Best Equestrian Camping near Carthage, MO

This campground offers a lot of options. Including trout fishing, hiking, and swimming. Located in South Missouri it is an easy day trip into Branson Missouri or Eureka Springs Arkansas. Very well located and very well run by the state. They offer a pretty well equipped camp store along with the lodge and restaurant. This state park is gorgeous and one of my favorite places to go. They also have a nature center and trout hatchery. Park is open year round, trout tags must be purchased at the camp Store. All campgrounds have nice bathrooms and showers. Just a heads up though if you are looking for a quiet relaxing weekend make sure you avoid kids free fishing weekend! It’s a ZOO that weekend!

Just got home from a weekend stay at site C19 at Hawker Point COE Park. This particular site was just up the hill from the lake and completely private. The walk to the lake was about 50 yards and a little steep but we managed to carry two kayaks down and up without too much trouble (and we are a middle-aged couple), and it was totally worth the effort because it was as if we had our own private cove.

The site is very spacious and shaded with plenty of trees for our hammocks and clothesline. Lots of level places for tents. The park attendants were very friendly and helpful.

C19 has no electricity or water and the closest vault toilet is a good walk down the road. The shower houses were driving distance away. We have a shower tent, so that wasn’t an issue for us.

We drove through the rest of this park to check out A and B campground loops. A loop consists of full hookup sites and many sit right on the water. Little shade and crowded, but if you like to play on the lake all day these might be for you. B loop had pretty wooded sites but many were not close to the water. C loop is where it’s at!

We tent camped in Campground 3 at lot 168. We are more of the hiker, woodsy, adventure type people. If I would have known better I would have chosen Campground 1 for tent camping, as it seemed less groomed. Campground 1 was tucked up in an inlet that went back into the valley. It dead ends at a wonderful trailhead. The west side on CG#1 is lined by a beautiful creek that runs into the rotating river. Lots 54-77 are close to the bathrooms and well shaded, and I have them noted in my phone for our next trip. Reservations required and easy to make (1-877-422-6766)

Campground 3 was very open and didn’t feel very “woodsy”. However it was still a very nice spot with a short walk to some awesome fishing spots. It is also near the two longer trail heads, which we enjoyed. If you have ATT you won’t have any cell service here. BUT.. there’s WiFi. Yes. In 2021, you can get WiFi at your campsite. I don’t really like this, but it was helpful for my partner who is a businessman and needs to be able to send emails. (This was only from CG#3 in my experience) 

Campground 2 seemed like a nice in between of 1 and 3. It was a little more shaded, but seemed to have more traffic. 

Every campground offered basic, electric, or all the fancy stuff. We like to rough it, so that wasn’t for us. We will be back for sure!

Fishermen will love Roaring River! If you don't fish it is okay. The area is situated in the Ozark Mountains with the campground next to the stream where they release trout. The campground we stayed at has very little shade and the spacing felt uncomfortable as it has no natural blocks from the other sites. The sirens at 7 am and in the evening are what ultimately turned me off. We awoke every morning to fishermen down by the stream waiting for the siren to tell them they could fish. The talking could be heard all the way up and down the valley.

Not my favorite of all parks but also not one to miss. Roaring river state park has a working trout fish hatchery. You can walk the holding tanks and feed the trout from baby to ready to be released into the river. There is also a cave you can walk in where you’ll find a pool of water that goes for miles underground. Roaring river has three different campgrounds. I prefer ground one and two...however the downside is the spots are not very spacious / far apart from those camping next to you. There are also several hiking trails through out the park, a visitors center, bath houses, a pool, and swimming holes (the water is very cold—great in the hot summer)

They are currently redoing the park in a multi million dollar project. The plan was to be completed already however due to COVID19 there have been some delays. I am excited to see the improvements once complete.