Best Tent Camping near Hermann, MO

We loved our stay at Babler, aside from the snow & wind - the park is great! Review below ⬇️

⛺️ S I T E R E V I E W ⛺️

📍 Dr. Edmund A. Babler State Park Wildwood, MO

💰 $12-$21/night

🗓 Feb 19-21, 2022

Site 48 ⚡️💧

🦮 Pets Welcome (on leash at all times)

➕Concrete Pads, Quiet, Close to Interstate 40, Paved Roads, Easy to Access, Gated Overnight with access code

➖Small/Close Sites, No Water in Off Season, Only Vault Toilets - No Showers in Off Season

📶 AT&T Service 4 out of 5

🚮 Dump Station located behind bathhouse. NO WATER during off season!

🚻AMENITIES •Playground •Hiking, Biking & Equestrian Trails •Wood & Ice •Interpretive Programs •Visitor Center •Special Use Area •Laundry, Flush Toilets & Showers ON SEASON ONLY!

🏕SITES Reservable 12 Months-FCFS in off season 72 Reservable 8 Accessible sites Basic - Electric Concrete Back In Lantern Hook, Picnic Table & Fire Ring

⏰ HOURS/DATES April - October 7:am - 9:pm Nov - March 7:am - 6:pm

🔺Park Office 8:30am - 4:pm M-F

🔺Visitor Center April - Oct 9:am - 4:30pm W - Sun Nov - March 9:am - 4:pm - Sat-Sun Dec - Feb CLOSED

Hermann is an amazing village of old world charm nestled into the Missouri River Valley. Picture book clock towers and church steeples among 19th century era brick cottages adorn the historic German immigrant influenced village with plenty of restaurants, shops and galleries for wandering pleasure. Hermann is right in the heart of Missouri wine country with two stunning wineries within walking distance of the campground; Stone Hill and Hermannhof...these are not to be missed. For cycling enthusiasts...the 240 mile Katy State Park Trail(nation's longest Rails to Trails Project) is just across the river from Hermann and follows the Missouri river through countless little river towns rich in history. A short distance south on highway 19 is the Swiss Meat Company, well worth a visit. The city park has an amazing campground operated by the City of Hermann. They offer full hook up sites(water, electric and sewer), water and electric, electric only, and tent camping. 18 full hook up sites are paved with grass areas and fire rings, 25 full hook up sites are on a paved parking lot(big rig friendly), and 8 electric only sites are on grassy area. A bath house with showers and restrooms are available, along with a dump station.To make a reservation please call the City Office, 573-486-5400, Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Full hookup(water, electric& sewer)…..$30.00 Water and electric…..$25.00 Electric only…..$20.00 Tent camping…..$15.00 This is a great spot for an overnight...but don't cut yourself short...it's absolutely great for an extended stay. http://hermannmo.com/campground/

I spent a night here camping while on a road trip. The check-in was quick and easy. The host showed me the tent campsites, which are secluded and private from the RV sites. The sites are outfitted with a picnic table and brick fire rings. Some have water spickets. There's a central covered picnic area. Lots of shade and tall trees. You'll want to check them for dead limbs before setting up your site. I didn't ask if hammock camping is allowed. There are at least two sites that would work nicely for a hammock. A portable toilet is available to keep the area sanitary for urgent needs; the flush toilets, laundry, and fitness center at the main entrance are also available for a longer walk or short drive.

There are 10 or so primitive tent sites and an area that will accommodate about a dozen RV’s. There are no services here and no hook ups, but it’s free. The primitive tent sites are spread out along the main road through the conservation area, which means that in the daytime you will get road noise and dust, but its pretty quiet at night. Only a couple have picnic tables, but all seemed to have at least a level spot for the tent and a fire ring. I noticed some sites had a bit of trash in the fire rings, probably from day use or partiers. There is no trash service, so plan to pack out your trash. The best site (already taken, too bad) was set on the edge of the woods next to a fishing pond. The campers that were there let me take some pics of their site since it was so pretty. The only downside to that site was its proximity to the RV lot and their generators. There are some nice hiking trails here to explore.

There are single campsites on both the north and south ends of the conservation area, and none of them have any amenities- no water, no vault toilet or outhouse, no firewood for sale. But what the sites are lacking is made up for with scenery and hiking, and it is free. The conservation area is closed to camping during various hunting seasons(I ran into a hunter scoping out his turkey hunting spot for the following week’s hunt). There is a great hike down into a valley with the actual Lost Creek at the bottom, completely worth the hard hike back up out of the valley. The campsite has room for a couple tents(no RV’s here), some great trees for hammocks, a primitive fire ring, and a picnic table. Since you are right next to the parking lot, you will see some traffic during the day with hikers, birders, and others, and there is no privacy for your campsite. Bring everything, including a cat hole shovel, and pack everything out.

Fredericksburg Access is a free campground with about 10 primitive sites. Grassy coverage with a mix of gravel or grass pull-ins. Lots of trees but still great stargazing at night. We even saw a few meteors!

We went on a late July weekend and only 1 other small group was there. It had just rained but wasn't too mucky. Drive was safe in our heavy converted camper van. No off road vehicle or AWD needed.

Ground is very level and not super rocky so this is a great site for tents. There are vault toilets but no sinks nor dumpsters, so plan ahead for hygiene and waste. Toilets are on flat ground, handicap accessible, and gender neutral. Likely to be a much tougher trip if you used to full hook-up RV camping/glamping, or require showers, but perfect for primitive camping!

The region: 45m to nearest Walmart or tractor supply, so plan ahead. Food, fire starter logs, and lighter fuel available at Thriftway (about 30 min), firewood and ice at Casey's, and McDonald's all in Linn (all 30m) if you need anything.

About water access: Sites are all within about a 5 min walk from the boat ramp on the Gasconade. Sign reads "no swimming" but there's a nice gravel bar just downstream from the ramp. If you enter the water, be mindful that boats may pass as you try to cross.

The swim there requires crossing a moderately sized river that is relatively swift. This is fine for people who swim well but not recommended for young children or weak swimmers especially without flotation devices. It is swift enough to carry you downstream of your target even for good swimmers, so plan for this, especially for your swim back upstream (recommend walking upstream past dock then floating back across to dock). It's also deep in the center so you're not going to be able to cross with dry items unless you have a container that is waterproof.

Again, it's a wider and quick river, so we had to help our dog across. Took 5-7 min there and 15 to get back (with dog. Mind the rocky/brush areas just downstream of the dock, saw some snakes.