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Best Tent Camping near Cameron, MO

282 Reviews

Tent camping opportunities in the Cameron, Missouri area include several established sites with varying levels of amenities and development. Hamilton City Lake offers free dispersed tent camping with a natural setting and lake access for fishing, while Bonanza Conservation Area provides basic sites for tent campers in a quiet rural environment. Several conservation areas within driving distance of Cameron allow primitive camping.

Most tent sites in the region are situated on gravel parking areas or under tree cover with minimal site preparation. Bonanza Conservation Area restricts camping to designated gravel parking lots, with citations issued for camping elsewhere. Campers should be aware that Agency Conservation Area has limited hours, closing from 10 PM to 4 AM, which impacts overnight stays. Few tent sites in the area offer amenities beyond the basics, with many lacking drinking water, toilets, or trash service. "It is against their rules to camp anywhere but on a gravelly parking lot. We camped just off the road and got a citation," noted one visitor to Bonanza Conservation Area.

Tent campers at Hamilton City Lake can enjoy shaded sites with direct water access for fishing. The lake produces bluegill, crappie, and bass for anglers camping at the water's edge. Honey Grove Campground, though more developed, offers tent sites with amenities including drinking water, electric hookups, showers, and toilets. While some areas experience road noise from nearby highways, the relative lack of crowds enhances the camping experience. A review mentioned that Hamilton City Lake provides "a peaceful, low-key atmosphere" where campers found "plenty of room to spread out without worrying about noisy neighbors." Conservation areas typically provide more primitive experiences, with smaller gravel areas for tent setup and access to natural features like fishing lakes or creek systems.

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Best Tent Sites Near Cameron, Missouri (6)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Cameron, MO

5 Photos of 6 Cameron Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Cameron, MO

282 Reviews of 6 Cameron Campgrounds

  • Sarah H.
    Sep. 18, 2016

    Wallace State Park Campground

    Popular Park Tucked Away In The Hills

    My husband and I tent camped overnight at Wallace State Park. Woodsy tent camping sites were spacious and private. Large camping pads are lined with wood chips and are comfortable enough to sleep on without an air mattress. Covered picnic tables have an extra shelf for storage convenience. Even after setting up the tent and camping chairs there was still enough room for lawn games or for little ones to run around.

    Wildlife was abundant in the evening. We saw many deer, frogs and squirrels. At dark, nature sounds were unbelievable with songs of bullfrogs, owls, and flying creatures of all sorts. Be sure to bring bug repellant.

    Campground 1 had clean vault toilets, but the bath house near Campground 2 was even better. Showers were clean and in their own stalls with locking doors, shelves and ample hooks. The water got nice and hot and the shower heads were even and held good pressure. This bath house was seriously the best one we have ever visited and we have used dozens.

    For entertainment, there was a bustling playground, winding nature trails, horseshoes, lake swimming, and fishing. There was also a well kept laundry house with a dishwashing sink attached. Campground hosts and park rangers were friendly and busy keeping the park in great shape. Overall, this is a really nice place to camp!

    Gear Review: Lighthouse 250 Lantern and USB Power Hub We decided to try out our GoalZero lantern instead of our usual larger lantern. The lantern is compact enough to fit in a small bag with other electronics and is very light in weight. This saved us a little extra room which is a bonus since we take all of our camping trips in a tiny little Prius C. The Lighthouse 250 would be a good contender for bringing along on a backpacking trip, but you would want to pad it with some kind of protection as it seems that some parts might not hold up to a lot of banging around.

    We used the lantern 2 nights in a row without charging it and the battery life indicator still had over 1/4 of its power left. On this same charge, wee tested the phone charger by hooking up an iPhone 4 to charge for 10 minutes with the light on full turbo. The 10 minute charge boosted the phone's battery 12%. The hand crank charger was a little awkward, but would be sufficient in a pinch. Had we needed more power, we could have easily plugged the attached USB cord into our car charger. We don't usually pony up for electric sites, so on extended excursions, the Nomad 7 Solar Panel is a gadget we would consider purchasing.

    The directional lighting feature of the lantern came in handy for having dimmer light closer to sleeping times and brighter light for reading/boardgames in the tent. In the end, we will definitely bring the Lighthouse 250 lantern with us on future trips, and will leave our bulky older lantern at home.

  • Leni K.
    Jun. 6, 2022

    Wallace State Park Campground

    Good Weekend Getaway

    Campground 1 is the ideal tent grounds. Heavily wooded some with better coverage than others. Campground 2 is the most spaces RV site. Campground 3 had five total sites in an open area. No privacy at all. Campground 4 was a tighter RV set up. All campgrounds share one very updated showerhouse, which did lead to some lines at the showers Sunday, but the trade off for quality bathroom is appreciated. All campgrounds and day use areas are also connected by a series of trails, so you're not far off from getting to a hike at any point. Campground 1 has four walkins that range from 80 to 300 yards in, starting with 28 closest and 31 farthest out. We stayed at 31, and whole remote, during the day picked up sounds clearly from other sites and at night the highway was pretty clear. Overall though the seclusion tradeoff was nice and it was an easy adjustment for us as car campers. We had a raccoon visitor who is a frequent flyer, while he got away with some hotdogs, we adjusted and ensured he didn't get additional treats. The main showerhouse was closer than the vault toilet on 1, which was still really well maintained. Overall crowds here seemed very respectful of quiet hours, space on trails and made for an improved stay. Camp hosts were always available and polite and friendly. Trails were maintained. Definitely would return again, to a similar site as a walk in.

  • Whitney L.
    Jun. 6, 2022

    Bluffwoods Conservation Area

    lovely, quiet camping near St. Joe’s MO

    Love this little area for camping! It’s well maintained, quiet, easy to access, has lots of grass for the dogs to play and we always see wildlife. People often leave trash so be sure to leave no trace so it stays nice for all to enjoy <3

  • Lady Phyre ☆.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 4, 2025

    Pony Express Lake Conservation Area

    Pony Express is amazing!

    You can camp in one of several little inlets and nooks. It's a Fish & Game preserve with camping and fishing spots all around the lake. Many with picnic tables and most with vault toilets. It's on my top 10 list of best primitive/dispersed camping locations. Only con is the vault toilet at the inlet I camped in. It was unusable with fetus nearly to the top. I think some unscrupulous person put trash in it then other used it probably without knowing. Very bad etiquette! Be sure to bring your own camping toilet and/or check the vault toilet before setting up. I didn't see very many RVs but several vans, trucks, and cars were there. The wildlife is predominantly water fowl.

  • Leni K.
    May. 24, 2021

    Weston Bend State Park Campground

    Okay Campground for Tenting

    Campground is great overall, with a walkable trail just past the showers, clean restrooms and easy to access sites. There are only 3 basic tent sites, making it hard to nab. #4 had a decent amount of privacy, however most other electric sites do not. As an electric site, there was not a lot of ground space for tents, we settled on gravel with reflectix to buffer the ground. Check in was easy, and in walking distance. Site was pretty noisy, even after hours, a few kids running around with speakers on blast definitely were less than optimal.

  • R
    Aug. 3, 2016

    Wallace State Park Campground

    Wallace State Park in Cameron, MO

    There are mixed RV and tent camping sites, including primitive and walk in sites. You can get water and electric at most sites. Each campground has an iron fire ring with a grill attached.

    There are nice hiking trails. Trails are well marked. There three levels to choose from based on distance.

    There is also a small lake to fish or swim in. The lake for it's size, had some nice fish.

    The community shower and bathroom houses are not air conditioned. The floors are slab cement, but the park staff clean them daily.

    Overall, I think that campgrounds are decent.

  • P
    Oct. 23, 2018

    Pony Express Lake Conservation Area

    Small campground, free, on the lake.

    It's in the Conservation Area of Missouri on Pony Express Lake. Easy to get to. Gravel road to the camp areas. Very small. Only 7 or 8 sites. We had a van. There was an RV there and a tenter. Picnic table and fire ring. There is a boat landing further down the gravel road past the campground, different finger of the lake. Fishing. Pit toilet, no water or hook ups for RVs. Very quiet place and of course, you can't beat free!

  • J
    Jul. 15, 2020

    Crow's Creek Campground

    One of the best!

    We camped here in June 2020.  We had a nice RV site with electric.  The best part is the view of and access to the lake! So beautiful and relaxing.  We had a nice gravel site with fire ring and picnic table. We could walk right down a grassy hill to the trail along the lake.  We had lots of grassy space around us to set up and play yard games. Trails and roads within the campsite are paved, so it's great for bikes and scooters.  Grounds are well maintained and grassy areas feel fine to walk through and play in.  Nearby area beaches to play at, a playground, and a short drive to stores to get anything we forgot! We love this beautiful place and will return!

    Cons: the full hookup sites don't have a view of the lake. This is why we chose an electric only site and used a spigot in the campsite to fill our tank.

  • Amanda M.
    Sep. 14, 2020

    Camp Branch Campground

    good pricing, great location, awful website

    We booked a site along with a couple of family members and the website for this park is ancient. Couldn't get anything booked online because the website wouldn't cooperate, save yourself time and just call the campground once you've looked at the map and chosen where in general you want to camp at. 

    Tent sites are okay sized, and many are close to the water. Not a lot of trees for shade, so bring a shelter for some relief from the sun. 

    The camp store sells wood and everyone was extremely friendly. There's a swimming beach nearby that you will have to drive to but it is included in the stay! No alcohol is allowed at the beach.

Guide to Cameron

Cameron, Missouri, offers a variety of tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. From well-reviewed sites to unique amenities, there's something for everyone.

Tips for tent camping near Cameron

  • Bonanza Conservation Area provides a free camping experience, but be aware that camping is restricted to designated gravel areas only.
  • Agency Conservation Area is a quiet spot for those seeking a simple camping experience, though it lacks amenities like water and toilets.
  • Tent Sites at Milo Farm offers a peaceful environment with beautiful sunsets, making it a great choice for a relaxing evening outdoors.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Honey Grove Campground features drinking water, electric hookups, and picnic tables, ensuring a comfortable stay for all campers.
  • Hamilton City Lake is a public site that allows tent camping, though it currently lacks amenities like showers and trash disposal.
  • Tent Sites at Milo Farm provides firewood and a reservable space, perfect for those looking to enjoy a cozy campfire.

Local attractions for outdoor activities

  • Bonanza Conservation Area is near a great fishing lake, ideal for anglers looking to catch some fish while camping.
  • Honey Grove Campground is perfect for families, offering a friendly atmosphere and opportunities for group activities around the campfire.
  • Agency Conservation Area features trails and creek features, making it suitable for those who enjoy hiking and exploring nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cameron, MO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cameron, MO is Hamilton City Lake with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Cameron, MO?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Cameron, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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