Best Campgrounds near Bloomfield, MO

We came on Memorial Day weekend, almost backed out due to rain but very glad we didn’t. We stayed in the basic campground, spot 50. There was hardly anyone else here. Spot was secluded and quiet. There’s a short hiking trail down to the lake, fun walk through nature in the area. Beautiful look out over the Mississippi River. Park ranger drove through the campsite around 9:30pm, I really liked that, made it feel safer. Had a cute furry friend make a visit a few times during the night. Didn’t catch any fish in the lake but we probably didn’t bring the right bait. Very enjoyable experience, bathrooms were extremely clean. Only downside was the shower house being closed. Really recommend this spot!

This review is based on a short stay rather than a destination campground (CG) experience. We found this CG while looking for options near Sikeston, MO, and decided to try it based on positive online reviews. Booking was easy with a same-day reservation, and we received an email with directions, the WiFi password, and instructions to pick any site between 8 and 13, designated for big rigs and short-term stays, as most of the other sites were occupied by longer-term residents. We chose pull-through site #11 with full hookups (FHU) due to its convenient angle. All of the sites, including the shorter back-ins, offer FHU. Our site accommodated our 40’ fifth wheel and F450 truck comfortably, with centrally located utilities and 40 psi water pressure. The WiFi was sufficient for checking emails and general browsing, while cell service was limited to 1 bar on Verizon and 3 bars on T-Mobile. With few trees, satellite reception wouldn’t be an issue. During our stay, we were the only short-term guests. Some sites had picnic tables and fire pits, and while ours did not, we could have moved them if desired. The CG has a nice shower house and laundry facility, but the real draw is the country store, which operates more like a restaurant. The owner and staff were exceptionally friendly, and the food was good. The sites are pretty much gravel and dirt. At $40 per night, the price felt a bit high for the amenities offered. We were there during dusty conditions, and friends came through a week later in the rain, and the CG was muddy. Along with the country store with a restaurant, there’s a dump station, plus they sell ice and propane. Being located along a frontage road off I-57, road noise was noticeable. Overall, we had a pleasant overnight stay and appreciated their hospitality.

We opted for this site on our way west as a stopover because it was free and not a parking lot. There are a couple of loop trails and we walked one of them. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon. The locals use the area for fishing and walking and it was somewhat busy in the afternoon. A couple of guys fished at night until about nine. There was only one other couple camping. Very quiet and peaceful. There was a portable toilet but we didn't investigate.

The cool thing was that the loop trail was forested by hundreds of paw paw trees. It must have been just past the season and we saw only a couple of decaying ones, but the entire trail smelled of apple cider vinegar and was quite pleasant.

If you consider this waypoint, two things:

1. The last mile is good, but very dusty, gravel road.

2. No cell coverage in the parking lot for T-Mobile, some coverage on loop trail.