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Best Dispersed Camping near Dora, MO

24 Reviews

Hercules-Glades Wilderness Area offers free dispersed camping in the Mark Twain National Forest southwest of Dora. The area features primitive sites with no facilities, accessible primarily via the Coy Bald Trailhead. Campers can set up virtually anywhere with minimal restrictions, though several established sites with fire rings exist along the trails. The terrain includes rocky paths with moderate elevation changes, crossing rivers and featuring scenic bluffs.

Several reviewers note the area's solitude as a primary attraction. A review mentioned, "This is a great place for hiking/backpacking with several sites around the access road and miles of hiking trails." The Blair Ridge Road area provides an alternative when trailheads are crowded, with two established fire rings and cellular service. Noblett Lake area offers additional options, though recent reports indicate some former camping areas have been converted to day-use only. Water availability is limited throughout the region, and ticks can be problematic during warmer months. Most sites remain accessible year-round, weather permitting.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Dora, Missouri (13)

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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Dora, MO

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Dispersed Camping Reviews near Dora, MO

24 Reviews of 13 Dora Campgrounds

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 28, 2025

    Hercules Glades (Watch Tower)

    Nice campground with access to trails

    Camped here in mid-October 2025. Free national forest primitive campground. Walk-in tent sites, but was able to find a site at the far end to park my van at the site. It was at the Long Creek Trailhead. It was mid-week, so it was quiet and peaceful here. Only one other camper here during our visit who car-camped in a parking lot. Sites included a metal fire ring and table; some with tent pads. Hammock camping is possible depending on the site. My site had a grass and dirt surface. The vault toilet was clean and equiped with tp. No potable water. Hiking into the Hecules Glades Wilderness Area was wonderful. The trails into the wilderness area appear to be open to hikers, backpackers, hunters and equestrian riding. Hitching rails are available at the campground. Access to the campground on the forest road was good; a 2wd passenger car should be able to make it here. Overall, a nice, peaceful overnight stay.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2020

    Hercules-Glades Wilderness Area

    Hike in and camp, or just hike for day use!!

    This area is a wilderness area so camping is plentiful.  However in this particular are there is no organized campsite specifically.  Instead there are several areas where you can with permissions hike in and stay.  

    My suggestion for camping along this area are to check with local restrictions, there are some that you will want to make sure you know first hand.   Sometimes fire restrictions do change and these can be found at the beginning of the trails on the kiosks.   Some areas also are not permitted for overnight parking so you want to check those out before venturing into the wilderness for a lengthy time.

    Check with rangers of the area to make sure you are not in a register only or permit only area for camping!!  Very important in this region.

    Bring everything and then plot your course.

    The 4 mile hike is amazing and has many beautiful view points however it is also quite treacherous in some areas.    This area is also one which you will find many snakes lurking during warmer months so beware!!!!   

    I always suggest on wilderness hikes to not hike alone or camp alone but this one I found to be more problematic with limited to no cell service for assistance should you encounter danger.   

    Be careful but have fun!!!

  • T
    Nov. 29, 2017

    Hercules-Glades Wilderness Area

    Nicely private, but not a lot of scenery

    Hercules Glades Wilderness Area is part of mark Twain National Forest. It's a bit off the beaten path, but worth it for a day hike or a bit of backpacking.

    Since it's wilderness area, you can camp just about anywhere with few restrictions. There are a few primitive sites at the trailhead, no water or toilets.

    A few hundred yards from the Coy Bald Trailhead there is a fork in the trail. Going left gets you to the falls and the majority of the camp sites with the shortest route, about three miles.

    The trail is pretty rough and rocky with moderate elevation changes. I'd rate it on the low side of moderate difficulty.

    About a mile in you'll cross the river for the first time. There are camp sites with fire rings on both sides of the river. This is a scenic area with bluffs on one side of the river, but forested, so no views to speak of.

    About three miles in, you'll cross the river the second time. There are a number of camping areas with fire rings along the river.

    Downstream a few hundred feet are the falls that most people go to see. Unfortunately for us, there wasn't enough water for them to be running. There was enough water to wade around in and soak the feet. It was quite nice!

    The area is pretty and quiet, we saw only a handful of people in the two days we were there. The only issue was the ticks, they were the worst I'd dealt with in some time.

    All in all, a nice hike and a nice bit if camping. I'd go back to see the falls again.

  • Elaina M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 22, 2018

    Cane Bluff River Access

    Beautiful, primitive, secluded.

    Stumbled across this site in September (2016). It's way back on a little dirt road past some farm land and homes.

    Only a few campsites, no picnic tables, a fire ring, some heavily shaded spots, a couple sites right on the river (but none are far away). You feel like you are in the wilderness! Water is crystal clear and cool, didn't see another camper all weekend. Had a few folks using the boat ramps, but otherwise very private.

    Great stargazing on the beach and you'll see some bats too! Think they really helped keep the bugs off us all weekend, barely had any problems with those.

    Seriously beautiful campsite, and near some excellent floating & gorgeous springs.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2018

    Blue Spring Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

    Blue, blue, blue, cold, cold, cold

    Blue Spring is beautiful and cold! Aside from the over zealous teenagers jumping into the spring it was a nice visit.

    This is a primitive camping area and there are a lot of partying people in and around this area plus frequent motorboat traffic. No amenities, many generators. Drive in, pick a spot and set up camp. There are so many areas to visit around the river this would be an excellent base camp or you could use it as a stop off on a float trip.

    Eminence, MO is nearby and a good place to refuel and get stuff you need for your adventures. Make sure you get a paper map because phone signal can be iffy.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 29, 2025

    Blue Spring Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

    Free during winter season; otherwise, $10

    Camped for one night at site #7 on Oct 23, 2025. It turned out that this was the first night that camping fees were suspended for the winter season. This National Park Service campground has mostly walk-in tent sites - a few near the river were difficult to find. I parked my van in a small parking lot which serves sites 6 & 7 - just up the hill from the campground loop and vault toilet. The campsites include a table, metal fire ring and lantern pole. Sites 6 & 7 are close together, actually just one site with 2 tables and fire rings, good for a group campout. Except for a few fishermen who fished for a little while, I had the campground all to myself. Very quiet, peaceful night. I enjoyed fishing for smallmouth bass here. There is no potable water, and no hookups. Hammock camping and limited Starlink connectivity may be possible depending on the site. There is a his/hers vault toilet located in the center of the loop; it was clean and supplied with tp. Except for a small trash container in the vault toilet, there is no trash service at this campground; I took out the trash that I created as well as trash left by previous users. The gravel roads accessing this campground were in good condition during my visit. This is a beautiful location. There was some AT&T and T-Mobile service.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 27, 2018

    Hercules Glades (Watch Tower)

    Rustic with great hiking

    This is a good place for hiking/backpacking. There are several sites around the access road and miles of hiking trails. The only ammenities are some fire rings and 1 toilet. It's a beautiful area but fairly remote and immediate services. Again, good for backpacking/hiking.

  • Ramie W.
    Sep. 1, 2018

    Hercules-Glades Wilderness Area

    Hercules Glades

    I did the Coy Bald hike and loved it. Most of the trail was fairly easy to navigate, however the areas of open meadows were a little more difficult to find where it picks back up. The falls are a great rock feature when it’s dry and beautiful when they’re flowing.

  • Haley L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 7, 2025

    Blue Spring Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

    Blue Spring Fall Camping

    Did a quick overnight here. Very quiet and peaceful. Campsites itself were very clean and nice, however quite small. The bathrooms were VERY clean, some of the cleanest I’ve been to in a NF. Had the entire campsite to myself. There were some nice campsites closer to the water, but i pulled in at night and couldn’t see too well. most of them had fire rings. Majority of these sites were walk-in tent sites.

    Remember to pack out what you pack in at this site, no trash facilities!

Guide to Dora

Primitive camping opportunities near Dora, Missouri include several dispersed sites within the Mark Twain National Forest. Hercules-Glades Wilderness Area offers free backcountry camping with several established sites at trailheads and unlimited wilderness camping along trails. The area features moderate hiking with rocky terrain and river crossings. A review noted, "Since it's wilderness area, you can camp just about anywhere with few restrictions."

Noblett Lake provides primitive dispersed camping along a small road with a loop at the end, though reviews indicate many formerly designated camping areas have been converted to day-use only. Blue Spring Backcountry Camping in the Ozark National Scenic Riverway offers riverside sites requiring payment via QR code ($10/night). Other options include Blair Ridge Road Dispersed with two established fire rings, Cane Bluff River Access with vault toilets and riverside sites, and McCormack Lake Recreation Area featuring free primitive camping. Most locations have fire rings but limited amenities, and many require navigating rough forest roads to access the campsites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Dora, MO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Dora, MO is Noblett Lake Dispersed Camping with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Dora, MO?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 dispersed camping locations near Dora, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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