Best Tent Camping near Kirksville, MO

I stayed one night for an activity at the state park the following day. The shower houses had individual, private, large, and very clean facilities. It was not crowded at all. Campground #2 was the smaller of the two campgrounds. The spots seemed more fitting for RV’s vs tent but there were a couple of tents. I slept in my van so it wasn’t an issue for me. I may reconsider visiting this park for tent camping.

When I stayed at Pershing it felt like an RV park. There were very few tent sites and the bathrooms were not very clean. There is a bad odor coming from the pit toilets like they have not been pumped all summer, the odor permeated through the back part of the campground.

It does have showers and an amphitheater with a few trails and some play ground equipment. On a positive note the grounds were mowed and clean.

Honestly, Long Branch State Park is 40 miles away and is a 5 star park.

Located just outside Kirksville, this hidden gem has a large lake with boat rentals. The campground is well maintained. Thousand hills also has a variety of trail lengths, giving options to the inexperienced and the backpacking adventurers.

I’ve camped here in a tent as well as a travel trailer and it’s great either way! Nice camping spots, generally a very quiet campground. The campsites are a bit of a hike from the lake but there is lots to do when you get there. Paddle boats, a beach, several playgrounds for kids, fishing, a marina and a great restaurant. There are several different trails you can hike or bike.
A great and affordable place to stay in north Missouri.

Long Branch State Park is amazing. It is clean, modern, and all of the amenities of an RV Park. Sounds great if you like to RV or haul a camper, but this park is awesome if you prefer less amenities and like to camp in your tent. For Tent campers there are walk-in campsites that let you pitch your tent right near the beach.

If you have your own boat or prefer a kayak or canoe the lake is big and beautiful. You can even rent kayaks and canoes at the park. They have ice cream and fun for everyone. I interviewed the camp host, Nelma, she had a great one minute video telling all about the park.

So, at first glance, small corps of engineers lake and stock Missouri state parks campground. But, we came back and there’s some unique stuff. A small trail that winds through tall grass prairie is great for kids and a cool perspective not much found in state. Also, there’s a sweet backpacking loop on a peninsula that is super rare north of the Missouri River. Quiet, and a great stop off hwy 36.

Thousand Hills SP was great. Huge swim beach, lots of trails, pavilions, playground equipment and beautiful views. Park has a full service marina where you can rent kayaks or fill your boat with gas. It also has a restaurant. Restaurant was not a little more upscale. I wouldn’t show up in flip flops and swim trunks. If you don’t have a RV or tent there are cabins to rent as well.

Nice calm lake great for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and small motored boats. There are several trails, picnic areas, and play areas for kids. Campground 2 is small and quite with clean shower/bathrooms. Camground 2 Site 58 is a joined drive with no tent space, however you get an isolated area, and has an uneven pad for camper. It has a large patio and picnic table. Campground 1 is much larger with several great sites.

Buck Creek is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and is one of several campgrounds on Lake Rathbun. There are a lot of campsites with plenty of views of the lake. The campground is clean but needs to be updated.

If you have an RV, or camper, or you prefer to sleep in a tent, there are plenty of sites that would accommodate you. This is a nice campground.

This campground is very nice and offers lots of options,including two different types of electrical sites, basic sites, and walk-in basic sites, they do also have a number of family sites. They offer s firewood vending machine and ice for sale by the camp host. The marina is very nicely set up for handicapped accessible fishing from the fishing dock. Unfortunately the marina store was not open when we visited. We were too early in the year. The swimming beach looks very nice, although it was too cold to use when we were there. Some of the camping sites are more tent friendly than others. Some of them look like it would only be good if you were in a pop-up or a trailer.

Long branch SP located in north central Missouri is a fantastic state park. The campground is well situated on the banks of long branch lake. The walk in sites are 50 feet from the lake and are level. The park has a swimming beach along with boat ramps and as we were told great fishing. The majority of the camp sites have lake views and are far enough from the highway that it is quiet at night. There are several hiking trails, from a prairie hike to a forest hike. The facilities are updated and clean. Talking with the park ranger, this park does fill on up quickly and reservation are recommended.

The walk-in campgrounds (it's about a 50 foot walk from the parking lot to each site) at Long Branch are located off in their own little area at the shore of the lake that offers some pretty good isolation. Although we went at a time when the water was still shut off, there are bathrooms and water available via a very short walk from the walk-in sites April 1-Oct 31. The sites are each very spacious with flat areas and material already laid out for pitching a tent and plenty of trees for throwing up a hammock. Although firewood was stated to be available year round from the vending machine, it was locked up when we went through, but there is a convenience store right across the highway from the lake that sells wood bundles and anything else you might need.

We really enjoyed our time here and we'll definitely be coming back in the warmer months to enjoy some swimming and boating.

Lacey-Keosaqua State Park is a gem located in Southeast Iowa in Van Buren County. It is off the beaten path but it is one of oldest Iowa State Parks. The Park and campground are well maintained and clean. We visited over Labor Day weekend and the park was only two-thirds full. It was a variety of Tent campers and RV's. The camp sites are spaced really well so you don't feel like you are on top of one another. They have electric and non-electric sites and the shower is very clean. There are almost 80 sites in the campground.

Don't miss the hiking trails and the Beach House and swimming lake. Don't miss lake Sugema, the Indian Mounds or the Ely Ford Mormon Trail crossing.

This was my first time out on Bee Trace Trail and I had a great time. Both the hike into the campsite and out the next morning were pretty easy; the back half of the brown loop, specifically the stretch between the backpack camping site and the kayak camping sites, was sometimes frustratingly difficult to follow. I had to pull out my phone several times to get reoriented. That being said, that stretch isn't very long and the rest of the trail presented zero issues for navigation. 

The campsite for backpacking is located at the very tip of the peninsula and it's a great spot. There is a camper-made fire ring here, but the regulations(and posted signs) state no fires, so I would be cautious with what you choose to do. The kayak sites are a little more developed, with picnic tables, trash hooks, and iron fire pits/grills, but I'm not sure how they feel about backpackers using those. On the day(s) I went through, I saw only two other people on the blue loop and nobody on the brown. However, I saw tons of boats out on the lake going by and they all had full view of the campsite(I think it would be pretty clear even once the trees are full); something to be aware of if you're looking for a super isolated camp. There is plenty of space to pitch a tent and many trees to choose from for hanging a hammock. 

If you're looking to get your feet wet with backpacking(as I was), this is a great spot to do it. If you're a seasoned backpacker and are just looking for a quick out-and-back, I think you would be equally pleased.

Campground Review: Honey Creek State Park is on Rathbun Lake, a very popular place to boat, fish and camp in Southern Iowa. We camped in the Group Campground with out Boy Scout Troop. We pulled into camp after dark and between the headlights of our vehicles and our lanterns (My Goal Zero Light House 250) we set up camp in the dark.

We explored the campground, there were some nice trails and nice spots to camp. The bathrooms were clean but they were a little bit of a walk from the Group Site. The weather was great and the bugs weren't bad. I would recommend Honey Creek State Park.

Ranger Review: The Goal Zero Light House 250 is a nice lantern. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The light settings are perfect. You can use half of the lantern or the full lamp power. You can adjust the lighting power by turning the knob on the front. It can be charged with a wall charger, a solar panel, or the green hand crank on top of the lantern.

We used it when setting our tent up in the dark and it did a good job. At 250 lumens it is just the right amount of light to let you see what you need with out blinding you in the dark. We did not start a campfire that night, instead we placed the Goal Zero Light House 250 on the ground and we surrounded the lantern with our camp chairs as if it was a camp fire. We were up for three hours talking and never did the lantern light weaken.

I like this light. It is too heavy and bulky for backpacking but it is great for car camping. There is a smaller model but I don't know if it will work for backpacking.

Well maintained. Clean bathroom/shower house. Great trails. Nice beach area.

There are tons of things to do during any stay at Thousands Hills (affectionately called Thousand Chills). There are kayaks and canoes to rent, lakeside shelters, plenty of trails to hike, and plenty of campgrounds. There are areas that have cabins and also places that have RV hookups. Really great for anybody!

I went after a rain and it was beautiful. Many of the trails absorb water well and it's not too muddy. The trails and campsites are dog friendly and are very well marked.

Shower house is nice. Campsites are good, just not close to the lake. You can take a trail from camground 2 down to indian petroglyphs and the swim beach.

Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're excited to welcome this partner to our platform. Randy is your host, and would love to take you on a tour on his farm. There are 4 sites in total, all with stunning 360  rolling hill views. A shared toilet and shower are available! Check them out and post some pictures here. Happy Camping!

Found this little gem as we were traveling through to get back home to Ohio and needed a place to camp. Great campsites with concrete pads, friendly staff and a decent shower house for a state park. The only negative was no water at the campsites, but for what you get for the price, including a nice lake to enjoy, you can’t beat this sweet spot!

Mostly concrete pads, most are pretty level. Lots of wildlife, clean shower housees, great camp hosts, firewood and ice available for purchase. Great lake nearby with beach, marina with small store, picnic area. Walking trails throughout. Macon and Bevier are close by. Very nice place to camp.