Chillicothe, MO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Chillicothe is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Chillicothe. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Multiple campsites available along the highway, but the marked site is one of the best, right by a great fishing lake. Very quite, no amenities."
"We stayed at Hamilton City Lake in early summer and really enjoyed the peaceful, low-key atmosphere."
$20 - $60 / night
"Had a big fire outside one of the cabins today! Great company, warm flames, and hot dogs makes for a wonderful night, but the stars and beautiful weather seriously enhanced it like none other!"
GuideMy 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.
RangerCampground 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.
GuideYou 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.
ScoutThere 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.
RangerIt'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!
TravelerWe camped in one of the walk-in tent sites and loved it! Plenty of space between us and neighbors, nice and quiet. Plenty of shade, nice hiking trails, and the shower house / amenities were nice.
TravelerThis small RV park was a great place for us to stay while visiting family in the area. The owner is very helpful. The facilities and grounds are very well maintained. There is a washer and dryer with a folding area. The restrooms and shower area is private and super clean. There is a nice picnic table and fire ring at each site. Bundles of fire wood are available for sale.
GuideThis campground is a pretty standard state park campground. All of the usual amenities; showers, laundry and electric sites if you want them.
The tent sites all consist of a fire grate with a swing away grill, paved parking spot and a predetermined tent spot covered in mulch.
The majority of the sites are next door to each other and right of the road. However, there are 4 walk in sites that get you away from the majority of the campground noise.
The main issues are the usual; noisy neighbors, extremely noisy and inconsiderate rv campers and an Interstate less than a mile away.
If you're looking for solitude, this does not provide it, but if you just want to sleep in a tent and have a campfire this will probably be fine for you.
TravelerWe stayed in primitive site #3 - fairly close to neighbors, but with some berms/hills between it still felt relatively private. Site didn’t have a ton of level tent sites, but was otherwise in good shape.
Fall foliage was gorgeous this past weekend, and we thoroughly enjoyed the woolen mill tour at the adjacent state historic site.
Shower and restroom facilities seemed adequate, though more dated than other similar state parks in the area. Serviceable but not immaculately clean.
Tent camping near Chillicothe, Missouri offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chillicothe, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chillicothe, MO is Bonanza Conservation Area with a 3.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Chillicothe, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Chillicothe, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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