Are you in need of a campground near Mark Twain Lake, MO? Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Mark Twain Lake, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Mark Twain Lake, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
Indian Creek lies on the northern banks of Mark Twain Lake. It is the largest campground on the lake with 215 standard campsites, plus additional non-electric and tent-only sites. The lake is named for the beloved writer and humorist, Mark Twain, who was born just south of the lake in Florida, Missouri.
Boating is convenient with Indian Creek's public boat ramp. Bass fishing and hunting are also popular.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region, in addition to an extensive habitat for wildlife.
While visiting the area, tour the birthplace of the world-famous humorist and writer Mark Twain in the nearby Mark Twain State Park. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is located below the dam.
$30 - $125 / night
Ray Behrens is a scenic campground and recreation area, conveniently located on the southeastern shores of Mark Twain Lake. Here, visitors can enjoy the perks of the campground, go boating on the lake or explore the area's historic attractions. Twain, the legendary author, was born in a village beside the lake and grew up in a town about 20 miles down the road.
Mark Twain Lake provides countless opportunities for outdoor recreation boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking, camping, hiking and hunting to name a few.
The Salt River flows through rolling hills of north-central Missouri, where it is dammed to form the 18,000-acre Mark Twain Lake. A variety of recreation areas surround the lake, including the Mark Twain State Park.
Beside the lake is the village of Florida, where Mark Twain was born. Twenty-five miles east is the town of Hannibal, where visitors can tour the author's boyhood home.
$30 / night
Puma Campground has 37 campsites, two that are ADA-accessible and four that are family sites. The pad lengths range from 45 to 61 feet long, but the family sites have an extra pad and electric hookup. The shower house and restrooms with flush toilets are centrally located in the middle of the campground by the host campsite, number 93. There is a playground for the kids in the middle of the southern end of the campground and sites 71 through 78 are all located right next to the lake. The boat ramp is by site 58 at the northern end of the campground and there is a large parking lot and a fish cleaning station there as well. Potable water spigots are found at the host site as well as sites 64, 73, 83, 90, and 103. From November until March, you will need to go to the frost-free water access by campsite one in Badger Campground. Pets are welcome as long as they are restrained or on a leash at all times.
$24 - $45 / night
$28 - $34 / night
$18 - $30 / night
Frank Russell Campground, set near the picturesque Mark Twain Lake, has a location near the dam, providing campers with easy access to the lake, river and surrounding attractions. The campground also features an amphitheater with weekly events in the summer. The lake's namesake and legendary author and humorist, Mark Twain, was born in a town beside the lake.
The 32-mile long Joanna Trail is accessible from the campground. Here, horseback riders, mountain bikers and hikers can enjoy the rough and varied terrain that meanders along the northern banks of the lake, across bluffs and over hills. Campfire programs are provided every Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region.
While here, many visitors tour the birthplace of world-famous humorist and author, Mark Twain, in Florida, Missouri. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is below the dam and the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center is located on the south end of the Dam.
$30 / night
Coyote Campground has 31 campsites with pads from 47 to 66 feet in length. All the sites have a fire ring, lantern hook, and picnic table and are in a wooded area not far from the lake. Nine of the campsites have electric and the rest are basic with water access at sites 33, 37, 46, and 53. Three of the sites are ADA-accessible and there is a vault toilet and extra parking at the north end of the campground by the amphitheater. From November until March, you will need to go to the frost-free water access by campsite one in Badger Campground. Pets are welcome as long as they are restrained or on a leash at all times.
$14 - $27 / night
Lazy Day has full hook up RV sites, pull through sites and tent sites.
$40 - $55 / night
Bluffview is an excellent location for boating and fishing near Mark Twain Lake. Here, visitors can relax on the Salt River and imagine what life was like when the beloved author explored the same waters and created legendary characters like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
Visitors enjoy fishing for bass below the Re-Regulation Dam. Bird watching for waterfowl and boating are also popular activities.
The recreation area is for day-use visitors only, and provides a boat ramp, playground and picnic shelters.
Bluffview lies about 10 miles downstream of Mark Twain Lake and the Clarence Cannon Dam. Here on the Salt River, a smaller dam is in place to form a storage pool for wetland purposes. Mark Twain Lake and the Salt River are hugged by tree-topped hills in north-central Missouri.
Tour Mark Twain's birthplace in Florida, Missouri, or try the David C. Berti Shooting Range. Visit the town of Hannibal to see the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum.
$30 / night
$55 - $199 / night
Indian Creek lies on the northern banks of Mark Twain Lake. It is the largest campground on the lake with 215 standard campsites, plus additional non-electric and tent-only sites. The lake is named for the beloved writer and humorist, Mark Twain, who was born just south of the lake in Florida, Missouri.
Boating is convenient with Indian Creek's public boat ramp. Bass fishing and hunting are also popular.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region, in addition to an extensive habitat for wildlife.
While visiting the area, tour the birthplace of the world-famous humorist and writer Mark Twain in the nearby Mark Twain State Park. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is located below the dam.
$30 - $125 / night
Ray Behrens is a scenic campground and recreation area, conveniently located on the southeastern shores of Mark Twain Lake. Here, visitors can enjoy the perks of the campground, go boating on the lake or explore the area's historic attractions. Twain, the legendary author, was born in a village beside the lake and grew up in a town about 20 miles down the road.
Mark Twain Lake provides countless opportunities for outdoor recreation boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking, camping, hiking and hunting to name a few.
The Salt River flows through rolling hills of north-central Missouri, where it is dammed to form the 18,000-acre Mark Twain Lake. A variety of recreation areas surround the lake, including the Mark Twain State Park.
Beside the lake is the village of Florida, where Mark Twain was born. Twenty-five miles east is the town of Hannibal, where visitors can tour the author's boyhood home.
$30 / night
Puma Campground has 37 campsites, two that are ADA-accessible and four that are family sites. The pad lengths range from 45 to 61 feet long, but the family sites have an extra pad and electric hookup. The shower house and restrooms with flush toilets are centrally located in the middle of the campground by the host campsite, number 93. There is a playground for the kids in the middle of the southern end of the campground and sites 71 through 78 are all located right next to the lake. The boat ramp is by site 58 at the northern end of the campground and there is a large parking lot and a fish cleaning station there as well. Potable water spigots are found at the host site as well as sites 64, 73, 83, 90, and 103. From November until March, you will need to go to the frost-free water access by campsite one in Badger Campground. Pets are welcome as long as they are restrained or on a leash at all times.
$24 - $45 / night
$28 - $34 / night
$18 - $30 / night
Frank Russell Campground, set near the picturesque Mark Twain Lake, has a location near the dam, providing campers with easy access to the lake, river and surrounding attractions. The campground also features an amphitheater with weekly events in the summer. The lake's namesake and legendary author and humorist, Mark Twain, was born in a town beside the lake.
The 32-mile long Joanna Trail is accessible from the campground. Here, horseback riders, mountain bikers and hikers can enjoy the rough and varied terrain that meanders along the northern banks of the lake, across bluffs and over hills. Campfire programs are provided every Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region.
While here, many visitors tour the birthplace of world-famous humorist and author, Mark Twain, in Florida, Missouri. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is below the dam and the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center is located on the south end of the Dam.
$30 / night
Traveler
We visited twice in the off-season we loved the campground so much. It’s quiet and secluded. Very clean and beautiful.
Guide
Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses. Camping at lake is open gravel or grass. Nice fishing lake with docks, boat ramp and vault toilet and the only one provided. Parked lakeside. Quite night with one fishing boat late morning. Get a brochure with park map at entrance as roads pass through park and private property.
Traveler
Clean bathrooms, friendly staff, nice park across street for walking dog. Very cool old metal playground equipment.
Guide
Basic tent site, potable water was right near our site. Bathrooms were clean. There were some families staying nearby but overall was a quiet stay.
Legend
Check-in was quick and easy and we proceeded to pull through site 83 with FHUs. The gravel pad was very long and we had plenty of room for our 40’ rig and F450. The utilities were in the middle of the pad and water pressure was decent at about 40 psi. As we were on the end of a row, we had a lot of front yard space. The sites here are very close together, but long-term guests kept their sites nice and well organized, and overall this CG was very clean. There are mature trees so satellite placement could be challenging. We were able to place our Starlink in the yard area for a good shot to the north sky. We got 4 bars on Verizon and their WiFi worked well for a campground of this size. At the office, they have a nice store and gift shop with one of the best selections of camping shirts etc. that we have seen.
Traveler
Stayed one night in a campervan. Would definitely recommend! We arrived a little late - right at sunset - but the friendly and helpful staff had already texted us all the info we needed for arrival. It was very quiet. Level spaces. Very dark, unlit walk to the bath house, so bring a light! Bathhouse was clean and well kept. Would recommend!
Guide
Lovely wooded spot. There are about 6-8 sites. Can back in a camper. Outhouse building. Only had one other camper. Shaded, wooded. We had a lovely night but woke up covered in ticks! Lots of ticks here. We ride our motorcycles here to tent camp. Sites are close. Fire rings , no picnic tables.
TravelerAt one time this campground was a KOA campground so if you are familiar with KOA, you know the basic layout. We stayed here in our tent and while the tent area was closed for receding new grass the owner let us stay in a grassy area under the trees near the office. It was a great stsy and the restrooms and pool were nice and clean. We enjoyed ourselves and cooled off in the hot weather.
Scout
Nice new concrete sites with fire pit, full hookup. Great trails and fishing lake, with concrete sidewalk and benches around it to make fishing easily accessible.
Scout
The owners were amazing. They even let us join in on their son’s birthday party. Our kids enjoyed that.
TravelerThis place was in the middle of nowhere. There is a shooting range and it seemed to have several trails. Camping wise, there was one vault toilet and a large open field. It looked like there were a couple of spots where people had a fire in the past. We did not stay, we went on down the road to vandalia community lake instead.
Traveler
Gorgeous little lake. Vault toilets. Our camp fire ring was shaped like a heart! Probably not on purpose but we liked it. Very quiet. Lots of fishing. And we actually saw the cat!
Guide
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.
Guide
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.
Legend
PROS
Senior discount
Site 32 level asphalt pad surrounded with grass and river rocks
Moveable aluminum table
Metal fire ring with cooking grate
One hook lantern pole
Site 19 very near toilets and a dumpster
Friendly and helpful gate personnel
4 bars TMOBILE
CONS
Some road noise in the distance
Electric box at rear of site pad
Sewer connection 6 inches above ground
Poor planning to demolish all but one campground toilet/shower facilities at the same time
No overnight gate closure
Don't Miss
Rustic Oak Cabin Restaurant
Mark Twain Memorial Shrine in Mark Twain State Park. Free entrance
Ride the Mark Twain Riverboat in Hannibal
Downtown Hannibal nice variety of stores and shops
Dam Visitor Center very nice--fairly new
Scout
so family friendly, very well service, cheap, and most importantly everyone enjoyed time there
Traveler
This site was so much better than what I was expecting! My friend, Kari, her 3 Doodles, my Beagle, and I camped out the first night in the group section, because there's hardly anyone there and we got there too late in the day to actually start hiking. In the morning, we loaded up our packs, put the little packs on the dogs (they have to carry their own food and water), and headed up the Red Oak Backpacking Trail. I don't know if we started at the beginning or not, but we parked by a little wooden bridge and the hill to start off our adventure kinda kicked my ass a little bit. After we made it up the initial incline, the landscape was beautiful and varied from flat areas to valleys and some creeks (which I was very thankful for after a few hours in 90° and 25 lbs on my back). We ended up setting up camp at a spot we thought was nice just before it got dark, because we didn't know where or how much further the primitive hike-in campsites were. The next day, we figured it out, but we wouldn't have made it there before dark. Towards the end, there were stairs built into the earth that were way too difficult to manage when your legs are jelly and your pack is heavy, so it was almost easier trying to take the side of the stairs and make your own little path, so just a heads up there. We had so much fun the whole time and I can't wait to go back for some snow camping later this year (they are open year round)!!!
Traveler
It’s actually the Ted Shanks Conservation Area. Dupont is a bit further north, no camping there that we saw.
. All sites fronting the river, shaded by trees. Mix of campers, fishermen and hunters. A few trains at night but not many. Vault toilets. No tables, no fire rings.
GuideGreat staff, wonderful level sites. Bathroom on site. Pool during season. Partially shaded. Dog walk area. Pet friendly.
Guide
Came when all the water activities were closed for the season. Cannot wait to come back! Facilities very clean and family oriented. Very fun for kids.
GuideBeautiful wooded sites, a bit close together and not a ton of privacy but we weren’t bothered by our neighbors at all. The bathrooms are very clean and nice, they have a dish washing sink and good showers. Our site had an electric hook up.
GuideWe discovered this gym. On our way home. Just needed to stay overnight, but will definitely be back. The little details make it very homey. Sites are well laid out and easy to maneuver. Full hook ups or tent sites are available to meet the needs of the camper. Clean facility and family friendly.
GuideFar enough away from the highway to be silent. Toilet available. Fire pits. T-Mobile service is good.
Guide
I was on my way to St. Louis MO. And need a place for the night. This is just few miles from hwy 70 east to reserve and pay on the phone. I t was nice they I put my tent instead of sleeping on the car. Recommended
GuideExcellent grounds. Very very clean and well kept. Hosts/owners are extremely responsive and helpful. Sights have some trees. Walking paths, dog walk area, fire pits, bathhouse. I would visit again.
Legend
Coming into Hannibal, the RV GPS wanted to take us around town up to I-72. Had we been on our toes, we could have turned right at the“campground sign,” making our trip a bit easier and shorter. We came into the campground(CG) and resort area with some other campers. There was plenty of parking, and we checked in at the gift shop where you can purchase cave entry tickets. Our friends had come in the day before and told us that our reserved site E-05 was long enough for our new 40’ 2” Brinkley Model G, but we would need to park our F-450 elsewhere. Our friend suggested F-17, which was an easy back-in. F-17 was available, and was actually cheaper, so we saved$6 on the back-in site. The office folks here were very nice and accommodating, as we had expected to arrive the day prior with our friends, but due to loading up our new rig, we arrived a day late. The nice people at the office helped us work out this situation plus changed our campsite when we arrived. We proceeded to F-17 and settled down for our first camping night in our Brinkley. The F area back-ins are fairly new, with few trees to block the satellite. The older pull-throughs have mature trees and a lot of shade, so satellite would be spotty depending on the site. The water and electric are towards the back of the site, with the sewer in the middle. The water pressure was good. We got one bar on Verizon, and the CG WiFi worked better than average for a CG this size, but we were here for just an overnight from Monday to Tuesday. We were told that this private CG fills up on the weekends.
ScoutStayed there for a week. The owners are very friendly. Very well kept campground. Enjoyed the pool.
Camping near Mark Twain Lake, Missouri, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds to choose from, you can find the perfect spot for your next adventure.
Camping near Mark Twain Lake, Missouri, has something for everyone, whether you're fishing, hiking, or just enjoying time with family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Mark Twain Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, Mark Twain Lake offers a wide range of camping options, with 75 campgrounds and RV parks near Mark Twain Lake and 2 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Mark Twain Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Mark Twain Lake is Indian Creek Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 17 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Mark Twain Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Mark Twain Lake.
What parks are near Mark Twain Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Mark Twain Lake that allow camping, notably Wappapello Lake and Rathbun Lake.
