Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Defiance, MO

This is a KOA, so you know what to expect. Pull through, level sites, lots of shade, dog park, pool, and a creek are all here. Have been here before, will be back!

Nice, clean campground, level pull-through sites - ours had a paver-patio and grill, a lot of shade throughout, dog park, and a creek to explore. This was our 2nd time here. Close to Saint Louis, Six Flags, and hiking.

Campground review:

Once googling local campsites at the last minute for a weekend getaway with both dogs, we came route 66 campground. They have a dog park, rv hookup sites, electric tent sites and primitive sites. We stayed at a primitive tent site with both dogs. Site t13, which unfortunately was one of the very few camp spots with zero trees so we're unable to use our hammock. (Most of the other sites had great trees for hammock setups). Other amenities on the campground included a heated pool, bike rentals, basketball courts, a country store for firewood, supplies, and gift shop. Needless to say this was not a "roughing" it type campground. For the dogs though, we were right across from the creek to take them down to play. Also, kids were catching crawdads! Great campsite that is pet friendly and very family friendly!

Product review:

Ledlenser mh10

This headlamp first of all comes with a 7 year warrantly(must register the product)! On top of that all these features: a rechargeable battery with a USB port. Rapid focus system with 2 tough button on headlamp to adjust lighting. The strap is very easy to adjust and fit to comfort, lightweight despise the battery pack attached to the headlamp. The lighting is phenomenal! You also get a green and red additional glass lense that you can screw into the front of your lense for any activity and not disturb others with a bright white light. Me, howsoever, I was able to on this camping trip, use the headlamp to continue to play a game of cornhole... and winter, might I add.. thanks to my headlamp for optimal vision;). Included are some pictures of how bright and fitting the headlamp is. I was highly impressed! Never once did it slip... which I have struggled with in many headlamps that it seems the lamp is too heavy and slowly makes its way down your forehead. The Ledlenser stays in place and is very comfortable! Also, doesn't leave that weird band line on your head... at least I didn't experience it like I have on others. Very impressed overall!

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. We stayed 2 nights to have a day to visit the Gateway Arch. The pool and playground seemed nice even though we didn’t use them. Nice dog park for smaller dogs. Several cabins are available along with RV sites. The tent sites are next to a river under large trees. Plenty of spaces for big rigs. Our site was no very level but nothing our auto-leveling couldn’t handle.

We had a beautiful campsite with soft grassy ground. We did have a mole or something burrowing around so you had to watch for loose dirt clods but that was NBD. The site had a picnic table and fire ring. There were pit toilets, no showers. Spigots throughout the area. Within walking distance of the river and trail access. Beautiful hiking on the bluffs above the river. The hosts were really friendly. There was also a very cute and very friendly kitty running around the area hunting grasshoppers. He hung out for some pets and cuddles then wandered off for some more adventure. I kind of want to be that cat. ^_^

There is lots to do at this park. There is a pool, bike rentals, dog park, movie night, basketball court, and more. You can bring your RV, travel trailer, tent camp, or stay in a cabin. Most of the sites are in the shade and are fairly level. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. They have Ele/water and Ele/water/sewer sites. It is close to train tracks, but I only heard the train once at night. It’s close to Six Flags, shopping, and restaurants. They even have a cute caboose cabin you can stay in.

This was our first trip together in our new camper. It was a little rough assessing the place thru the website but the reviews swayed us. There are walking paths all around and a beautiful lake /clubhouse area. Super people running the place and of course other campers were so helpful. We took our 2 dogs and would have loved a little more grass for their paws as the entire camping area is rough gravel. We’re hoping for a dog park in the future....? The lake has many easy entrances for swimmers near the club house - broad steps or large boulder for the more adventurous. Can be a bit slippery tho so bring your water shoes. Kids seemed to have little problem. Saturday night there was live music. Just a single guy with a guitar but great choice of music and great singing voice. Had a great 2 days. We plan to come back.

Doesn't allow pets for tent sites

The campground (CG) was easy to find, located just 5 miles off I-70 with clear signage along the way. We parked at the designated registration area, and check-in was quick for our one-night stay. We were then escorted to pull-through site 17 with full hookups. The gravel pad was fairly level, and although the utilities were toward the back of the site, we had no trouble connecting. There were two sewer hookups—a nice touch. Water is shared, but the pressure was solid at about 50 psi. Sites are decently spaced, though some are closer together; ours was relatively close to the next site on the driver side. Our site had a nice yard, picnic table, and fire pit, but if someone had been in the site next to us, we would have been sharing that area. We got 2 bars on Verizon and 3 bars on T-Mobile, and our T-Mobile Home Internet worked very well. The CG WiFi was fine for email and web browsing. While the grounds have mature trees, most sites—including 17—are satellite-friendly. The 1/2-acre dog park was especially impressive. There was a mix of permanent, seasonal, and short-term guests. The park was clean, well-maintained, and featured fun wood carvings. The setting includes a pond and a trail to a small lake. A small camp store, ice, and propane are also available. Overall, this is a solid CG for overnight or extended stays. Out of the 325+ campgrounds we've visited, this one has the best rules sheet—hands down. It's hilarious, and you’ll instantly get their vibe!

$70 per night, plus $20 pet fee and $5 reservation fee. Stayed two nights passing through to visit Gateway Arch National Park. Casino is pretty old looking on the outside. Park is not staffed, you get a gate code in your email to access the park. Spots are concrete and gravel, very urban camping. There are trains every 15-30 minutes all day long. Casino has a metro stop that takes you into St Louis over the river. First time paying a pet fee for a overnight stay. Not very busy in November, maybe 25% of spots full in the half of the park that is open. Utilities are set up weird on all sites - Water and electric are at the very rear of the site by the sewer, so you will need a decent sized hose to reach if your water intake is in the front of your camper.

I haves stayed at Casino Queen RV Park several times..It’s always very clean and I always feel very safe..it’s easy clean in and clean out…you have to have a code to get into the gate..pets are allowed..the only down side is the train..which runs all night..

Only stayed one night as we passed thru St. Louis. As others have mentioned, campground is mostly permanent residences. Back in sites are paved and level with additional space for vehicle parking but the property in general is mostly concrete - no green space for kids or pets. No restrooms or showers and very weak WiFi. Brand new laundry facility.

We stayed one night in campsite 65. Onondaga Cave is amazing with the new lighting; it just reopened July 4, 2024. The river is still fantastic fun, especially for our grandkids ages 9 and 12.

Avoid campsite 65 when it rains. We had over an inch of standing water on the concrete pad when we arrived. 18 hours after it stopped raining, we still had some water on the concrete pad.

Other than the water, Onondaga Cave SP has been one of my favorite places to camp in Missouri for more than 20 years.