Best Glamping near Defiance, MO

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.

This park is so rich in Missouri and USA history - from buildings costructed by the African-American CCC stonemasons to Native American petroglyphs, there's some fascinating stuff here. The campgrounds are a bit rocky like, but each has a picnic table and fire pit, and they sit on the hills of a beautiful Missouri pineforest. Big River runs through this park, so there's some great swimming and fishing here, and there are three hiking trails of varying difficulty, so most people can do whatever. No supplies are available onsite, so bring everything you need!

Washington State Park is a hidden gem in Missouri! We camped in mid-March 2021 for 7 days and thoroughly enjoyed the area. They had just opened a new shower house which was clean and well kept. The campground hosts were especially helpful and friendly. The prehistoric Petroglyphs nearby are a must see.

We utilized the special use area of the campground for our Cub Scout family camp, but visited the main loop during our trip.

Best campground hosts we ever encountered! Knowledgeable and friendly. The park has a pool, river access, canoe & kayak rentals and miles of great trails. Great program for kids on staying out of they get lost presented by hosts. This is a great park for organized groups, with lots to do!

Shower house was clean and convenient. Hands down one of Missouri’s best!

Tip- check out the petroglyph site.

St. Francis is a beautiful Missouri state park, not to mention campground.  It features many access points to its anchor, the BIg River, picnic areas, multiple pavilions and some fantastic trails.  I grew up here, and I am biased toward it, but we camped many places, and it remains one of my favorites then, and now.  The campground has more of a communal vibe, for better or worse, depending on your perspective.  If privacy is your main concern, you may be better served looking elsewhere, but I have always enjoyed the friends I have made there, both young and old due to the proximity of the campsites and the many programs offered there by the Conservation Department.

site: shaded. medium sized. semi-private. amenities: older. clean. attractions: less than an hour from St. Louis. hiking. I would go camping here again/ get out of city.

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.

Babler sp is one of those state parks that you just don't expect to see so close to a major city. The hiking trails are plentiful and quiet. The campground was updated and the facilities were clean.

What we liked about this campground was the comfortable feel of being at a state park with plenty of trees, hiking trails, space between sites, but also the convenience of having a level, paved site with electricity and television/phone reception. We happened to be there during the week in the fall so there were not many other campers. This gave the park the quiet feel we like so much. There are miles of hiking and biking trails right outside your doorstep and plenty of woods to explore. The park is located about 10 miles from where my parents live so we come here a couple of times a year. 

The campground has 30 basic and 43 electric sites (which are either 50 amp or 30 amp). There is no sewer or water at individual sites but water spigots are scattered throughout the campground and there is a dump station with potable water fill-up. All campsites and patios are paved and level with a comfortable amount of space between sites. Picnic tables and fire pits are located at each site. Sites are a mix of shaded, partial-shade, and full sun. The roads are paved and big rig-friendly (with the exception of one loop that is clearly marked “short turning radius”). Sites 13-33 are popular open and sunny campsites with nice grassy areas between them. In contrast sites 52-75 are much more treed and have a private feel to them.  It seems this is where most of the tent campers like to be. These sites are farther from the main bathhouse but there is a pit toilet in that loop.

There is one main bathhouse with free showers that was very clean. There are also two vault toilets located in the campground. The campground is open year-round but the bathhouse with flush toilets closes November 1 and doesn’t open until the spring. During the winter the only water spigot is available located near the camp hosts at site #36. Our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot worked great. We were able to get satellite reception at our site (#24) and the antenna picked up a dozen or so local channels including all the major networks. This is one of the few state park campgrounds that we have visited that has WiFi (and that actually worked well).

We love the setting of this park and how you feel like you are in a nice wooded setting but not too far from surrounding amenities. It is an 868-acre urban park with miles of hiking/paved biking/equestrian trails, picnic shelters, a playground, and ball fields. There is a visitor center with exhibits and an amphitheater in the campground where interpretive programs are held.

You can reserve sites on-line and the prices are reasonable. A $2 discount is given to seniors. 

                               April - October         November - March

      Basic                        $13                                 $12

      Electric (30A)           $21                                 $19

      Electric (50A)           $23                                 $21

We love this park and would definitely recommend it to anyone coming through the area. Not all sites are long enough for large RVs and the roads in some loops prevent you from turning around. The camp hosts we encountered are very helpful and have a list of site lengths and can tell you which ones are appropriate for large RVs. If this campground had sewer and water, it would get 5 stars.

The campground is not very large. Most of the sites are small. This works well for me since I like to talk and meet other campers. However, if you prefer some space while camping, this one may not be for you. The park has a lot to offer. The trails are not too long but can be challenging for small kids or folks that are not used to hiking.

There is no bodies of water within the park for fishing, but there are tons near by

Small sites, but well maintained. The sites at the end of cul de sacs give you the most privacy.

Great for taking long walks or bike rides, although very steep hills.

Close to St Louis, so you can do some urban exploring.

Babler is always a place you should try. we camp here every weekend because its so close to our house when we cant travel. but there are a few things to keep in mind.

The good: good trails, the whole park is a memorial so good history, very large, equestrian available, showers and bathrooms, playground, paved drive in, wood and ice available, near a grocery store and restaurants

The bad: racoons everywhere! they are scandalous and will be happy to shake your hand they dont care. thats how close they get to you. we used homemade cayenne pepper water for a perimeter but it only works until we went to bed. if you are tent camping your spot is very hit or miss. we always plan ahead and look at the pictures because some sites say its for tent but its just a dropping slope. you might as well pitch on the concrete. the sites are good are Very good! the sites that are bad... just annoying while sleeping. it lools like they are fixing it this year though. the ticks are pretty bad in spots nesstled into the trees. fpr RV's half the spots for you are out in the sun. you have to look at the pictures and choose wisely.

i know its a lot but babler is really a great park.

Small park with hiking trails, spacious sites, concrete pads, lots of trees, electric only, but water is throughout the grounds. Close enough to get to town If needed. No lakes/ponds, but thata not really the park's fault We will definitely stay here again.

I am not a fan of how small and close together these sites are and during the season they fill up quickly. Hiking is okay but with so many other parks around I would pass on this one.

There is no equestrian camping and the parking for horse trailers is super small. There’s a neat 7 mile loop goes by old stable as well.

This is truly a hidden gem. Tucked away, not far from St. Louis, you wouldn't know you were that close to a big city. It is clean and feels extremely safe. There aren't many sites, but the ones they have are quiet and spacious. There is one bathroom, centrally located, that was a 2-3 minute walk from our campsite. There was a picnic table and firpit provided. The main gate closes at 9 p.m. but if you call ahead there is a code you are given....or you can contact the camp host. I would love to go back and explore the lush, green trails.

Babler is located off I-64 in the chesterfield area about 30 minutes from Saint Louis. There are many spots to choose from. Basic and electric/water sites. Tent and Rv set ups are mixed. The site provides wood, ice, water, shower house and outhouses. There are equestrian and hiking trails. No rivers or water available. It is quiet and some areas are on hills. I would say the only issue is the raccoons. They dont give a darn who you are. They will walk right up to, smile, and take your chips. Scandalous! We love this site because its close and convenient.

This park is really nice and has been redone with in the last 10 years maybe less. If you want to camp and enjoy nature without driving forever this is a good park. 

This park is perfect for hiking and bring the bikes along for the kids and even yourselves. My kids loved going here when they were young because it was just simple, uncomplicated camping and they weren't trapped in the car for hours to get here.

First time camping and I wanted to stay near by. Babler was perfect. Our site had plenty of space and neighbors were very friendly. We did the historical program at the amphitheater at 8pm and kids loved hiking in the dark.

It was a nice camp ground, the host were friendly, shower house and rest rooms were clean. There are trails around but you have to leave the park area for any water activities. (Boating,fishing)

Stayed here for a night while passing through. Was a great campground, not too large, sites are spacious and the bathrooms were clean. The hosts were super friendly and helped me check in after hours.

Note: the main gate is closed from 9pm-7am (Aug. 2021)

Stayed one night as well drove across the country. Nice peaceful campground tucked back not far from the city. Primitive sites were mostly empty and we had plenty of room. Wish we had more time but I'd stop by again.

Nice campground close to the city lots of great trails for bikes. Campground was clean. We reserved a site the day before. Great little clean park and you don’t have to drive too far to get too.

We loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️

⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️

📍 Dr. Edmund A. Babler State Park Wildwood, MO

💰 $12-$21/night

🗓 Feb 19-21, 2022

Site 48 ⚡️💧

🦮 Pets Welcome (on leash at all times)

➕Concrete Pads, Quiet, Close to Interstate 40, Paved Roads, Easy to Access, Gated Overnight with access code

➖Small/Close Sites, No Water in Off Season, Only Vault Toilets - No Showers in Off Season

📶 AT&T Service 4 out of 5

🚮 Dump Station located behind bathhouse. NO WATER during off season!

🚻AMENITIES •Playground •Hiking, Biking & Equestrian Trails •Wood & Ice •Interpretive Programs •Visitor Center •Special Use Area •Laundry, Flush Toilets & Showers ON SEASON ONLY!

🏕SITES Reservable 12 Months-FCFS in off season 72 Reservable 8 Accessible sites Basic - Electric Concrete Back In Lantern Hook, Picnic Table & Fire Ring

⏰ HOURS/DATES April - October 7:am - 9:pm Nov - March 7:am - 6:pm

🔺Park Office 8:30am - 4:pm M-F

🔺Visitor Center April - Oct 9:am - 4:30pm W - Sun Nov - March 9:am - 4:pm - Sat-Sun Dec - Feb CLOSED