Best Tent Camping near Dixon, MO

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.

I've seen some reviews say its outdated and I'm not sure where that comes from.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.

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.

I stayed in the tent camping area. The host was very helpful with everything. I was right next to the river, and the sounds of the water made everything tranquil. There is a ton of space for tents and RVs, and the road in is well paved. In the morning, a bald eagle flew up the river.

Full 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.

Wife and I decided to start camping again after a 10 yr layoff, So after a few equipment upgrades we made our reservation and we went last week. Tent site was nice and shower rooms are clean and nice as well.

Wonderful state park with paved roads and level concrete pads. We were nestled up against a beautiful creek. Could barely keep the dogs out of it. Nice,clean bathrooms. Nice play area for kids. We hiked one of the many hiking trail available. Tours are offered throughout the day in the two onsite caves. They were amazing. Natalie was our Gide and really knew her stuff! Park also offer kayaking, swimming, rafting and just a whole bunch of fun. There was a large camp of boys scouts and several other tent camping. Would recommend this park everyone. 10 out of 10!

Beautiful campground, though Full hookup sites are on an unappealing parking lot. Sites with electric and water only are in nice oak woods overlooking Lake of the Ozarks. (Our site # J has a concrete stairway with 150 steps down to the water.) Tent sites are right on the water, with spectacular views. You can launch your own kayak or rent a motor boat to explore this gigantic lake. Free laundry facilities. Lean restrooms with nice shower. Very relaxed reservation procedure. We called and were told to just show up. They would hold a spot for us. It worked out fine.

Most people who are camping and visiting this part of the Ozark's are here to enjoy the river, but don't forget to checkout the caves. I spoke to the campground host and his wife and they told me that the Onondaga caves are the third most visited in North America. The staff at the visitors center was also friendly.

The campground was very clean and well maintained. There isn't a lot of tent camping, most people are visiting with RV's and camper trailers. There are a lot of folks with canoes and inner-tubes in the campground.

Checkout my one minute video with Mike, the campground host, talking about Onondaga Cave State Park.

We stayed here with a large group of family members for a floating weekend. The sites were close together and there wasn’t much privacy. They have tent sites, and RV sites with 50 amp hookups, water, and sewer. Some sites have river access and some river views. There wasn’t much grass, and few trees for shade. There is a swimming pool, playground and store/gift shop. They have pay showers. Onondaga Cave State Park is right across the river. This is primarily a campground for people floating the Meramec River and other area streams. They provide canoe rental, and transport to the put-in points. On summer weekends it is crowded and noisy.

We booked our campsite very last minute and the staff was extremely helpful and kind! The only down fall to this reservation was we booked an electric tent site and the site the put us in and the ones around it had no electricity. The electric boxes were filled with wasps and spider webs... so if you book there be sure to make sure your reservations are correct! Other then that the camp ground was VERY homey and cute little place the shower houses were clean and they even had a little cafe and other entertainment things such as pizza and a little amphitheater! I feel like this is a local hidden gem! Will be returning here (hopefully on an electric lot lol)

We requested a handicapped tent site near the restroom. Large site but not marked and the other campers kept walking through our site to use the wheelchair ramp for the restrooms The toilets were basically not handicapped accessible but the showers were not at all. I have 1 arm and 1 leg there were no shower seats. No place for a family member to assist me.

Gift shop was averagely priced but we found the food a tad expensive and bland.

The people were friendly but could not help much (staff) with directions to handicapped accessible fishing areas.

We enjoyed our trip but did not catch anything.

Also the daily fishing passes were a bit pricy but ok. No choice but to purchase them because you can't fish without one.

Tent camped here in September. Only one river had floats on it due to low water that time of year. Beautiful area, clear water.  If you go in the early or later seasons be prepared to pull your raft a number of times. 

The campgrounds were well maintained. One we used, and many other we saw, had small trees outlining the edges of the sites. 

We had a group of people next to use who were very loud on Friday evening until past midnight . Saturday everybody was exhausted and slept. 

As this place is near STL I imagine it's popular. I'm hesitant to return during busy season. Although there would be more float options, I imagine it would be very loud at night with lots of young drunk people. Not my ideal camping situation. 

Also, the trip was expensive. Between the campground site and floating I think it was over $200 for the weekend.

The Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area (LORA) is a great destination for camping, boating, swimming, water skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities. The lake is one of the Nation's largest man-made lakes, providing you with over 1150 miles of shoreline to enjoy. LORA welcomes Active Duty Military, Retired Military, members of the National Guard and Reserves, DoD employees with ID cards, family members and Fort Leonard Wood contract employees.  Plenty to do and see here.  Boat rentals, hiking, and others mentioned above.  The LORA Country Store carries ice, beverages, firewood and a small selection of food including snacks, milk, eggs and bread. The store also carries the basic necessities needed for camping and fishing, including fishing licenses.  Can rent a tent site, camper site with full or partial hook ups, cabins 1-3 bedroom, etc.  The marina has boat and jet-ski rentals (pontoons, wave runners, jet ski's, ski boats, fishing boats, pontoons, etc.) that are much more reasonable then other rental places in the area. Area is staffed by on-duty MP's out of Fort Leonard Wood.

A good place for RV camping, not so much for tent camping. This is a campground with RVs in mind- large parking pads, tons of sites with hookups, and small green space for tents. No privacy as the trees are along the back of the camping row. Which means there really isn't anywhere for a person to hang a hammock. But, the campground was sparkling clean. The bathrooms were new looking, and shower passes could be purchased for $5 from the camp host if you weren't camping but needed a shower. I guess they have had some boaters from the Meramec River come up and use the facilities. If you are camping on the weekend you do have to pay for two nights (F/S or S/S).

The real draw of this park is the caves. You can tour the main cave from the Visitors Center. $15 will get you a guided 90 minute tour of Onondaga Cave. Afterwards you really should take the hike on Herron Trail to see the original entrance to the cave, which is mostly underwater unless its a really dry season. There is also a second entrance that is gated, so if you want to go in, you have to pay up at the Visitors Center. There is apparently another tour offered for Cathedral Cave, but it wasn't open while I was there. The tour of Onondaga Cave was worth every penny and makes camping here worth it.

Great staff and gift shop. We once camped in the late fall with our pop up camper and it was very quiet and green. We saw deer and my husband talked back and forth with an owl in the woods. We chose an electric site towards the back to avoid most people. I was pregnant and they had already winterized the back bathroom/shower house but opened up a room for me to use so I didn’t have to shlep my belly all the way across the grounds. Tent sites are very close together and this campground is very crowded in the summer with parties and floaters. I would not call this a family float trip personally but I do see many people bring their kids. Gift shop has basically everything but you pay a convenience price. I enjoy this float route a lot and I hear they have a kids tube loop but I have not experienced that. Multiple bath houses, as clean as you expect a campground bath house to be. Bring your own soap for hand washing. In the summer they have a restaurant with campsite delivery and sometimes live music. Last I saw the playground was not huge but my kids still enjoyed it. Rock beach for wading and swimming. They have small cabins and a pool but we use our camper or tent and swim in the river. Nearby is Onondaga Cave which is a nice experience especially when it is blazing hot outside.

This state park is one worth a stop when near Springfield. I drove north toward this park to enjoy something a bit different and found it to be very peaceful during a weekday. 

I had traveled here following a busy time and expected to still have some of that lingering noise which hangs out after a big event. But by the time I reached the location it had dwindled out. Leaving behind in the peaceful outdoors were shaded sites that were well placed but slightly trashed. That isn’t the fault of the park but rather of the people who did not pick up after themselves. 

After a little tidying of my site, I was home for the night in a nice tent site. I took a tour of the grounds and noticed that the showers were nice, the water was great in pressure and hot!! Restrooms were well maintained and even after the weekend they had already done their maintenance and had them looking very nice!! 

Something else to note when traveling is cell service. With AT&T I had 3 bars of service, something which I was very uncertain of after driving to the location had been spotty in some areas. 

The campground runs alongside a waterway and it was nice to enjoy around dusk the sounds of the water. I would have taken a dip in it had I not arrived so late in the evening, it looked so perfect for just dipping the toes in. Also I could see this being a great place to launch a small boat or kayak. 

Nearby camp is one of the larger hatcheries in the state which you can visit during certain hours and see how they work to diligently populate the waterways and lakes in Missouri, pretty cool process and information. Definitely recommend!!

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.

We live Missouri and love getting away from the city and out to the forest and farmland, When we visit the Ozark's for camping we generally choose Onondaga, Clean large sites for tents and trees for Hammock camping. Bathrooms, showers, nice general store/gift shop with thing you may have forgot. Bringing water shoes is a must! Depending on when you come bug spray or a bug deterrent makes being in the outdoors in the Midwest more pleasant. Summers are sticky and warm, by September the mornings and evening are cool with a high of 76-81. There is a ton to experience here go for a float on the river or bring a chair to sit and watch floaters go by, caves, hikes, there is a zip line close, horse back riding, fishing, and great places to take a photo of the day.