Best Campgrounds near Bonne Terre, MO
The St. Francois Mountains region surrounding Bonne Terre, Missouri features a variety of camping options within an hour's drive. St. Francois State Park Campground, located directly in Bonne Terre, offers year-round camping with separate areas for tents and RVs along the Big River. Nearby, Cherokee Landing provides boat-in access and cabin rentals, while St. Joe State Park in Park Hills (about 15 minutes south) maintains multiple campground loops with both electric and basic sites. The area's camping landscape extends to more primitive options at Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, where Missouri's highest point attracts hikers and wildlife enthusiasts seeking more secluded experiences.
Campground access varies significantly across the region, with some entrances presenting challenges. As one camper noted, "Entering St. Francois State Park can be difficult as you enter on a dangerous highway where you need plenty of room to stop, but there is none." Most state park campgrounds in the area remain open year-round, though facilities like showers may close seasonally. Summer weekends bring higher occupancy rates and occasional noise issues, particularly at St. Francois State Park where campers report hearing races from the nearby Bonne Terre drag strip. Reservations are strongly recommended during peak season (May through September), especially for sites with electrical hookups or those near water access points.
Water features dominate the camping experience in this region of Missouri. The Big River at St. Francois State Park provides swimming and fishing opportunities, though one visitor mentioned "the river is monopolized by one company for rafting/kayaking/canoeing." Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, about 45 minutes southwest, offers unique geological formations where the Black River flows through narrow channels of ancient volcanic rock. Campers consistently praise the area's wildlife viewing opportunities, with reports of deer, raccoons, turtles, and abundant bird species. Site spacing varies considerably between campgrounds, with reviewers noting that "the electric loop sites are close together" at St. Francois, while Taum Sauk Mountain offers "nicely spaced" sites with "a lot of shade" for those seeking more solitude.
