Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Defiance, MO has a lot to offer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Defiance is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Defiance, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"Our site was gravel to park on with grass around it. Close to train tracks and highway, but didn’t notice with AC on in the camper. Close to 6 flags."
"This campground is fairly close to downtown and very close to lots of shopping. A great place to stay to stock up on supplies before heading west."
"Heavy equestrian park, it’s not required (to have a horse) to stay here. A few piles of horses droppings but very well maintained."
"Pretty nice wooded campground close to St. Louis! Each site has a picnic bench, a fire pit and grill."
$15 - $38 / night
"Plenty of gorgeous campsites and a lake to swim and kayak! And if you need a place to camp with your horse they have an entire equestrian section. Close to St."
"Our site, though, was the smallest in the loop, tucked away in the weeds, and the only area to pitch our tent was on a slight slope."
"When I first pulled in I kept going back further only to realize the spots were located right by the road side. I wish there would have been signs pointing them out more."
"The best site (already taken, too bad) was set on the edge of the woods next to a fishing pond. The campers that were there let me take some pics of their site since it was so pretty."
"Not a huge campground but, Its a really simple beautiful place to enjoy Missouri's rolling hills. It is located 1 hour from St. Louis and 30 ish min from Elephant Rock State park."
"My site was close to the camp host and the shower house. Shower house was nice with 4 separate showers with locking doors. Water pressure was great and they were clean."
"Positives: quiet time starting at 11:00 pm, we didn’t hear cursing, loud music, or anything else that disturbs little ones once they go to sleep, close to the river, clean restroom and shower house, shaded"
"They have a family section if you prefer to be away from the louder bunch."
"Great spot in a beautiful area close to St. Louis. No power but access to drinking water and waste water dump for just 8$."
"Horseshoe Lake is one of my most visited parks and most favorite park in the STL and surrounding areas. First off absolutely beautiful land and peace is easily achieved."
$11 - $16 / night
"This go around we pulled our popup down and chose a site with out hookups. (545) only negative things to say about the site was that it was very densely populated with trees."
"indoor pool, hot tubs, and sona, an outdoor pool and hot tubs, inflatable jump pillows, concerts almost every weekend, full hookups, plenty of tent camping sites as well, two swim beaches and several lakes"
"Summer time swimming at 1 outdoor pool and 2 swimming beaches at the lake. You can rent paddle boats, canoes, kayaks and fishing boats."
"We park close to the creek, we drive to the Meramec River and sometimes enjoy petting a horse or goat. Last year we zip lined. It’s close to the caverns and other awesome sites."
"It's up by the cabins/cottages and you definitely need to drive there. Get there early in the morning to set up your chairs in the river to get a good spot."
LegendThis campground was packed, but it started off on the wrong foot. The entrance comes up quick and is right off a state highway with traffic moving between 65-80 mph so of course I passed the entrance and had to double back.
When I pulled into the park there was bunch of construction. There were a few trails but honestly it really seemed like an RV park with very few tents. The showers and bathrooms were clean but there were too many people, it was very crowded.
I should add as a positive that here were equestrian trails and a large parking lot to park your horse trailer.
St. Francois State Park is close to St. Louis so it is probably a popular destination, it just didn't feel like camping. I'm sure it will improve a little when the construction is completed, but I doubt it will be above three stars.
LegendCampground Review: This is a nice little hidden gem outside St Louis in a great county park. If you are a Six Flags kinda person, the amusement park sits at the southern entrance to Greensfelder. The park itself has some great hiking and biking trails, but the big draw is equestrian in nature (including eventing jumps along some of the trails). This campground caters to the horse-set, with more campsites attached to the equestrian park than not, which means you should make reservations in advance as it is a busy little campground. The equestrian camping area has a standing stall type open barn, a round pen for turn out, and large campsites designed for horse trailers. All of the sites with electric are meant for horse trailers as there are no amenities for RV's. The showers and toilets are in the horse camping portion of the campground. The non-horse camping area seemed to be an afterthought, and is along side a park artery leading to a boarding barn and more trails. I did like that there were two trail heads on opposite sides of the camping lot, and the trails were well marked. Expect this campground area to be busy as it is the staging area for equestrians who use the park.
Product Review: In July I won some gear from Primus for reviewing some campgrounds I visited earlier this summer. This was the first opportunity I had to try out my Primus Profile Camp Stove. This is a nice car camping stove; at eleven pounds, it isn't something to carry far. Things I liked about it include the wind guards, the latching lid, and the fairly thin profile when collapsed. For a two burner stove, it really didn't take up much room in my trunk and it is sturdy enough that I wasn't worried about piling gear on top of it. However, while new out of the box, the igniter didn't work. Glad I always pack a lighter. It's not going to boil water in record time, but certainly held a steady flame and was easy to adjust. I have other stoves, but this one seems like it will be my go to when car camping with friends as I can cook more on two burners than one. https://primus.us/collections/camping-stoves
LegendThis is a perfect place to enjoy with the family. Plenty of gorgeous campsites and a lake to swim and kayak! And if you need a place to camp with your horse they have an entire equestrian section. Close to St. Louis but far enough out to enjoy peace and quiet!
GuideSmall campground ground ram by saint louis county parks. We were the only ones here. Heavy equestrian park, it’s not required (to have a horse) to stay here. A few piles of horses droppings but very well maintained. We stay about 30 feet to the right of the horse pin, and behind it where they dump the horse stuff really can’t smell anything. Only sites 20-29 have electric and 28 can’t be reserved. Pro -Most sites are great for trailers 26’ or less and 1 slide (sites 24-26 can fit a fifth wheel probably no bigger than 36-38 ft) -2-20 amp plugs and 1-30amp plug -Not to many trees hanging over your camper that would drop branches -site 29 where we stayed can fit a 40’ fifth wheel -a lot of room to back in -showers and restrooms year around -frost free water at both ends of the campground -usual fire pit, picnic table and grill -park campers on grass to be closer to one side or another of your site -sites are reservable
Cons -no water at sites -no 50 amps -no dump but KOA and RV dealer 5-7 mins away
-site 29 only have 2-20 amp plugs no 30 didn’t realized till we parked. Only this one doesn’t have 30 -horses traffic on Saturday eventually from what the ranger told me once Covid is better -most sites back up to main road(mostly light traffic and none at night)
TravelerPretty nice wooded campground close to St. Louis! Each site has a picnic bench, a fire pit and grill. It was very quiet when we stayed there on a Friday night, but it go really busy on Saturday morning because the equestrian folks use the campground as a staging area. There are two trail heads near the campground(very nice hiking!)
GuideFor those who need to get out of town yet can't imagine not checking the latest tweet, Tik Tok, or Instagram post, this park is for you. Not 2 miles from Six Flags, and 5 minutes from the freeway, you'll find plenty of beauty, creature comfort amenities, and cell service.
We are looking at 3 primitive campsites(closed at the time of this review), 6 family tent sites, as well as plenty of RV spaces with electrical hookups.
The park is known for its well-groomed trails, which are used by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians alike. Plenty of stables surround the area, where you may rent a horse and go for a stroll through the woods.
The primitive sites are large, with picnic tables and an outhouse, while the family tent ones are near restrooms, showers and a source of water.
The whole park is rather pretty with plenty to do and see.
Now, with that said, I was not a huge fan. This is not a place for a person who wants to get away from people. The Family tent sites are very close to the road, as in 10ft from it, so traffic to and from the stables are rather annoying. Being very close, the freeway noise is still present, and you'll find many motorcycles riding by you on their way through the winding roads of Wildwood. It's a nice sight but the noise sucks. The place has A LOT of deer which means that ticks are everywhere-which is not a big deal if you know what you're doing.
During the time I spent here 2 different homeless looking kids stopped by asking for food, money, to borrow my phone to make a call. One after the other had to be shooed out of my site. That was followed by a STL County Police Officer patrolling the location. That did not settle well, and the night was a bit odd. Keep in mind that I was here alone and during the middle of the week so, chances are, during the weekend you might not have the same experience.
Overall, this is well maintained park with plenty of activities and close to all the luxuries that a town can offer, lots of amenities nearby or on site.
You would enjoy it:
You'd, maybe, not enjoy it so much:
TravelerWe have stayed here many times. It is busy and has a party atmosphere on the weekends but is nice and quiet during the week. There are some nice trails here that are around 3 miles and 1 long trail that equestrian friendly and also has a hike in camp site. I did score it down because the shower house is older and could use updating. The electric sites are nice. The basic area has some sites that are washed out and red clay is exposed so very messy in wet weather, There also seems to be a drag racing track nearby because you can sometimes hear the noise. Great place for wildflowers and butterflies.
ScoutStayed here a few nights in May. This camp site is along the berryman trail so you can stay here if youre backpacking said trail. There is only one table and one metal fire ring but people have made various fire rings out of rocks and there is plenty of room for a lot of people. The camp is right by the creek which is ice cold and good for sticking sore feet in :). There are also a few fish in there. In recent years they put in a single vaulted bathroom but thats it! No showers or drinking water if you cant filter the stream water. They also have several hitching posts for horses here since you can ride horses on berryman trail. I have at&t and ive been getting 1 to 3 bars. But the other person im camping withuisnt grtting anything with their provider. Over all I think its a great little spot if youre ok with no electricity, light or just wanna get away from it all for a while.
LegendTo me Brazil Creek Campground is an ideal spot to base your adventuring out of. Primitive horse sites in your own little haven in the woods. Have an actual map handy and make any calls before you get here because your phone will do you no good.
One of the sites is the "Creme De'la Creme" with tie out areas for your horses, plenty of tent and horse trailer parking space and a short walk to a crystal clear steam just deep enough to dangle your tired legs in or sit your saddle sore body in the ice cold water.
True there is no variation of facilities (in other words bring your small shovel and tp, plus plenty of drinking water) but a small price to pay for the privacy and quiet this campground offers.
A trailhead is nearby for your riding enjoyment. This is what we call a remote or backwoods site in Ky and can be had through contacting the visitors center in the area for explanation of permit.
Horse camping in Missouri offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it an ideal destination for horse enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Defiance, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Defiance, MO is St. Louis West / Historic Route 66 KOA with a 4.2-star rating from 30 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Defiance, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Defiance, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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