people on the 500 loop, so it was fine, but again - sites VERY close together. Some picnic tables were less than 20 feet apart. The 600 loop was the only heavily occupied loop when were there, filled with campers, presumably because of the electric access. 

  This is a NPS campground, so its amenities tend to be fewer than many MO state parks. I have other parks in this area that have more scenic and private tent camping. Just on the other side of the river is the Alley spring and mill, which are lovely - and ironically, some of the picnic sites are more spacious than these tent sites. I wish we could camp on that side!

• J

  James D.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 3, 2024

  Brazil Creek Camping Area

  Great Little Rest Stop

  Very nice free camp ground that is suitable for any type of camping.

  The Ranger, who was very nice, had good service with AT&T, I had TMobile at my campsite with a booster.

  Miles and miles of trails for Mountain Biking, horse riding or just hiking, and you can ride your ATV on the roads but you need an orange triangle.

  Well worth the 20 to 30 minute trip off the highway.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 28, 2024

  Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

  Quiet during the off-season but expect it would be poplular in the summer!

  General: Very large state park with six separate loops/areas:

  • Loop 1: 10 Equestrian sites with water and electric (50 amp)

  • Loop 2: 20 FHU sites (50 amp)

  • Loop 3: 21 Sites with electric only (50 amp)

  • Loop 4: 14 sites with no hookups

  • Loop 5: 14 walk-in sites plus three special use sites

  • Six cabins 

  Site Quality: We stayed in Loop 3. Each site was very generous in size and reasonably distanced from each other. Most had foliage separating them. All sites looked to be level, and the camper pads were either all concrete or concrete/macadam and in very good shape. A large wooden picnic table, lantern/garbage hook, and fire pit complete each site. 

  Bath/Shower House: The one closest to our site (and I’m assuming others are the same) had three toilet/sink combos and one family restroom/shower. On the other side of the building were three shower rooms. While they were clean, the floors were concrete, and the walls cinderblock and there was a bit of a musty odor. 

  Activities/Amenities: We were there during the week in May and the visitor center and both stores (one in the campground and one by the Shut-Ins) were only open on the weekends. There was a laundry room with very reasonably priced machines ($1 each for the washer and dryer), a playground, and an amphitheater (which also was not in use when we were there). There is a gravel path that bisects each of the loops providing a nice way to walk/run throughout the campground. The signage in the park is good so even though no one was at the check-in station, it was easy to find our site and other facilities. The big draw for this park is the shut-ins (narrow constriction or gorge in a stream) where people can swim/slide from one to the other via small waterfalls into pools of water. We did see a few hearty souls in the water when we were there, and I can only imagine what it would be like on a hot summer weekend! 

  We had almost the entire Loop 3 to ourselves, so it was a very quiet stay for us (except for the cicadas)!.

• 

  GB N.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 22, 2024

  DD Hwy Campground

  October tent camping

  Tent camping back away from the RVs & we were the only people. Gorgeous river to view just a few steps away & the night sky view was fantastic. LOVED the bathroom & shower facilities!

• 

  Joel R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Round Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Great location for exploring

  Round Springs is a National Park campground. It’s about 12 miles north if Eminence MO on the Current River. There are only 50 sites, some have electricity. Most of the campsites are scattered along the road with lots of trees and privacy. The electric sites are in the center of the campground on the road with no shade. There are few walk in sites near the river. There is a shower and dump station.

• 

  Joel R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Beautiful spot on the Jacks Fork Tiver

  Alley Springs is a Natural Park campground. It’s located right on the Jacks Fork River just a few miles west of Eminence MO. The highway to get here is narrow, winding, and hilly! But it’s worth the trip.

  There are 260 campsites some have electricity. Also a dump station. Sites are level, with shade. The campground is located on the flood plane, heavy rain may cause flooding and evacuation!

• 

  Justine S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Candy Cane RV Park & Campground

  Adorable campground

  We found this place after hours and Shirley still answered the phone and had a spot for us. Both Shirley and Kevin were super nice. The campground is unique and adorable. Very cute and clean bathrooms, plenty of toilets and shower space. It seems like they are doing some updating of things so that's why the 4 stars, once they finish their updates I'm positive it will be 5 star worthy.

• K

  Katie H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Onondaga Cave State Park Campground

  Clean and quiet park

  We stayed one night on our way through Missouri. It’s only about ten minutes south of I-44. The campground was only about half full, so it was nice and quiet. All sites have a concrete pad for the RV and for the picnic table. Includes water and electric. Playground, laundry room, and dump station. Hiking trails available from the campground and cave tours on weekends. We stayed at site #65 which is close to the entrance/restrooms and has no campsite on either side.

• 

  Joel R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 14, 2024

  Timbuktu Campground — Echo Bluff State Park

  Everything I hate in a campground

  I’ve been coming to the Current River area for over 60 years, before the National Scenic Riverways, when Round Springs, Alley Springs, Big Springs, and Montauk were all state parks. They were great places for camping, swimming in the Current River, and canoeing. This new State Park at Echo Bluff is everything I would eliminate from a campground. Sites are packed close together, everything is concrete. No privacy, no shade , no natural beauty. A big modern lodge, cabins and townhouses. I made reservations for two weeks expecting a state park experience. Sorely disappointed! We left early. The staff mostly didn’t bother us. But we watched the cop that sat along the road partway down a steep hill almost every day and gave out tickets for exceeding the 20 mph limit. Showers/bathrooms were new, but not centrally located. Probably would not go back.

• D

  Dan W.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 13, 2024

  Montauk State Park Campground

  Not just for fishing

  Well kept state park and trout hatchery. Recently upgraded electric in campground 4, which was nice. Each campground has its own host, which is great when you need it. I hung out with friends in a basic group site, too, and there was plenty of room and a nice setting (site 116). Food at the lodge was better than anticipated and friends in the cabins had no major complaints either.

• K

  Kimberly L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 9, 2024

  St. Francois State Park Campground

  Peaceful

  I stayed from 9/4/24-9/8/24. I stayed in the primitive campground. It was very quiet and peaceful. My site was close to the camp host and the shower house. Shower house was nice with 4 separate showers with locking doors. Water pressure was great and they were clean. There is a handicap shower unit as well that had a bench and hooks and a shelf to keep your things dry. The bathrooms were separate from the showers with 4 locking stalls. These too were kept clean and toilet paper was always full. Four sinks and mirrors and one outlet close to the sinks for hairdryer etc. The grounds were clean and grass was nicely cut. My campsite had a picnic table a campfire with grill grate and a light post to hang a lantern. The camp host were very friendly and drove around often on golf carts to make sure ppl were ok or needed anything. There was a place to fill your bottled water containers. The checkin office sold ice, campfire wood and a variety of ice creams, stickers and t shirts and sweatshirts. The park has trailheads to hike and an equestrian area. River access for swimming and fishing. There is a separate area with electrical sites and also handicap sites in the electrical and primitive campgrounds. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and will be returning often.

• 

  Tammie

  Scout

  

  Sep. 6, 2024

  Arapaho Campground, Canoe, Raft Rental

  Labor Day

  Great place for the price. The staff is very helpful and welcoming! We will be visiting again in the future!

• A

  Art Z.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Onondaga Cave State Park Campground

  Great campground. Great cave. Fun river. Avoid campsite 65

  We stayed one night in campsite 65. Onondaga Cave is amazing with the new lighting; it just reopened July 4, 2024. The river is still fantastic fun, especially for our grandkids ages 9 and 12.

  Avoid campsite 65 when it rains. We had over an inch of standing water on the concrete pad when we arrived. 18 hours after it stopped raining, we still had some water on the concrete pad.

  Other than the water, Onondaga Cave SP has been one of my favorite places to camp in Missouri for more than 20 years.

• 

  Bj M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 10, 2024

  Berryman Trail & Campgrounds - Mark Twain National Forest

  My second stay at Berryman

  I like that quite surroundings. But as a July 1 2024 they started cutting the timber. An they are going to a paid camping area. They have fire rings, tables and blacktop parking spots.
  It's a shame it's going to cost to be here.

• 

  Joseph A.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  Huzzah Valley Resort

  Camping at the zoo

  If it's your birthday or a bachelor/Bachelorette party, this is your place. They have a family side and a party side (the zoo). Don't expect to get much rest in the zoo. There are plenty of campsites to enjoy. Reserve yours early they fill up fast in the summer. Huzzah Valley is the know party camp ground if you live in the Saint Louis metropolitan area

• 

  Joseph A.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  Sam A. Baker State Park Campground

  Where the rivers meet

  Sam a Baker is a beautiful destination for any family. There is plenty to do from hiking to horseback riding. There are multi camp sites that can be easily reserved online. The Saint Francis River and the Big Creek meet in the park. The big creek is spring feed and ice cold. The Saint Francis is wild and is considered white water during the rainy season. There are plenty of amenities in the park for the novice camper. From the camp store to the shower house. SAM A BAKER has you covered

• 

  Allie A.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Huzzah Valley Resort

  Weekend away

  We took a couples float during the week to get away from our busy lives and relax. The huzzah resort is always top notch. Very clean(except the port-potties), great amenities and if you forget something you can always get it at the shop! The river was perfect and we practically had the place to ourselves with only one other tent in view! Not to bad for a Week day camp trip!

• 

  Allie A.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Parks Bluff Campground

  A Busy Weekend

  We arrived later and the staff was so attentive and kind! They remembered our groups names and were so kind at the shop! We had a large camp ground, two spots fit our group of 8 with room! We also had 5 vehicles. The camp sites in the #70’s are so close to the water and a short walk to the toilet/shower house! The bathrooms could have been cleaner and some of the lights were out but not the worst I have seen! (Your camping anyways) the float shuttle was a bumpy ride but the drivers were nice and the men at the raft pick ups were kind also! I would recommend this lil place! Maybe not In The summer time when the river is busy but to camp anytime!

• 

  Taryn S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 25, 2024

  Indian Springs Resort and Campground

  Family-oriented, ideal for Meramec float trips

  We typically prefer more dispersed-style camping, but this has actually become one of our favorite established sites in the Ozarks. It's VERY family-oriented (probably not for you if you want to party), with tons of games like volleyball and horseshoes, plus onsite programs and activities including scavenger hunts, movie nights, pancake breakfasts, etc. 

  A little of everything when it comes to sites - there are pull-thru sites, full hookups, basic tent sites, you name it. We tent camped in sites 61-64 (now one huge site, but at one time they were three individual), which directly overlooks the river and sits on a very private corner. The sites on this end are a bit of a walk to the bathrooms/showers and camp store, but also extremely spacious and private. 

  Great camp store and a large sandy beach with natural swimming holes, plus a seasonal pool. There's even so-so wifi at the store.

  Float trips are a big deal here, and Indian Springs offers both boat rentals and shuttle services. We used their shuttling one day, then the second day, I drove my husband up to the put-in (less than 10 mins) and he floated back and took out here. The owners are really friendly and accommodating. Our top choice for float/camp trips, especially when we have our kiddos.