Best Glamping near Gainesville, MO

Any stay at Table Rock State Park is a treat.   This park is one I have been staying at off and on since I was young so it has been great to see the park continue to grow and upgrade since that time.   

Camping as a tent camper in the primitive areas I have noticed that the spacing has always been just enough along the outer loops.   In the more open middle areas it tends to get a bit more chaotic especially during weekends or holidays.    I tend to stay off on the rim of the loop, which is a bit further to walk to the restrooms, but is valuable in that no one walks around your site to get to another location.

All sites primitive and improved have common features with picnic tables and fire rings.   The improved sites have both 30 and 50 amp connections to choose from.   This is handy when your rig can run off the smaller voltage because you will save a few dollars by selecting the smaller connection site.

Bathrooms have come a long way since the older days.   What once was a daddy long leg haven with open showers only divided by shower curtains and cavernous and non climate controlled restrooms, is now evolving to a more individual shower and restroom area with door closures and better climate control and venting.   It no longer smells like mildew because the moisture is not stuck inside.

A path runs along the backside of the campground which you can travel along to access the water.  This path will allow you to walk from the marina to the Branson Belle and all the way to the Dewey Short Visitor Center to learn a bit more about the lake and its creation.    Along the opposite side of the highway you will find more than a few trailheads which are great for a little departure from the typical Branson experience.

When I visited this time the waters were very high on the main side of the lake making it impossible to enjoy the shoreline which had been swallowed by the overflowing banks. Instead, I traveled to the side which is less traveled and enjoyed some quiet retreat alongside some bass fishermen on the spillway side of the water.

Quite a difference in crowds as this area with access to hiking and relaxing was mellow. To access this area I suggest taking the last turn off across the road from the Dewey Short parking into a large parking lot with a view point of the dam.   From this point take the small side road which departs the parking lot and follow it down til it dead ends and there you will find a hiking access point and a wonderful trail to the water.

With a vast number of campgrounds in the Branson, MO area it might be a difficult decision for a tent camper to make when it comes to selection, however upon my trip I decided to stick with what I have known to be well maintained and patrolled campsites for solo campers. State parks, much like National Parks tend to be popular places to stay in way of price point as well as quality of overall amenities.

I elected Table Rock State Park for my two night stay in the region. However when I went to book online I was a bit discouraged by the booking system. Additional fees are charged for online reservations, typically something I avoid as an unnecessary up-charge to the camper. I instead went out on faith and drove to the campsite arriving around dusk on a busy Saturday. 

The campgrounds offer two separate campgrounds during what is known to be the busy season, each offering their own unique set of amenities. Campground 1 features higher and lower amp electrical connections, popular with RV and tent campers. Campground 2 offers these as well but also primitive campsites at a much lower rate.

Typically, I would elect for a primitive site because I have no need to use electricity. This trip, however, I did need a charging station for my devices and thus opted for electrical.

The way site selection works is simple, you first drive to the campsites and look around for yellow vacancy signs. Once you have found the site you are interested in you grab the sign and take it to the office where they register that site to you for the evening.

Even on the busy Saturday, late in the day, I was able to secure a site in a semi shaded area located just a short distance from the public use water spouts as well as bathroom and shower facilities. Prices were very reasonable as well $23 for my site (a higher voltage site I selected merely because of the neighbors and tree coverage), $21 for lower voltage and $13 for primitive.

The site itself was a bit rocky, much like all others in Campground 1 appeared to be. I found my bed pad very useful in making this a suitable place in which to call home for the couple nights I was staying as even the small layer of cushion seemed to even out the texture of the ground below. Though rocky, I had no issues hammering in tent stakes and securing my tent.

Each site in the area is equipped with a fire pit with a optional grill cover, picnic table and asphalt parking space large enough for an RV length rig. The area is well maintained and did not have scattered debris which made for a pleasant stay.

The bathroom facilities on a busy day can get a little wet as the showers and bathrooms are located in the same room. They are typical of a state park offering changing rooms within the shower stall and limited counter space for morning prep. Showers offered both hot and cold water unlike some facilities I have stayed at which only offer cold. I did not see any outlets in this area for hairdryers or styling devices for women.

Cell signal was good in the area for all those techies. I have AT&T and maintained 3 to 4 bars in all area except one in the park.

Another nice feature of the campsite at Table Rock State Park is the access to both the lake and the trails. The campgrounds back right up to one of the longest trails in the park which runs along the lake from the Marina to the Dewey Short Center, a unique information and conservation type center great for all ages.

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Overall I give this Campground 5 of 5 Bunnies. The only negatives I found with this campground were not related to the site itself. I noticed much like many other sites sometimes people do not observe the quiet hours as they should especially when there are large groups. On the second night this was not an issue as many of those groups had vacated.

Huge positives were location and something I have not mentioned, the staff! One in particular was of great assistance in my late arrival. If you happen to be checking in or calling for assistance make sure you speak to Lark, she was so helpful and patient despite my arriving shortly before close.

Average space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.

This campground is one that is hands above the rest when it comes to upgrades and amenities. With that said it also is a bit higher in price point so when it comes to finding something in the area it is best to ask if you want or need the additional luxuries.

Much like other KOA parks this one offers group activity spaces. A pool, playground, outdoor bbq area, group pavilions and an indoor gathering space are wonderful when available. However when we visited due to the slow roll out of openings due to the things going on in the world, these features were not available.

So then it comes to looking at the more standard and basic services. There are campion options for all styles of camping including tent, RV and cabin campers. The RV areas are the majority of the space however ai was impressed by how many cabins and the size range of cabins they had on site.

Tent camping is located toward the back of the property and was a bit lacking however the space provided was nice for spreading out and still having some covered areas for cooking and dining. There is a shared pavilion/kitchen shelter in this area which offers water and electricity. The tent pad areas are grassy and well maintained.

All visitors have access to fire rings and picnic tables at their sites and trash pick up service is available daily.

KOA offers those who can connect high speed WIFI and cable. As a tent camper the WiFi is great even though I can’t use the other. This helps me to find the best attractions in the area quickly and both upload or download content. The overall cell signal here wasn’t bad though so it just was an added boost bonus!!

This campground has a small store area but is also located very close to the main areas of town for more complete shopping needs. They also have both a dump station and propane for those needing to fill or empty.

I noticed that since they are close to the lake they had an option to rent a pontoon here as well, something I hadn’t seen at other parks in the area. This boat can be towed from the park to the lake and is equipped with a truck to pull it!!

This campground has thought of pretty much everything!!!

All the usual state park amenities: showers, laundry, and electric sites. All the tent sites are directly off the road and consist if a fire ring with grill, picnic table and unleveled area for a tent.

The worst part of this campground is the traffic and the people. Our neighbors were all loud including a number of inconsiderate rv campers who made noise and had electric lights going until around 3 am.

Our site was near the entrance to campground 2 and the road to the marina. They have installed speed bumps to slow people down, but people just fly over them making an ungodly, jarring noise that wakes you up all night.

The trash truck came through to pick up the dumpsters at 6:45 in the morning. Luckily we were already awake by this time by the jerks with loud diesel trucks flying by fast enough to get air on the speed bumps.

The camp is directly off of the river.  For those how love to kayak, swim, fish, of just be in nature this is the place to be.  There are a few tent locations that are located away from the main area if you what to be away from it all.  There are cabins as well.  The camp offers a plethora of boat options to enjoy the river, and they also provide shuttle services for the 8 and 5 mile floats. If you love to hike, there are some amazing hiking trails with gorges views, water crossings, and even waterfalls.  They also have an amazing bathroom area complete with showers for after your day of adventure.  The cleanliness rivals most home bathrooms.  They also have a stocked store on site with nearly anything you would want or need.  The best part of this place are the owners.  They truly care for the campers/floaters.