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Best Tent Camping near Mark Twain Lake

359 Reviews

Tent camping options near Mark Twain Lake in Missouri include several free primitive sites on conservation lands. Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area provides grassy tent sites with picnic tables and fire grates overlooking the lake. Vandalia Community Lake offers approximately ten tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings in a quieter setting. Most conservation areas like Rudolf Bennitt and William R. Logan provide basic amenities suitable for tent campers seeking a no-frills experience.

Most tent sites in the region feature grass or gravel pads with limited leveling. Fire rings or grates are common, though campers should verify if fires are permitted during their visit as restrictions may apply seasonally. Vault toilets are available at most locations, though cleanliness varies considerably. Many conservation areas provide free camping with no reservations required, operating on a first-come, first-served basis. Water access is limited, with few sites offering potable water. Campers should plan to bring their own supplies. At Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area, a dump station with potable water is available behind the ranger station.

The Mark Twain Lake region offers tent campers proximity to fishing, hiking, and paddling opportunities. Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area provides free canoe and rowboat use (personal life jackets required) for campers wanting to explore the water. Most tent sites are situated to maximize lake views or provide shade from surrounding trees. Train noise can be an issue at sites like Dupont Reservation Conservation Area, where tracks run nearby. According to one visitor at Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area, "Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses." Some campgrounds experience weekend noise issues, particularly with generators, as one camper at Hunnewell noted they "ended up moving away from [another camper] at 11:30" due to generator noise continuing past quiet hours.

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Best Tent Sites Near Mark Twain Lake (13)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Mark Twain Lake

4 Photos of 13 Mark Twain Lake Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Mark Twain Lake

359 Reviews of 13 Mark Twain Lake Campgrounds

  • Josh S.
    Jul. 8, 2019

    Puma — Mark Twain State Park

    Ranger Review: GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station at Mark Twain State Park

    Campground Review:

    Mark Twain state Park is an absolute blast. approximately 30 minutes from Hannibal MO this park sits on Mark Twain Lake. Several hiking trails in the area will get you in touch with nature and an abundance of deer. Large playgrounds in the camping area's as well as visitor center areas. All loops in this park have electric and basic sites. No water hookups aside from host sites. Best part is all shower houses fairly new. We never located any vault toilets but found all three loops had their own shower house.

    Park has a boat ramp with ample parking and if you have better luck than I did a fish cleaning station. While having a boat ramp close may be a deterrent it was rare to have much boat noise with the tall trees surrounding these large private sites. 

    We stayed in site 76 in puma loop which was a sloping site but it was massive. The lots on either side of ours were similar in layout but much more level. 76 also has a path to the waterfront which we utilized daily.

    It rained on us for most of our stay we found Mark twain state park to be well worth the trip. 

    Product Review:

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time- today I am testing the GCI Outdoors Master Cook Station. 

    While looking at GCIOutdoors.com for the right item for my family to try out we were amazed at the function of their site.  We were able to compare multiple items flawlessly and despite  much debate locate an item we believed may reduce our overall need to pack everything including the kitchen sink. The cook station didn't immediately jump off the page for my wife. She had her heart set on a new rocker chair of which GCI Outdoors has an amazing selection. However, I was able to win her over after pointing out the endless options the Master Cook Station (AKA My Kitchen) Offers.

    My Kitchen provides functionality as a table, a cook top, a drying rack, food storage, and does so taking up the same amount of space as a folding chair. Our first night in camp the dreaded dinner bell began ringing and my loving wife walked over to our new kitchen. After cooking, plating, and eating from this beast she looked at me and said, "Never again will I doubt your decision making about anything." (or at least thats how I remember it.) She actual was really impressed how this cook station had taking the stress out of meal time. With a built in sink we were able to cook, eat, and clean from a singular location and when done we could either fold it up and tuck it away or use it for evening activities. 

    As a pop up camper space is always limited and at a premium. The GCI Outdoor Master Cook Station not only met our expectations it surpassed them. This swiss army table will be a must have among all of our friends and the high quality of this product tells me that we will get to show it off for quite some time.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 30, 2021

    Dupont Reservation Conservation Area

    Right on the River

    This is a free primitive campground on the Mississippi River. Most sites have some sort of fire ring and a gravel spot to pull a vehicle in. I only saw two picnic tables in the whole campground(maybe 10-12 sites total). The clean but basic vault toilet is at the far end of the campground loop near the boat ramp. Pretty much every site has great views of the Mighty Mississippi(depending on where your neighbors set up their site), which means you can watch boat traffic from your site and maybe feel a little like Huck Finn. A few notes of caution: this area WILL flood if the river floods; it WILL be buggy in the summer as the campground backs to a large wetlands area; on the other side of the wetlands is an active train track, so you may have train noise as well as barge noise on the river.

  • Sam H.
    Jun. 13, 2023

    Ray Behrens

    Likely our new regular spot

    The whole park doesn't match the awesomeness of site 97 and the few around it, but the end of this loop is almost perfect. Great shade, almost no slope to pads, all power options, great water pressure, and a sewer hookup. Plenty of rocked lounging or tent space with each site. Good size fire pits, lantern post, and an aluminum picnic table on a concrete pad. All the sites have enough empty space in between that most campgrounds would have stuck another site in-between. Restroom/shower house very close by and it's regularly cleaned. 2 trails to lakeside access are close by too.

  • C
    Apr. 18, 2019

    Long Branch State Park Campground

    Great camping

    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.

  • Julia V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 14, 2024

    Finger Lakes State Park Campground

    Had everything we needed

    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.

  • N
    Sep. 19, 2019

    Ray Behrens

    Army Corps of Engineers sute

    Very quiet and beautiful here. We are on site 93 with a partial view of the Mark Twain lake. Had to use blocks site goes down hill. Stayed 2 nights for $18 total with National senior pass. Electric hookup only. 91 degrees needed fan air movement. Water and dump are $24 a night. They also have tent camping.

  • T
    Aug. 4, 2021

    Ray Behrens Recreational

    Peaceful and relaxing

    Clean with shaded spots. Hiking trails and easy access to Mark Twain lake.

  • Chuck H.
    Jul. 9, 2018

    Badger — Mark Twain State Park

    Badger Loop

    A group of us stayed on the Badger loop. Each has gravel pads with electric, picnic table, lantern pole and fire ring. Plenty of buffer between sites and quiet. Clean showers, park programs for kids and friendly camp host. We enjoyed driving over to Mark Twain’s birth place and shrine and antiquing in Perry.

  • C
    Sep. 19, 2021

    Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area

    Free is a good price

    Campground consists of open grassy areas with picnic tables and fire grates. Very nice lake, but some industrial type structures interfere with the view from the campground. The campground slopes toward the lake, so finding level ground is a challenge. We stayed Saturday night and there were several open spots. The rules about quiet time are not enforced and some idjit ran his loud generator until 1 am. We ended up moving away from him at 11:30.

Guide to Mark Twain Lake

Tent camping near Mark Twain Lake in Missouri offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities.

Local Attractions to Explore

Activities for Tent Campers

  • Campers at Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area can enjoy hiking and exploring the surrounding conservation area, with opportunities for wildlife viewing.
  • Slate and Wild Roses provides a unique experience with its 80 wild acres to explore, perfect for bushwhacking and discovering nature.
  • Fishing enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunities at Vandalia Community Lake, where the peaceful environment enhances the fishing experience.

Features That Enhance Your Stay

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mark Twain Lake?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mark Twain Lake is Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area with a 4-star rating from 7 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Mark Twain Lake?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Mark Twain Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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