Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Eminence, MO

We stayed at this campground 1 night on our way between COVID-19 quarantine locations.  We found the park easy to navigate (no tight turns).  Large semi paved spaces (I say semi paved because the concrete pads were crumbling at least in our spot).  Good separation between sites with picnic tables, no shade but they do have a dog park.  Hookups were easy to reach and appeared to be in good repair.  Decent water pressure.  Many of the spaces were permanent campers or long term workers but it felt safe and appeared well maintained.

We love it here. Sites that can accommodate tents and/or RVs. Its clean and well maintained. Multiple access points to the water. Educational programs and entertainment of some sort most every weekend. Pet friendly.

I totally recommend this place ! It’s really nice place and the owners were really nice. We had a whole entire camp area to ourselves ! It’s right on the river. They have a little store, running water, decent bathrooms with hot showers and a playground. It’s an affordable place and family/pet friendly and the have horse stables there for your use if needed.

Echo Bluff State Park in Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Eminence, MO is a brand new “old camp”. 

Opened in 2016 the history is rather interesting. From 1929 until the 1980s, Camp Zoe was a children’s summer camp, founded by Russell S. and Margaret McMahan Louis County teachers. There is one of the structures still on site with plaques and information. More recently, it was home to music festivals — and an open-air drug market. I didn’t find any plaques in relation to that. However when the government gained control of the land in a court proceeding it was decided to bring more business into Shannon County by opening a very nice campground for people not wanting to rough it. 

And “BAM” you have very pricey accommodations from lodge rooms, to cabins and two story condos. The campground is pretty nice too but lacking in shade and privacy. There are walk-in (uphill) sites and nice wagons provided to transport your gear. Not my favorite style of camping. Completely full and busy, which is why it got a 4 instead of 5 star. This may be your type of camping and you would say a 5 star. Reserve ahead, I mean way ahead.

There is a huge pavilion that can be reserved that overlooks the area. It has a large fire pit and mega size grill, one of the trails meanders below the pavilion. This would be a nice venue for an extended family get together.

This is a very nice, new, recreation creation. The playground was given two thumbs up by my granddaughter. Then the river, which you can see from the lodge and playground was given 12 paws and 2 thumbs by dogs and grandkids alike. Crystal clear ice cold water that you can walk across to the sheer wall of rock. Bring your water shoes, the rocks aren’t fun to walk on.

A very cool feature , if you are lucky , you will see the wild horses that roam the area. They are not for petting, so use caution. 

Aside from the abundance of people we enjoyed Echo Bluff SP.

This is a great state park. Sites are level and have cement pads with full hookups. Not much shade now but they have planted trees between sites. Bathrooms are clean. There is also a lodge with store and restaurant just down the street. There are cabins there that can be rented also. And the real treat is the wild horses. Came right up to our site - but please do not feed or try to pet. The rangers will have to move them if they get to used to people.

Also local river rafting companies will pick you up at your site

The people of Missouri gave a wonderful gift to the people of the United States.  A gift I did not know about or had never heard of till we made the decision to camp in Missouri.

Big Springs was Missouri's first state park.  The CCC did a lot of construction on the park and so much of the buildings are still there.  In much need of repair and I do hope the federal government will restore.  Big Spring is off of Missouri Highway 160.  Turn onto State Route 103 to Big Spring.  The spring has a wheelchair accessible pathway that will lead right to the spring.

The campground is large and open.  Tent sites along with with RV sites but the RV sites are small and very close together.  Some RV sites had electric but no water or sewer.  There is a dump site.  During the summer I think I would get a reservation for the RV sites if you need electric.  If you have the ability to generate your own electric stay in the open tent site area.  The tent site area is large and open to the sun.  Big Springs has flush toilets and hot showers.

There are picnic areas with tables and grills scattered throughout the park along with two group shelters.

The Ranger programs are well worth checking out.  Take advantage.

The Current River makes a wonderful backdrop for nature lovers.  You have the options of hiking, biking, fishing, camping, floating, kayaking, and all sorts of boating with a ramp in the park.

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Leave No Trace

Better Than When You Found It

Alley Springs is a Natural Park campground. It’s located right on the Jacks Fork River just a few miles west of Eminence MO. The highway to get here is narrow, winding, and hilly! But it’s worth the trip.

There are 260 campsites some have electricity. Also a dump station. Sites are level, with shade. The campground is located on the flood plane, heavy rain may cause flooding and evacuation!

Round Springs is a National Park campground. It’s about 12 miles north if Eminence MO on the Current River. There are only 50 sites, some have electricity. Most of the campsites are scattered along the road with lots of trees and privacy. The electric sites are in the center of the campground on the road with no shade. There are few walk in sites near the river. There is a shower and dump station.

This is a great campground that is just outside of eminence and has just about everything that you need from spacious tree covered tent sites to full RV sites as well. Easy access to both the jacks for river and Alley spring Because flooding destroyed the old restroom a new one has been built in its place with a full shower house as well. If you want a nice peaceful campground that is in the heart of the Ozarks scenic River Ways you will definitely want to check this place out

We stayed in a pull thru site (#4). We didn’t have any issues with our stay. The campground was very quiet as there were not many campers. May have a different vibe when full. They do have a bathhouse with a half being showers and the other half restrooms. They were clean during our stay. They could use new shower heads. Overall, it was a nice quiet couple of nights located on a hill above Eminence. Very close to food, convenience store, river outfitters, and a laundromat. WiFi hotspot near office only. We were able to use hotspot on our phones to use our devices.

OZARK TRAIL: I backpacked 50 miles during spring break on the Ozark Trail between Council Bluff Lake and Johnson Shutins State park. When I planned the trip the only information for camping that was available were regulations requiring you to camp 100 feet from the trail.

I have to admit that the Ozark Trail Association provides amazing resources about the Ozark Trail but they fail to describe what has become primitive backcountry campsites all along the trail. Many of these sites are marked on the detailed National Geographic maps provided for free by the Association as water holes, but they are also clearly set up as campsites as well.

Make sure you bring a water purifier. It is some of the best tasting water I have ever had.

PADFIELD BRANCH: This is an interesting campsite. It has a natural spring that feeds one creek with another creek running separately on the other side. There is also some old remnants of what used to be a living quarters for someone who lived in the woods. It has been long abandoned and is falling over but it offers some fun exploring. Tip: Dig your cat hole before you go to sleep and make sure it is at least 100 feet from the water.

OZARK TRAIL: I backpacked 50 miles during spring break on the Ozark Trail between Council Bluff Lake and Johnson Shutins State park. When I planned the trip the only information for camping that was available were regulations requiring you to camp 100 feet from the trail.

I have to admit that the Ozark Trail Association provides amazing resources about the Ozark Trail but they fail to describe what has become primitive backcountry campsites all along the trail. Many of these sites are marked on the detailed National Geographic maps provided for free by the Association as water holes, but they are also clearly set up as campsites as well.

Make sure you bring a water purifier. It is some of the best tasting water I have ever had.

PETER CAVE HOLLOW CREEK: The weather in the Ozarks can be unpredictable. We were expecting temperatures in the 50's to 60's and ended up getting snowed on several days. It slowed us down tremendously. It was nice having a solid water source next to the campsite and someone hauled in some chairs which made it nice as well. This is a solid campsite. Tip: Dig your cat hole before you go to sleep and make sure it is at least 100 feet from the water.

OZARK TRAIL: I backpacked 50 miles during spring break on the Ozark Trail between Council Bluff Lake and Johnson Shutins State park. When I planned the trip the only information for camping that was available were regulations requiring you to camp 100 feet from the trail.

I have to admit that the Ozark Trail Association provides amazing resources about the Ozark Trail but they fail to describe what has become primitive backcountry campsites all along the trail. Many of these sites are marked on the detailed National Geographic maps provided for free by the Association as water holes, but they are also clearly set up as campsites as well.

Make sure you bring a water purifier. It is some of the best tasting water I have ever had.

PANTHER BRANCH: Panther Branch is about three miles south of Big River, so if it is too early in the Day to stop you are not far from another campsite if you want to push forward. I thought Panther Branch was clean. It was close to a nice waterway and had a fire ring for a campfire. It was a pleasant quiet campsite Tip: Dig your cat hole before you go to sleep and make sure it is at least 100 feet from the water.

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.

OZARK TRAIL: I backpacked 50 miles during spring break on the Ozark Trail between Council Bluff Lake and Johnson Shutins State park. When I planned the trip the only information for camping that was available were regulations requiring you to camp 100 feet from the trail.

I have to admit that the Ozark Trail Association provides amazing resources about the Ozark Trail but they fail to describe what has become primitive backcountry campsites all along the trail. Many of these sites are marked on the detailed National Geographic maps provided for free by the Association as water holes, but they are also clearly set up as campsites as well.

Make sure you bring a water purifier. It is some of the best tasting water I have ever had.

BIG RIVER: Make sure you plan your trip so that you can spend the night at Big River. It is an easy hike from Council Bluff Lake and is at the bottom of a hill. Big River isn't really a river but it is a reliable creek with a beautiful setting. It has a nice fire pit with plenty of large logs for seating. It can hold about ten campers comfortably. Tip: Dig your cat hole before you go to sleep and make sure it is at least 100 feet from the water.

OZARK TRAIL: I backpacked 50 miles during spring break on the Ozark Trail between Council Bluff Lake and Johnson Shutins State park. When I planned the trip the only information for camping that was available were regulations requiring you to camp 100 feet from the trail.

I have to admit that the Ozark Trail Association provides amazing resources about the Ozark Trail but they fail to describe what has become primitive backcountry campsites all along the trail. Many of these sites are marked on the detailed National Geographic maps provided for free by the Association as water holes, but they are also clearly set up as campsites as well.

Make sure you bring a water purifier. It is some of the best tasting water I have ever had.

TELLECK BRANCH: Telleck Branch is the closest back country campsite south of Council Bluff Lake. It is three miles north of Big River. If you are hiking south from Council Bluff Lake I highly suggest that you keep going and hit Big River if you are able. If you can't go any further, there is a creek with water and a number of sites to pitch a tent. I can fit 5-10 people. Tip: Dig your cat hole before you go to sleep and make sure it is at least 100 feet from the water.

Stopped here while passing through Missouri on a Saturday on 4th of July weekend and there were only 3 other campers when we arrived late afternoon. The sites are nice and big with picnic tables and fire rings, even a few “doubles” that would fit two big rigs side by side. The trail around the lake makes for a nice short walk with the dogs and it was surprisingly not terribly buggy for July. No hook-ups, which was the only downside since it was so hot and my Husky demands AC in the summer!

Big Spring, Ozark National Scenic River is one of many springs to visit in this area.

The river is very well used by the party crowd, several of the rocky sand bars are occupied by RV group sites playing loud music and obvious alcoholic beverage consumption. I’m not against a good time but the trash they leave and their obvious disregard for the preservation of natural sites is not conducive the the purpose of the conservation effort. It is still possible to enjoy the area and there are places to get away from the crowd.

In 2017 the area had a major flood and renovations are slow. There are porta pots in some of the campgrounds and the showerhouse is in bad shape. There are three campground areas and a group site near the spring. They have a grill, fire ring and lantern pole. The sites are good sized and depending on which site your in you will have shade and privacy. Several are near short trails to the river. Some of the trails are still closed and other areas may never open back up.

We waded with water shoes on and hiked to several locations. I think I will come back in the colder months when the flow of tourist has lessened and the sites are less traveled.

It is a destination location. There is a nice little collection of stores in the area. With a coffee shop and apparel store to name a few. That area is frequented by the equestrian crowd but everyone is welcome.

We drove through Eminence, Missouri several times. It is one of the main intersections to the different areas. There are two restaurants, sit down and drive up plus a Sinclair for fuel.

Bring your water craft and keep your tank on full there is a lot to see in the area with a few miles in between.

The Shutins are a perfect spot for an active camper. The rocks in the river make for an amazing natural waterpark! Wearing water shoes is a must! I only gave it 4 stars because dogs are not allowed in the shut-ins area, only at the campsite. My dog goes everywhere with me so it makes us hesitant to return.

Alley Spring near Eminence, in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways of MO is in my opinion one of the best areas in this region.

There was a flood in 2017 which is a good and bad thing. Unfortunately MO has cut funding to the parks so prior to the flood the maintenance had dropped off considerably, many facilities had been closed and are no longer used due to the neglect. Since the flood there has been and is a lot of renovations going on. It’s not there yet. Some areas are still closed.

Alley Spring is somewhere in the midst of renovation. Still excellent area to camp in with mostly private sites. There are a few that aren’t so great but if you reserve ahead and stay out of the inner area you should be pretty happy with your location.

The nearby rental place for the river will come to you for pickup, there are some nice trails to explore and supposedly wild horses in the area. I’ve not seen them yet.

The spring is beautiful! Tranquility comes to mind when you see it. The trail that climbs above the spring to the overlook is moderate and unfortunately the overlook itself is damaged so you don’t get quite the same view as before. The trail also meanders around the mill and spring, if your lucky you will see the adorable muskrat that resides in the area.

There are pavilions for get together sand a small store with interesting things to see and a cold drink at the end of your journey.

Gorgeous quiet area by the river. Great easy hiking. We stayed at group camp and it was just my husband, me and our dog.