Are you planning a tent camping trip to Harry S. Truman Lake? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in Missouri with your tent has never been easier. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Bledsoe Ferry Park sits below Harry S. Truman Dam in the hills of western Missouri. Visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, swimming and boating. Click here for the Harry S. Truman Lake virtual tour.
Bledsoe Ferry is an excellent fishing location. Anglers find crappie, largemouth bass and blue and flathead catfish. Truman Lake is also a popular destination for tournament fishermen.The park also offers an excellent location to view the Harry S Truman Dam and one of the few Class A Visitor Centers.
This year-round day-use area contains four group picnic shelters. Amenities include flush and pit toilets, drinking water, an accessible boat ramp and fishing dock.
Harry S Truman Reservoir lies among the rolling hills and rocky bluffs of the Ozark Plateau. Mature hardwoods of Oak and Hickory with cedar trees mixed in cover the area.__ Wildlife such as whitetail deer, turkey, hawks, ospreys, eagles, and many different water birds can be found in and around the park.__ An abundance of fish such as crappie, bass, walleye, paddlefish, blue and channel catfish can also be found in Harry S Truman Reservoir. Approximately 8,800 acres of standing timber were left in the lake to provide quality aquatic habitat.__
The 950 miles of shoreline around Truman Lake provide plentiful opportunities for fun in the outdoors. Many parks surround the lake, including Harry S. Truman State Park. The Harry S. Truman Visitor Center sits atop Kaysinger Bluff and provides a spectacular view of the dam and reservoir. Exhibits provide information about the rich history of the Osage River Valley from pre-civilization to modern day. Waterfowl, bald eagles and turkey vultures are commonly seen from the observation deck.
$30 / night
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
This recreation area is part of Pomme De Terre Lake
Shawnee Bend Park sits on the shores of Harry S. Truman Lake in the hills of western Missouri. Visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, swimming and boating. Click here for the Harry S. Truman Lake virtual tour. Natural Features: Truman Lake lies among rolling hills and rocky bluffs. Dense hardwood forests studded with mature pine trees cover the area. Wildlife is abundant in and around the park. Whitetail deer, turkey, hummingbirds, hawks and ospreys are commonly seen. Bald eagles can be viewed during the winter months. Recreation: Shawnee Bend is an excellent fishing location. Anglers find crappie, largemouth bass and blue and flathead catfish. Truman Lake is also a popular destination for tournament fishermen. A playground and sandy beach make the area perfect for families. Facilities: This year-round day-use area offers two large group picnic shelters. An additional shelter on the beach is available on a first come, first served basis. Amenities include flush and pit toilets and drinking water. Nearby Attractions: The 950 miles of shoreline around Truman Lake provide plentiful opportunities for fun in the outdoors. Many parks surround the lake, including Harry S. Truman State Park. The Harry S. Truman Visitor Center sits atop Kaysinger Bluff and provides a spectacular view of the dam and reservoir. Exhibits provide information about the rich history of the Osage River Valley from pre-civilization to modern day. Waterfowl, bald eagles and turkey vultures are commonly seen from the observation deck.
This recreation area is part of Harry S. Truman Lake
Windsor Crossing Campground sits on the shores of Harry S. Truman Lake in the hills of western Missouri. Visitors enjoy fishing, hunting, swimming and boating. Click here for the Harry S. Truman Lake virtual tour. Natural Features: Truman Lake lies among rolling hills and rocky bluffs. Dense hardwood forests studded with mature pine trees cover the area. Wildlife is abundant in and around the park. Whitetail deer, turkey, hummingbirds, hawks and ospreys are commonly seen. Bald eagles can be viewed during the winter months. Recreation: Windsor Crossing offers great opportunities to get out on the water. Boating and swimming are popular activities. The park is an excellent fishing location. Anglers find crappie, largemouth bass and blue and flathead catfish. Truman Lake is also a popular destination for tournament fishermen. A large sandy beach and plenty of open grassy areas make the park perfect for parties and families. Facilities: This year-round campground contains 47 primitive sites. Amenities include pit toilets, drinking water and a boat ramp. Nearby Attractions: Katy Trail State Park, the nations longest rails-to-trails project, is nearby. This unique park stretches from Clinton to Machens, with dozens of trailheads in between. Biking and hiking are allowed on the entire length of the trail, and horses are allowed from Clinton to Sedalia. Tebo Islands and Brush Creek State Wildlife Management Areas are close to the park, offering hunting and fishing opportunities.
This recreation area is part of Pomme De Terre Lake
$10 / night
14 acres with approximately 10 large camping sites. By invitation only.
Traveler
We tent camped on the island for 2 nights. It was awesome, you can fish right off the bank of your own private island within in minutes of waking up. Not as secluded as the other survivor tent site but really fantastic place. Had a restroom on the island, big plus for a family with 5 little ones. Some of the amenities were closed cause of the covid but a great place we will be coming back too.
Guide
We had our first trip to Long Shoal last week even with the extreme heat it was a nice spot. We always camp in a tent and the spots were nicely wooded and spaced. This is now our second favorite place for camping. They had the cleanest facilities I have ever seen.
Guide
This was our first tent camping trip in Missouri State Parks. Visiting in March meant there weren’t many things to do. This parks main focus is Lake Pomme de Terra, so if you’re not into being on the water - this campground may not be for you. We had a vault toilet near our site which was nice for middle of the night trips. The site was on quite an incline & there were lots of rocks under our tent. I would not recommend this site.
Traveler
Stayed at Racoon Ridge campground in the Harry S. Truman State Park. Nice park. Pretty quiet. Has a decent beach. Shady spots with or without water and electric. Tent sites and basic sites available.
Ranger
Located in Warsaw Mo is a great place to camp. THE LAST RESORT. In Warsaw MO. friendly owner are more than welcoming. Ice cream shop and large pool on site. Great fishing. Clean shower house with full hookups for the camper. Tent sites available.
GuideThe camping areas are pretty but there’s no water access from camp sites. Also plan to walk to the bathrooms or plan to hear people walking by all night headed to the bathrooms. Lots of tree coverage so every site is shaded almost entirely, but that means lots of sticks that have to be cleared before tent camping.
Guide
Decided to try out Pomme de Terre this weekend. We are not disappointed! Beautiful views form the campsite— tent camping on a peninsula in surrounded by Pomme de Terre lake. Check in was a little confusing, and we later found out the shop is closed for the season. We’ve been having to head to town to purchase wood and ice which is slightly inconvenient. Facilities are average— I’m not amazing but not disgusted, they are what you’d expect! Nice and quiet this weekend, beautiful clear water waiting to be canoed in. If only we had one! We’ll be back!
Guide
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.
Traveler
Nice campground newly renovated and under new ownership. The pool is 12 ft deep, very nice, and clean and the restaurant has great food very social campground on the weekends with live music that can get a little loud so if your looking for a quiet campground this is not the one. The bathrooms could definitely use an upgrade and it would be awesome if they had more than one washer and dryer. But the campground is very quiet and peaceful on week days. Offers full hook up sites 30 and 50 amp as well as tent sites, has a park, bathrooms, laundry, and an activity pavilion. Overall, was a positive camping experience would definitely come back nice view of the waterfront also friendly on your wallet.
GuideMy boyfriend and I stayed here for one night at the beginning of may for our first camping trip together. It was at one of 2 basic tent sites. Ours was just a short walk on a (likely camper-made trail) down to the water. The water seemed clean enough to swim but there was a lot of floating moss and seaweed right along the shore. So we opted to just fish even though we were unsuccessful. There were plenty of trees to hang out hammock, a grill grate over the fire, and a decent amount of shade. There were two flat sites for a tent. We chose one that was slightly more on a slope because it was less rocky. Spotted a few poison ivy plants and 2-3 brown recluses but we’re in their habitat so that is to be expected. Not ideal but not unexpected lol we definitely plan to return!
Legend
Camped in Loop B on Oct 4, 2023. Camping was free at this Corp of Engineer campground since off season began on Oct 1st. The Loop B campground has several RV/tent sites arranged in sub-loops in an open field; some trees for shade. Sites are close to each other; no privacy between sites. Sites appear to be level. Each site has a metal fire ring, table and lamp pole. The loop road is paved and the sites were gravel. There were no hookups in Loop B. The water station was shut off, but the vault toilet, which wasn't very clean, was open. No camp host on duty during our stay. There is access to Stockton Lake from the loop road. There was nothing special about this campground, but has good lake access for boats. Otherwise this campgrund is suitable for an overnight stay.
Guide
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.
ScoutDon't go there on a Monday or Tuesday!!!! We camp here all the time and enjoy it. We went on Monday and it was the first time meeting the new part time camp host. We pulled up and there was a grumpy old man sitting on the bench would not wave or smile, the lady inside the both opened the window and just looked at us. We asked if there was any tent camping and she said in a short snippy voice for how many night. No welcome to Crabtree or great day! So the only site was 29 we pull in and look around put a few things on the table to hold that site and down comes grumpy ( Ray Millard) told us all the things we couldn't do. That he was the host and we were not following his rules . We drove on the road pass the cones to turn around and we would have to pay if we did any damage. We were on the road !!!! There was no water or damage to anything. He was just being a jerk! We left and will not go back until The regular camp host Terry is there. She really makes the place nice and relaxing to go to
Ranger
Campground Review:
We stayed at this beautiful Missouri State Park on memorial weekend in 2019. This park is park of Pomme De Terre lake and 1 of 2 state parks on the lake, Pittsburgh and Hermitage. There are several local private campgrounds in the area but non match what you'll find at these two campgrounds. Pittsburgh is described as the more secluded of the two and thats just the way we like it.
We arrived to find that the normal lake level had risen from 830 ft to 860+. needless to say almost all lakeside camground were closed. We arrived at our site and identified that we had 13 inches until our site was to be claimed by the lake. The campground hosts actually informed us that over half of their sites were flooded or in immediate danger of flooding. They were able to offer us a different site as most people apparently decided to no show. We were relocated to site 323 in the Pittsburgh campground. A side note that almost every loop in this campground had empty sites and all those who were displaced were able to be relocated in the park at NO ADDITIONAL FEE for upgraded sites.
Site 323 was simply amazing. A level concrete pad with enough wooded area around to fully eliminate view of neighbors on either side. We camp out of a 95 Coleman Pop up so it was perfect for us. It is on a significant slope so tent camping would be hard. This site is walking distance to vault toilets, and clean water. After an impromptu wiffleball game broke out with the multiple campers across from us we decided to explore the campground.
Loop 100 is tightly packed RV sites with no real privacy but all your creature comforts . Loop 200 is electric sites well spaced with lake access to most. This appeared to be the most tent and camper friendly loop. Both 100 and 200 loops are close to shower house and main playground.
Loop 300 is electric with most sites of the lake side coming with elevated gravel pads for grilling and watching the water. Most sites are on decent grades so the state park pics on their site would be a good idea to look at.
Loop 400 is the basic loop and from what I could tell stays fairly level with large grassy areas to tent in.
All loops have a vault toilet placed evenly on the loop and access to water from a spigot. They all utilize the same road in and the same plumbed bathroom / showerhouse. To my surprise these were all very clean and stayed that way all weekend.
There is only 1 trail for hiking and at 3 miles is worth the trip. It goes out to a point overlooking all of the park and most of Pomme De Terre Lake. We got to see this but in a little different way than planned. Due to flooding the trail was almost completely underwater.
A small marina with rentals and fishing docks is just across the street. They serve normal pub food and were very happy to serve. Lines there can be long as it is also a very busy boat ramp.
The state park has its own swimming beach and due to flooding it was closed. So instead we utilized the parking lot, Playground, and Pavilion as a launch point for our kayaking adventures. All in all this trip went from possible disaster to an amazing adventure on the water. The lake is very clear and paddling through the tree tops normally 20 feet off the ground was surreal. Pittsburgh won us over with customer service and a unique experience we will all remember.
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get to test and evaluate quality products from amazing sponsors today I am submitting a review of my new Icemule Pro X-Large Cooler.https://icemulecoolers.com/collections/pro-coolers/products/the-icemule-pro-x-large
So as I said before I didnt get to hike with this bad boy but it did spend everyday as our family take and use cooler.
First and foremost I have to say upon receiving this thing I was shocked at the size. It is definitely extra large. My 7 year old would not be packing this thing around but Icemule has several size options so no real issue there. I chose the xl specifically to use while kayaking on this trip. I would be providing food and drink for up to 8 separate people and would be on the water for long periods of time. I currently own a Yeti and Wally World Rotomold but cant use them due to their size on our boat. Well this is where it gets good. I loaded all three coolers and set out with my Icemule in tow. I left the two hard coolers with family at the pavilion. Similar contents and each cooler received 1 bag of ice in the morning. The Icemule stood stride for stride with the yeti in fact I will attach photos to prove it. The Icemule form fit itself into the storage space on my kayak and at the end of the day had just a little ice left. The Yeti had a little more ice but nothing significant. I will also note that the Icemule was in the open sun on the back of a kayak in 90 degree temps. I was ecstatic with the result. This thing is amazing.
Now for the nitty gritty. My Icemule comes in several colors. I chose black as it matched my yak LOL. I can say the 24 can capacity is definitely modest but I wouldn't recommend exceeding it by much as all that weight adds up. Not heeding my own advice I topped this thing off and really put it and my back through the ringer. All the stitching and seam weld held up very well. Not a single issue even when over loaded. All clips and straps are high quality and very durable.
All in all I made room for 6 different coolers in my garage as they will all be resting comfortably there. The Icemule is now our families go to for all our cooler needs.
Guide
Missouri Department of Natural Resources has done an excellent job of taking care of this area and the surrounding wildlife. The Harry S Truman State Park is a treasure to relish and love. My family and I spent a week here and the place was amazing. Thank you Missouri Department of Natural Resources for your hard work.
GuideNo frills site with both hilly and flat tent spots within close proximity of finding "Weaubleau Eggs"
TravelerNot close to water. No actually place for a tent. And we could not use the down dead wood for firewood. I wouldn’t stay again.
GuideGreat place to relaxe or fish away your troubles. Highly suggest keeping your food locked in your vehicle. Had a raccoon enter our tent but that's to be expected when you leave stuff out like I did
Traveler
There are spots for campers or tents and they also have cabins. They have a party side and a family side. Bath houses are also available.
Traveler
10$ to camp 6 people/ 2 tents per site , bathrooms and water available . No showers. Boat dock available. No beach . Campsites right at lake. Good swimming area for kids. Camp Host isn't that friendly.
TravelerLove the layout of the whole campground.
Pros:The setup between restrooms and water with the sites are appropriate for accessibility. Good room and nice level areas where we stayed in the 400 loop. Cons: Lots of rocks in the tent areas. Lot of vegetation around making some bugs prominent.
Ranger
We camped the last weekend in September picking a late reservation where kayaks were available for our first tent test run were our main goals, which the site met. Kayaking was wildly available, due to the small lake and difficult launch, we can see why, but still very enjoyable. Site was very sizable for our tent, as most are suitable for campers. Lots of even ground, with decent distance. Facilities could do with some updates, but there were a number of bathrooms on site, spaced so no site seemed far, including the vault toilet and a lot of people masking up while going into bathrooms as well, which was appreciated. Current host was super nice and helpful to first timers. The tiny market has a number of random items, including a collapsible fork which was the only thing we hadn't overpacked, and wasn't overpriced. Fire pits on our site were adjustable, making grilling food easier to control.
Scout
Bathrooms were clean but dated. Water spigots were well spaced. Ticks were very bad. Family sites were spacious but laid out like 2 separate sites. Would have been nice to have both tables together. Tent pads were advertised but non-existent.
RangerLess amenities than other near by State Parks, no playgrounds mainly and the sites aren't too close to the lake. Power only, so be prepared for that if you are looking for hook-ups. Overall, you can't beat Missouri state parks for beauty, cost and availability of trails to hike! Enjoying our stay here!
Traveler
I stayed here for a few days in April. There were a few campers, but I'd be very surprised if this place isn't loud and packed in the summer. Other than that the restrooms were well kept up and it was free. I just pulled right up to an established fire pit and pitched my tent.
ScoutReally quiet during the week. However, fishing boat traffic increases through the week so the closer to the water you are, the less quiet it gets.
It's a popular fishing lake, but again weekdays are pretty quiet. Some spots have are more intended for trailer camping or you set up your tent on asphalt due to site slope rocks or roots.
Guide
Large grassy area with plenty of room to set up a tent or camper. Right off the road, so no dirt roads to traverse. Signs were confusing as to whether it is ok to camp, but they didn't explicitly say no camping. The lake is really just a mud bog, so not very appealing unless you came to duck hunt. No picnic tables or fire pits. The pit toilet was really gross, but there was toilet paper.
Tent camping near Harry S. Truman Lake in Missouri offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With well-maintained facilities and access to recreational activities, these campgrounds cater to all types of campers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Harry S. Truman Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Harry S. Truman Lake is Bledsoe Ferry with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Harry S. Truman Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Harry S. Truman Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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