Best Tent Camping near Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Right off I-44 in Missouri and only 10 minutes from Fort Leonard Wood. Convenient to Waynesville and St. Robert.

Owners are very helpful and informative. Remember to stop by the office and check out a movie on a rainy day!

The campground was a bit small, but very nice and clean. We fit our 42’ fifth wheel there though, so most would be fine! The owners & camp hosts were absolutely great! The campground could use some work, but the owners told us they just bought it and are gradually fixing it up... The location is perfect, just minutes away from Fort Leonard Wood or St. Robert, MO, off exit 153 on I44! Also only a little over an hour from Springfield, MO... Would definitely recommend and stay again if ever back in the area!

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.

Was a great secluded tent camp site. Liked that they had wagons to help haul our gear to the site. Family of 7 so we have plenty of stuff to haul. Was a really fun time. Spent lots of it in the water and got to see some wild horses so that was exciting.

Very close to Fort Leonard Wood. Went to my son's Graduation and his first stop off base was Waffle House for Chocolate Chip Waffles. We had to remind him to chew your food, don't inhale!

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.

and canThis RV park is the best option in the Fort Leonard Wood area. THe owners/operators are awsome. The only draw back is that the roads and spots are all gravel and ven be muddy at times. Laundry is cheap. We spent a winter here and the owner was always helpful if anyone needed help dealing with the cold. Other than being all gravel and dirt roads and spots the only real draw back is that it is close to I-44 be noisy at times.

Love tent camping! Secluded and shaded. I want a few years back and it was lovely can’t wait to see if there have been updates!

This is a really nice spot for tent camping - even though it’s clearly geared towards RV camping. Make sure to book a walk-in campsite if you’re tent camping, otherwise you’ll be in the lot with the RVs (no trees, no privacy etc see first picture). You’ll have to carry your gear to your site, but not too far. Each walk in site is fairly isolated and separate from the other site by trees. Each site has a wood tent pad, picnic table, and fire ring with grate. If you want you could even go to the lodge (walking distance) for a meal and skip the cooking! Book your spot in advance as it seems like they fill up quickly.

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.

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.

This place literally has everything you can want from walk in tent sites to an entire lodge with all the amenities. Campsites are all well manicured and offer everything from basic sites to full RV hook ups. The only negative is that we have experienced are that you need to reserve your side months in advance because this campground is so popular. And the only other negative is that all of the campsites are out in the open with no shade. But other than that it’s easy to see why the state park is a perfect representation of how much pride Missouri takes in its conservation and park system.

We camp here every year. My ONLY complaint is that they never seem to cut the grass close to when we come. It's not terrible, just a weedy and a little longer than I'd like it to be for tent camping. We stay at group site three which is HUGE, and nice and level. There's a great big fire ring and lots of wood available for gathering. There's a very short path from the site to the current river, which is beautiful. There is a pretty basic outhouse up a short trail for camper use.

First, the park hosts were so friendly, helpful and hard working. They kept everything spotless! Bathrooms and showers were a 10. Grounds were a 10. Location and surroundings were gorgeous. Sites were spacious and there’s not a “bad” site in the whole park. It was Peaceful and quiet at night. We walked through the walk in tent camping area and it was amazing. Sites were big, private and spread out through the woods with wooden platforms. Path through the area was gravel and very well maintained. The Betty Lea Lodge was close and had an awesome store and gift shop. We will definitely be back!

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.

This campground on the beautiful Current River is operated by the National Park Service and features 6 are so full electric sites and numerous tent camping sites. It is located at the very beautiful Round Spring and the Round Spring Cave. Tours of the cave are given daily June through August and cost $5. The lantern tours show an amazing cave with many beautiful formations. An outfitter for canoe rentals and shuttle service is located across the road and offers ice, beverages and firewood. Reservations are a must for the electric sites. While all sites in this campground are reservable it is rarely full. There are also about five group sites located at this area. The current river provides some of the best canoeing anywhere in America as well as good fishing for Smallmouth Bass.

This is the newest state park in MO. The campground is located at the bottom of a steep grade hill in an open area. New trees have been planted throughout the campground with established mature trees surrounding the outer boundaries. Basic and premium sites are available for RV’s and trailers along with a separate area for tent camping only. Pull type wagons are provided for tent campers to haul their belongings to their campsites. Restrooms and showers are conveniently located within the campground. A Clearwater creek is a short walk from the campground where swimming and floating may be enjoyed. The “Current River” is also less than a mile away and canoe rentals offer free pickup at the campground. One of the most unique aspects of the campground is the periodic presence of wild horses who roam freely throughout the campground and park. There are several well established hiking and biking trails.

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.

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 heard about this amazing park, great camping. We tried to find photos of the tent sites, found a few videos of people showing one, but not camping there. We liked the wood platform so reserved spot 7 for 3 nights. Luckily we brought our own wagon because they weren’t allowing their large wagons to help you carry your gear to the campsite, apparently a COVID protection rule. The campsite No. 7 was at the highest point on a rocky hill to walk up. We only heard about concrete to everything. No. The people catered to at Echo Bluff State Park are the people RVing. The huge concrete area for RVs looked so packed and crowded. It was over 100 degrees down there, 20 less at our campsite. We spent a lot of time down IN the sinking creek. We loved the creek. It was such a great way to cool off and get some Wi-Fi signal. NO wi fi at campsites other than No. 1, very close to the RVs and parking area. The space between campsites was good: although, one night we had problems with people being up late and being loud. The second night was problems with people shining their flashlights into our camp until 3 a.m. it was ridiculous. So we didn’t see any people come by that would enforce the rules at the camps. We will go back the end of July this year, but we know what to ask about and request when we get there this time. We can say the site itself was private feeling. We just didn’t anticipate our far neighbors being so bad.

Missouris newest state park was a huge disappointment. The campground is void of all trees!! in the summer there would not relief from the sun if you were in a tent. The facilities are top notch but it does not make up for the campground.