The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Fredericktown , MISSOURI

Very nice campground with nice showers and clean bathrooms. Camp sites were somewhat close together so hope you like neighbors. We didn’t check the nearby trails to the shut-ins before coming. The shut-ins trail DOES NOT allow dogs so that’s a bummer. Found some other local hiking trails so overall it wasn’t too bad.

We loved this clean and beautiful campground! We stayed in the fall and the colors were amazing. Our kids loved climbing all over the shut-ins. We have already planned to return in the summer to swim! Well maintained facilities and the store had everything you could need. Nice paved sites that have picnic tables & fire pits.

Very large, open place with the river close to most campers. I never floated here but I'm sure it's quite the party!

This campground offers no-services tent/RV and RV with electrical.  The electrical spots are all in cut grass areas, many with great shade trees.  The no-service sites are more wooded.  We did not visit the facilities (COVID) but the campground is well kept and nice.  The staff did not wear masks (hence the lower rating).

There are plenty of good walking trails along the river.  We are looking forward to coming back in the spring to walk these nice wooded trails.  We did not see any bike trails.

There is good cell service (ATT) at the campsites.  We did not detect any WiFi from our camping spot.

NOTE. The park is close to some motorsports arena which had loud events (drag racing?)  during the entire weekend we were there.  If you appreciate peaceful days and nights, check out the racing schedule first.

My group and I camped in two of the basic sites in Asher Creek campground and we couldn’t get enough of the front-row lake view! The sites closest to the lake are very level, and everyone in the campground is only a short walk from the cleanest park restrooms I’ve ever seen. If you’re like me and are just doing basic tent camping, I’d recommend a pop-up canopy for the table area since there is not a lot of tree cover in those sites. Overall, an excellent place to camp!

Just spent the weekend with my family at Sam A Baker (SAB). We stayed at campground 2. Spot 145 and had plenty of shade and space. There are two traditional camps and one equestrian. The park is crowded but that’s because of how great it is. Lots of paved walk/bike trails around the park. If you forget your bike no problem you can rent one for $5 a day! The visitors center was neat. The general store has everything you need and a restaurant attached where you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner. We spent some time on the gravel bar which was a short walk from our campsite. The water on Big Creek was clear, shallow, and not too cold. I would recommend this state park to any family looking to camp.

The state of missouri does an amazing job providing opportunities for families to enjoy the beauty of nature. Nature programs for kids and parents to learn. Well kept facilities. The ice cream is just a bonus. This is by far my favorite campsite for the kids.

We went with the whole fam to Sam A Baker. Shower houses were conveniently located in camping area. Big River was just a small walk away from the campsite. I know they had been flooded, but I am still cleaning rocks and dirt from the camper. They had a nice camp store and were very friendly. Mostly electric sites. A few full hookups close to the front of the campground. Nice paved roads and larger than normal sites. It was during a pandemic, but bathrooms were pretty clean. Will definitely go again.

We have camped here two nights and the area is quiet, scenic, but with a few surprises. Our first being all of the water is shut off and It appears that the dump station hasn’t worked in years. We had a pleasant day driving through the area. There is a lot to explore but it would take more than two days. The trails we were on were unclear and poorly maintained. We tried to go to the beach for a swim and it was inaccessible although there was a clear paved trail. We never found the swimming area as it overgrown and apparently unused for a long time. It could have been a beautiful area with maintenance and TLC. Being a National Forest area, it was disappointing.
The pit toilets were very clean but it’s a good thing they didn’t need water to keep them that way.

 Pros:

--Tons of swimming in the rivers and"shut-ins" throughout the park(just remember to wear water shoes if you can; it's VERY gravely)

--Lots of trails

--Nice, mellow bike path connecting the two main campgrounds and the very fun camp store(look up on the ceiling!)

--Tall pines(I love tall pines, that's all) 

Cons: DISCLAIMER-- We were here on a weekend in August, so I suspect our experience was very much shaped by that….

--Campground was PACKED and LOUD

--Campground was PACKED and LOUD

--Campground was PACKED and LOUD 

Okay, I think you get the picture with the campground itself. It was one of those things that made me feel like a cranky old man, saying,"man, why can't these people stop trying to show-off their lame-ass stereos???" That said, the park itself was beautiful. 

The main attraction is the water. The river twists and turns through the park. It's shallow, gently flowing, and VERY clear pretty much everywhere(except a few places where it was stagnant!). PRO TIP!!! Since the campground was PACKED and LOUD, most people seemed to not venture too far from the campground itself, so if you want your own private swimming spots, you can hike a relatively short distance and grab one. We did the short"shut-ins" trail and found a perfect one. 

BOTTOM LINE: If you want any peace and quiet, don't stay here on the weekend. I suspect the weekdays would be better, and if you managed to schedule mid-week, I suspect it would be an incredible place to stay.