Best RV Parks & Resorts near Gainesville, MO

This is camping, not an RV park. Gravel roads and uneven RV spots with uneven picnic/fire pit areas. One or two trees between most campsites, but very open. My site had 30 amp electric, water, and sewer. It had cable tv, which I didn’t use. Ask about 50 amp electric. Bathrooms looked clean but they are located by the general store on the way to the river. River was completely wooded with a large dock and moorage. I did not notice laundry facilities. There is a general store, but nobody to help you park. Lots of space, so that wouldn’t be a problem. Do expecting level your rig as most spots are uneven.

While the resort is surrounded by River and trees it’s a short drive into civilization.

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.

Located within the Branson West area, Compton Campground is a part of a larger property which also includes a small hotel. The property is located very near to Silver Dollar City and offers those wanting to take a break from the hustle of the main strip of Branson a shaded retreat with less bustle. 

The property is smaller than some campgrounds in the area, with narrow one way traffic and spaces placed throughout offering both tent and RV style camping options. While larger RVs can fit here, the tight turns of camp do pose a bit of a problem when it comes to driving through with these rigs. 

We visited Compton Campground and noticed it does get a bit congested on busy holiday weekends. The access point is great for navigating out toward the lake or into town and when the Silver Dollar City Property is open it is one of the locations closest to the entry. For this reason you will want to check online for reservations or call ahead. 

Something which sets this campground apart from others is the nice shelter areas located at the rear of their outer loop campsites. Each of these is large enough for a small table or chairs and the coverage is nice for both shade and shelter from the potential rains. 

Sites are designed with connections and also have picnic tables and fire rings located toward the rear of each site, leaving plenty of room for placement of not only your camping rig or tent but also your car for parking. 

While this location does welcome tent campers it is more frequented by RVers because of their amenities which include cable TV, local channels included, and high speed WIFI access in addition to a pool. There are both showers and restrooms and a coin laundry which make this a wonderful stop for an evening, weekend of even week. They do not have long term stay which also in my opinion adds value because you have less chances of encountering someone who doesn’t maintain their area to a standard which is appropriate for camping. 

The surrounding area of Compton Ridge is lush and green and really feels like you are in the Ozarks. They embrace the vegetation of the area which makes it feel like a mountain retreat. On days when the park is less crowded being able to appreciate this area would be nice as squirrels and birds play amongst the branches. 

While this campground does feature a lot of amenities and the feeling of nature, the sites on a busy weekend are a bit closer for my personal liking. Especially with so many larger rigs and the many pop out features, the spacing makes it appear a bit claustrophobic between sites, although the additional spacing at the rear does make the lots appear large enough to spread out in that direction a bit more. This would be a campground I would visit on a random day of the week instead of a weekend.

We have always loved coming to the Silver Dollar City campgrounds. We have been doing this for over 10 years now. We usually stay in the cabins, and this is our first year taking our fifth wheel. I was worried about the height, clearance and trees since our RV is is over 13 ft tall and 45 ft long. The trees were well trimmed and I had no problem getting into our pull-through spot all the way in the back. The people here are always friendly and helpful. We love the quiet woods atmosphere. Great little playgrounds for the kids and the pool. The pull-through spot was a little uneven but not as bad as it looks. It would be nice if they were paved. It usually rains this time of year (May) and the unpaved spots can get a little messy in the rain. The pull-through spots are alternating so you are facing your neighbor's door and not their sewage. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. We always come here for the Bluegrass Festival at Silver Dollar City. The park is great and worth the season pass if you plan to go more than one day.

We love this campground. We love having direct access to creek. It is kayak, family, pet friendly. The only thing it is lacking is internet connection, which for us is a plus for disconnecting. All sites are reasonably level. Site F is the premium and most secluded full hook up site. They have all levels of sites: primitive, water and electric, or full. Their small store has firewood and many other convenient items for sale. We take our own kayaks, but they do have rentals. They have public showers and restrooms, but the restrooms are currently closed due to renovations. It’s really one of our favorite local sites to camp.

This was a terrific campground. It was a little tricky getting to the campsite with a big rig. We had to unhook our toad before taking the road down. There is a ridiculous low-hanging HUGE sign on the road leading to the campground (NOT the campground’s fault) that you had to drive around in order to get down the correct area. 

The campground itself is really lovely - right on the lake. There is a swimming beach, but we were there off-season, so too cold for us to enjoy. The sites were well spread out and private. The camp hosts were so nice and really kind to our children. The older man reminded me a bit of Sam Elliot (without the voice) and had lots of stories to share of his days traveling, hiking, and back country camping.

This is a really cool area with lots to discover. We will definitely return.

Amenities: water, sewer, 50 amp, level site, lots of trees, some wildlife (including a luna moth!)

Things not included: no WiFi, but AT&T service was good, no laundry facilities