Best Tent Camping near Cadet, MO
Tent campers near Cadet, Missouri have several primitive and established options within a short drive. Brazil Creek Recreation Area offers tent-only sites along a clear water creek with drive-in and walk-in access. Courtois Creek Dispersed camping area provides a more remote tent camping experience with no facilities but direct creek access, located approximately 20 miles from Cadet in the Mark Twain National Forest.
Most tent sites in the region feature natural, ungraded surfaces with minimal site development. Brazil Creek includes a single designated fire ring and picnic table, though campers have created additional rock fire rings throughout the area. Courtois Creek Dispersed camping requires visitors to bring all supplies, as it lacks drinking water, toilets, and cell service. Both areas permit pets and allow campfires when no burn bans are in effect. Campers should practice proper waste disposal by digging cat holes at least 100 feet from water sources. Neither location accepts reservations, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.
The tent camping experience in these areas offers genuine seclusion and natural surroundings. One camper noted that Brazil Creek has "no cell signal, and as the other reviewer has said, have your map to get there, because it's easy if you do. Your phone will not get you there." The access road to Courtois Creek requires careful navigation, with rough terrain that may challenge some vehicles. Tent campers frequently use these areas as bases for exploring the Berryman Trail, which connects to Brazil Creek. For those seeking more amenities while still tent camping, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park offers primitive tent sites with vault toilets and drinking water about 35 miles southeast of Cadet, featuring hiking trails to Missouri's highest point and Mina Sauk Falls.