Looking for an adventure where you can explore De Soto and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near De Soto, including sites, reviews, and tips. From remote to easy-to-reach, these De Soto campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park offers basic, walk-in campsites and two special-use camping areas. The campsites allow for tent camping only. Pop-up or other trailers are not allowed. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no showerhouse or dump station. Water and a vault toilet are available in the camping area.
The Brazil Creek Recreation Area serves as a trail camp for the 24-mile Berryman Trail and the 40 mile Courtois Section of the Ozark Trail. The Berryman Trail traverses 24 miles of scenic Ozark countryside starting at the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp of 1937 and winding through timbered stands and fields. This section of the Ozark Trail is part of the over 200 mile through-trail. For more information about these sections of trail, visit www.ozarktrail.com . Camping, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding here offer the recreationist a pleasant measure of solitude and quiet.
This section is the gateway to the Ozarks--starting at Onondaga Cave State Park and winding through the Huzzah State Forest/Conservation Area, opening into the lead district of Missouri and the Mark Twain National Forest, view variegated wildlife, flora, and scenery and end up at Hazel Creek on the south. This 45-mile long section includes 7.5 miles of state land north of the Narrows Trailhead, crosses private land at the Bass Resort, follows the Berryman Trail from about mile 22 through mile 32, and connects to the Trace Creek Section on the south at the Hazel Creek Trailhead. It is part of the over 220 mile continuous through-trail. Use caution after periods of rain as the creek crossings can be hazardous. This section of trail includes springs, creeks and other water locations, as well as some popular places for trailside camping.
Dispersed camping is the term used for free camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, no structures, no trash cans, no treated water, and no fire grates. There are extra responsibilities required for this type of camp. It's a must to educate yourself before you try it, but we hope the adventure of dispersed camping in the Mark Twain National Forest calls to you!
Pick a Campsite and follow the Leave No Trace Principles Camp 100 feet away from trails and water sources. Treat any water found in the area before consuming it. Human waste (Feces) must be buried at least 6 inches deep and covered. Pack out all of your garbage.
$50 - $75 / night
Backcountry Primitive Campsite next to a water source with a fire ring. All garbage must be carried out.
Backcountry Primitive Campsite next to a water source with a fire ring
We are a working Longhorn farm with goats, horses donkeys and more. We have over 6 miles of trails and creek to explore. We also have a pond for fishing . We have mountains and valleys with backpack sites as well as site you can drive up to.
$27 - $35 / night
Backcountry Primitive Campsite next to a water source with a fire ring. All garbage must be carried out
Legend
A great spot for a quick get away from St Louis. Beautiful park with lots to do not far from the campground. If you are tent camping you don't have to worry about generators from the RVs as there are two separate camping areas that share a really nice shower house, but have their own bathrooms as well. Be careful to not get a tent site in the middle, in the low area, as rain runoff will run down to the middle area. No tent pads, but plenty of grassy areas to pitch your tent. Activities in the park include swimming in the pool or the Big River, canoeing (rent at the Thunderbird Lodge), hiking, and petroglyphs.
Guide
We typically prefer more dispersed-style camping, but this has actually become one of our favorite established sites in the Ozarks. It's VERY family-oriented (probably not for you if you want to party), with tons of games like volleyball and horseshoes, plus onsite programs and activities including scavenger hunts, movie nights, pancake breakfasts, etc.
A little of everything when it comes to sites - there are pull-thru sites, full hookups, basic tent sites, you name it. We tent camped in sites 61-64 (now one huge site, but at one time they were three individual), which directly overlooks the river and sits on a very private corner. The sites on this end are a bit of a walk to the bathrooms/showers and camp store, but also extremely spacious and private.
Great camp store and a large sandy beach with natural swimming holes, plus a seasonal pool. There's even so-so wifi at the store.
Float trips are a big deal here, and Indian Springs offers both boat rentals and shuttle services. We used their shuttling one day, then the second day, I drove my husband up to the put-in (less than 10 mins) and he floated back and took out here. The owners are really friendly and accommodating. Our top choice for float/camp trips, especially when we have our kiddos.
Traveler
Did a 2 night tent camp with my family and it was awesome. We had a great time on the trails and near the Mighty Missouri River.
Guide
Peaceful tent camping on Walkers Island at $8 per day.
Scout
I've seen some reviews say its outdated and I'm not sure where that comes from. On season they offer a variety of float and eat packages that are tasty and nicely priced. Cute little campground with "primitive", electric and full hook ups. All tent camping is still pretty close to the general store that also has coin showers! You have good options for a shady and grassy spot if you're tent camping too. Great folks working there, always very friendly and helpful.
GuideThe campground is located in a gym of a park located along the Missouri River. Reservations are required and the sites are in high demand. Tent camping only. There is water available in the park.
This Campground places you in the heart of Missouri Wine Country and there's a perfect base for visiting the wineries and restaurants along highway 94.
Guide
We have stayed in cabins and tent camped. Beautiful spot, but can be very heavily populated
Traveler
Doesn't allow pets for tent sites
Legend
Robertsville is a nice little park on the Meramec River with about 25 campsites split fairly evenly between tent and electric hook up in a long loop. The hook up sites are on the inside of the loop and the tent sites are on the outside of the loop. You need to look carefully for a level tent site as some are fairly slopped. However, most of the tent sites have nice trees for hammocking and all sites looked clean. The shower house is newer and well taken care of. Seems that lots of people come here for the boat access to the river, but there are some really nice hiking trails you shouldn’t miss. On the weekends in the high season be prepared to reserve two nights in a row, which can make it more difficult to get a spot. But if you go during the week you can have the place pretty much to yourself. And the racoons. Just saying
Legend
Nice state park close to St Louis. Good, if short, trails. The campground is used a lot by RV and campers, not so much by tenters. Lots of campsites had electric. All had the standard pininic tables and fire rings, and the campground has a decent and clean shower house. You might end up pitching your tent on a parking pad as many tent sites don't have level grassy spots for your tent. Sites are not very private, and some are right on top of the next. I like sites 65 and 58 for their privacy or grassy tent spots.
Ranger
Not a huge campground but, Its a really simple beautiful place to enjoy Missouri's rolling hills. It is located 1 hour from St. Louis and 30 ish min from Elephant Rock State park. If your in the area check out the other amazing Missouri state parks while staying here. The Missouri Mines state park is maybe a 5 min drive and a neat place to see. Tent sites, Bathroom and some hammock spots.
Guide
Stayed here for one night we toured the cave which was great. The park is very well kept and nice clean facilities. We tent camped and every spot had a good place to set up a tent.
Scout
Plenty of tent camping sites. There are primitive also. Great Lake to fish and plenty of trails to hike. Looks like the rv site can get booked up on weekends.
Traveler
This was a great campsite with water and electric hookups. We tent camped and floated the 6 mile float. Bathrooms we're clean and we'll maintained. Showers needed quarters to operate. Nice restaurant for breakfast and a great store.
Traveler
Smaller campsite located in Mark Twain National Forest. RV hook ups and tent sites. Views in the bluff area or stay across from Huzzah Creek for easy access to swimming.
TravelerFull hookups(electric/water/sewer) for rvs, as well as primitive tent sites. Facilities are bit on the older side, but 2 shower houses are available. River access within walking distance. Canoe and raft rental available.
TravelerWe spent a Saturday and Sunday there camping in the electric site. They do have tent sites but we wanted to be closer to the river which was a 2min walk.
Great place, awesome people and kid friendly. Definitely will be back!
Guidethis ground is very well kept and is oerfect for tent camping. the only downfall is the amount trees. although the sites are very large, flat, and easy, you can see everyones business because there is maybe 1 tree in between each site. but there is a creek, trails, walk in sites, and lots of history to check out.
Guide
This park is beautiful. Located about 25 minutes from St Louis. They have paddle boats and bikes and group bikes for rental. Located right next to a lake with a lot of RV and tent camping spots. Kids had a blast riding bikes. Even finding a few little frogs jumping around and fireflies at night.
Traveler
I like this camp site because you are within the trees the whole time. It is tent camping only. Where we camped, the ground was covered in moss. That made for very soft sleeping, except for the few large rocks spread over the area. We had room for two portable canopies and about 35 cub scouts and family members.
LegendJohnson Shut-Ins State Park is an amazing park that combines the comforts of an RV park with the rustic side of walk-in tent sites. It is the best maintained park in the Northeastern part of the Ozark's. It has a store in the middle of the campground. The sites all have concrete pull-ins and the bathrooms and shower houses are all brand new, modern, and clean.
The sites are spread a part giving plenty of room to campers. There are several tent sites that you can walk into to get away from the concrete. There is a gear cart to help you get everything back from your car to your site.
This is a place where you could spend several days and have a lot of fun. This is the premiere campground in that area of the Ozark's.
The staff is also very helpful and friendly.
Traveler
Typical Jellystone, lots for kids to do. Really small sites. Tent sites seem fairly flat. I’m in a site for small campers. The site is bowed front to back and not level side to side. You can hear highway traffic all night and the kids hit the playground, right outside my window, at 7:00.
Scout
Easy to book online even the day of. Choose your spot ahead of time and pull in, easy as that! There are RV & tent sites, bathrooms with hot showers. Had no problem booking around 7pm the day of and arrived around 1 am quietly set up in my previously reserved spot. Check out is at 2 pm
GuideThe campsites are very nice. I don't mind the concrete pads they have for camping and parking. We have a camper but used cots when we tent camped so concrete was not a problem for us.
The kids loved the shut ins. We didn't even make it all the way to the back as it was a very long walk. We also visited some of the historical sites in the area.
GuideWe stayed here last minute for Labor Day Weekend and the staff were great with finding us a good tent site available. This is not a rugged style campground as there are many amenities such as a pool, putt putt golf, volleyball, and more. They also host daily kids activities and crafts. A very family friendly campground and would highly recommend if camping with kids!
TravelerThere are hookup sites as well as a primitive loop for tent camping. The cart provided was great to walk our gear down the trail to our site, and there was a flat deck for us to camp on (which was great on our rainy weekend). The store was nice, and we got some great ice cream on the way out. We drove in, but the people next to us backpacked from another campsite. Absolutely a great experience.
TravelerWe tent camped in loop 3 in late November for one night. The bathroom and showers were still on in this camping area. The spots are slightly close together but still very wooded. Not a lot of people camping at this time of the year even on a Saturday. Camp hosts were fabulous. The sites aren’t really set up for tents. More for Trailers. We had to get creative to find a spot to put up the tent in order to stake it down. Large parking pads, fire rings, and picnic tables at each camp site.
Tent camping near De Soto, Missouri offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several options to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near De Soto, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near De Soto, MO is Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 22 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near De Soto, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near De Soto, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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