Looking for tent camping near Mark Twain National Forest? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Mark Twain National Forest with tent camping. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri's most popular destinations.
$5 / night
$5 / night
McCormack Lake Recreation Area is located near Greer Spring and offers good fishing and boating. It is located on paved Forest Road 3155 off of Highway 19. This site has semi-developed picnic and camping facilities. There is hiking at McCormack Lake Recreation Area also. This is a trailhead for the 3.7-mile McCormack-Greer Trail, which ends at Greer Crossing Picnic Area and also connects to Ozark Trail. The 15-acre lake is stocked annually with panfish and bass being the catch of the day. The lake is a non-motorized area; boat motors are not allowed. An electric trolling motor is permitted. There is ample parking for picnickers and fishermen. The campground is primitive with limited picnic tables, firerings and lantern posts. A vault toilet is provided. No water is available.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park offers basic, walk-in campsites and two special-use camping areas. The campsites allow for tent camping only. Pop-up or other trailers are not allowed. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no showerhouse or dump station. Water and a vault toilet are available in the camping area.
Three miles from Ellington MO. Trails for miles for ATVs, OHVs, and Horses. Ride to Clearwater Lake Conservation Area for thousands of acres to ride or hike. Also 5 miles from Current River Conservation. area and 12 miles from the Black River for kayaking, canoeing, floating and fishing. Stalls available for your horses. Bring your boat or rent one at Clearwater Lake. They also offer pontoons and jet skies. Blue Springs, Johnson Shut Inns, and Elephant Rock State Park are just a few of the places to go in the area.
$15 - $30 / night
Guide
Tent camped here with a group of private boat paddlers from all over the country. Campground operations had not really started for the season. I arrived after dark and could not find the tent campsites. Nearly drove into deep mud on gravel road past RV sites. Fortunately had just enough cell signal to access their website. Found a campground map three layers deep on reservation page and located my group.
Tent sites were well-located along the river with basic tables and fire rings. I never found the store to be open so paid camping fee at bar and cafe at entrance. Great breakfast. $25/night for tents. Grass had not been mowed and was deep in tent area. RV sites appear to be a work in progress with much erosion around the new pads and access road. What may have been a shower house had key code locks but there was never anyone to ask. Bathrooms near the entrance lacked tp in some stalls. All one afternoon and evening a group of kids with gas weed trimmers noisely worked on a slope adjacent to the RV area.
This campground should improve over time a the management appears to be developing the grounds.
Traveler
Was a great secluded tent camp site. Liked that they had wagons to help haul our gear to the site. Family of 7 so we have plenty of stuff to haul. Was a really fun time. Spent lots of it in the water and got to see some wild horses so that was exciting.
Ranger
The campground is located in the Mark Twain National Forest. The fire rings are a plus and there are lots of trees for a hammock set up or tent. Lake is very pretty with a 1 mile hiking trail with some great views. In the evening it is dark enough to enjoy the stars.
RangerLoggers Lake campground runs along the 22 acre Loggers Lake near Bunker, MO in the Mark Twain National Forest.
Be prepared for a decent amount of driving on gravel county roads. The route from bunker itself has a bit less while the route to Salem is longer on gravel with a handful of water crossings.
There are 14 sites which all have parking, picnic table, and fire ring. Most have lantern poles. Most back right up to the lake. Most have back in parking which can accommodate a vehicle with trailer. The first few sites have split parking, which can house your trailer in one spot and vehicle next to it, but not long enough to back in without disconnecting. At the beginning of the campground there is a swimming area with picnic tables, grills, and a vault toilet. After this, there are the sites mentioned above with split parking. Tent sites and tables are down a hill from the parking spots here. There is a small fork with a parking lot and a handful of sites - while we were here there was an RV in this area. I believe this would be the only place a full RV could park in the campground. Finally is the main campground loop. There is another vault toilet at the beginning of the loop. Both vault toilets were relatively clean. One had air fresheners in it. There is water access near the vault toilet. On the loop, all exterior sites back up to the lake. There are two sites on the center of the loop which would be very nice for a large group. The lake itself is beautiful and easy to access. There is a boat ramp at the campground loop and a spot at almost every site to put in a kayak or canoe.
There is a 1.5 mile trail along the lake which begins at the campground loop. There is a spur to the spillway. The trail does not seem to be very heavily traveled, expect to walk through brush and spider webs!
ScoutLoggers Lake, in the Mark Twain National Forest, is about 7 miles west of Bunker, Mo. Spring fed lake, no electric or water campsites. There is a maintained M/F restroom on the site, and a water spigot close to the restroom. All sites have a fire ring and a picnic table. GORGEOUS!
Scout
I'd seen a lot of great reviews for this campground, so I had high expectations when we arrived for a night in early November. We reserved a spot in the 900 loop, just to be safe - a few of the camping loops allow reservations, and the rest are walk in. The loop was very open, spaces all fully visible to each other. The bathrooms were locked for the season after 10/15.
Since things were pretty empty, we moved to the 500 loop, which was more tree covered, near the river, and next to the shower house, which was the one park bath open for the winter. Bathrooms and showers were clean, though no camp host was present the night we stayed.
We were the only people on the 500 loop, so it was fine, but again - sites VERY close together. Some picnic tables were less than 20 feet apart. The 600 loop was the only heavily occupied loop when were there, filled with campers, presumably because of the electric access.
This is a NPS campground, so its amenities tend to be fewer than many MO state parks. I have other parks in this area that have more scenic and private tent camping. Just on the other side of the river is the Alley spring and mill, which are lovely - and ironically, some of the picnic sites are more spacious than these tent sites. I wish we could camp on that side!
Legend
The people of Missouri gave a wonderful gift to the people of the United States. A gift I did not know about or had never heard of till we made the decision to camp in Missouri.
Big Springs was Missouri's first state park. The CCC did a lot of construction on the park and so much of the buildings are still there. In much need of repair and I do hope the federal government will restore. Big Spring is off of Missouri Highway 160. Turn onto State Route 103 to Big Spring. The spring has a wheelchair accessible pathway that will lead right to the spring.
The campground is large and open. Tent sites along with with RV sites but the RV sites are small and very close together. Some RV sites had electric but no water or sewer. There is a dump site. During the summer I think I would get a reservation for the RV sites if you need electric. If you have the ability to generate your own electric stay in the open tent site area. The tent site area is large and open to the sun. Big Springs has flush toilets and hot showers.
There are picnic areas with tables and grills scattered throughout the park along with two group shelters.
The Ranger programs are well worth checking out. Take advantage.
The Current River makes a wonderful backdrop for nature lovers. You have the options of hiking, biking, fishing, camping, floating, kayaking, and all sorts of boating with a ramp in the park.
Have Fun - Stay Safe
Leave No Trace
Better Than When You Found It
Guide
We have stayed in cabins and tent camped. Beautiful spot, but can be very heavily populated
Guide
Shelly seemed like a very nice person via text. She just wasn't there when we arrived, and we had a hard time determining property boundaries, tent site locations, etc. on our own. Unfortunately, the tent site we did find was pretty washed out, and we ended up leaving and camping elsewhere. If you have an RV/trailer, ATV's, etc. this place is probably a hoot. Best of luck.
TravelerLove tent camping! Secluded and shaded. I want a few years back and it was lovely can’t wait to see if there have been updates!
TravelerThis is a really nice spot for tent camping - even though it’s clearly geared towards RV camping. Make sure to book a walk-in campsite if you’re tent camping, otherwise you’ll be in the lot with the RVs (no trees, no privacy etc see first picture). You’ll have to carry your gear to your site, but not too far. Each walk in site is fairly isolated and separate from the other site by trees. Each site has a wood tent pad, picnic table, and fire ring with grate. If you want you could even go to the lodge (walking distance) for a meal and skip the cooking! Book your spot in advance as it seems like they fill up quickly.
Guide
Love the area. Tent sites are close to water, great fishing. Clean facilities and friendly staff!
TravelerQuite tent sites with restrooms in each loop and new shower house. Spring, mill, and the trails around the spring are a must!
ScoutWe enjoyed clean well-maintained bathrooms. Men’s showers were hot and the women’s were cold! The grass was mown well, so it was easier to tent camp. Staff was very helpful and accommodating. Scenery was spectacular.
Traveler
I like this camp site because you are within the trees the whole time. It is tent camping only. Where we camped, the ground was covered in moss. That made for very soft sleeping, except for the few large rocks spread over the area. We had room for two portable canopies and about 35 cub scouts and family members.
LegendJohnson Shut-Ins State Park is an amazing park that combines the comforts of an RV park with the rustic side of walk-in tent sites. It is the best maintained park in the Northeastern part of the Ozark's. It has a store in the middle of the campground. The sites all have concrete pull-ins and the bathrooms and shower houses are all brand new, modern, and clean.
The sites are spread a part giving plenty of room to campers. There are several tent sites that you can walk into to get away from the concrete. There is a gear cart to help you get everything back from your car to your site.
This is a place where you could spend several days and have a lot of fun. This is the premiere campground in that area of the Ozark's.
The staff is also very helpful and friendly.
Guide
The eleven point river is a Hidden Gem. I love the campsite and the cleanliness of the bathrooms. I love the shaded tent campsites and easy access to firewood, boat dock and open area perfect for large family gatherings
GuideThe campsites are very nice. I don't mind the concrete pads they have for camping and parking. We have a camper but used cots when we tent camped so concrete was not a problem for us.
The kids loved the shut ins. We didn't even make it all the way to the back as it was a very long walk. We also visited some of the historical sites in the area.
Scout
This campground was wonderful! We needed a tent site for one night and we ended up getting a whole grove of trees to ourselves! It was a Saturday night and there was an open mic night and bbq. The atmosphere was light and fun and the people rocked! Very clean bathrooms and showers. The rates were very very affordable too! 10/10!!!
LegendThis place literally has everything you can want from walk in tent sites to an entire lodge with all the amenities. Campsites are all well manicured and offer everything from basic sites to full RV hook ups. The only negative is that we have experienced are that you need to reserve your side months in advance because this campground is so popular. And the only other negative is that all of the campsites are out in the open with no shade. But other than that it’s easy to see why the state park is a perfect representation of how much pride Missouri takes in its conservation and park system.
TravelerThere are hookup sites as well as a primitive loop for tent camping. The cart provided was great to walk our gear down the trail to our site, and there was a flat deck for us to camp on (which was great on our rainy weekend). The store was nice, and we got some great ice cream on the way out. We drove in, but the people next to us backpacked from another campsite. Absolutely a great experience.
ScoutThis campground is very large thus always having availability for tent camping! They have ranger presentations on weekend evenings about the local wildlife and rivers and springs-Jacks Fork & Current River that are very informative! Great place to bring family and an equally reasonable price!! Offers group camping too! Harvey Kayak and Canoe rentals is right around the corner and will pick you up right at your campsite! I highly recommend this campground. They also have RV hookups and a private beach!
TravelerWe tent camped in loop 3 in late November for one night. The bathroom and showers were still on in this camping area. The spots are slightly close together but still very wooded. Not a lot of people camping at this time of the year even on a Saturday. Camp hosts were fabulous. The sites aren’t really set up for tents. More for Trailers. We had to get creative to find a spot to put up the tent in order to stake it down. Large parking pads, fire rings, and picnic tables at each camp site.
Guide
We camp here every year. My ONLY complaint is that they never seem to cut the grass close to when we come. It's not terrible, just a weedy and a little longer than I'd like it to be for tent camping. We stay at group site three which is HUGE, and nice and level. There's a great big fire ring and lots of wood available for gathering. There's a very short path from the site to the current river, which is beautiful. There is a pretty basic outhouse up a short trail for camper use.
Legend
Five miles north of Doniphan, MO on State Hwy 160 Hwy Y head north for about five miles take a left on Forest Road 4349. Continue down and veer to the left to go to the boat ramp and day use area. Go right to the Deer Leap Campground.
ON the east bank of the Current River you will find dispersed camping. There are seven campsites with fire ring, table and lantern post. No trash service but there is a pit toilet and water. Campsites are First Come, First Served. No fireworks allowed.
The campground and boat launch is located in the Mark Twain National Forest under the Eleven Point Ranger District. The district is named after the Eleven Point River which was designated a National Scenic River in 1968. The Eleven Point District provides a plethora of fishing, tubing and all kinds of boating options.
Take the time to float some of the rivers for a vision of rocky bluffs, springs, birds, wildlife and local vegetation. You are permitted to camp on the gravel bars found along the rivers and there are several primitive float camps while you are floating.
There are so many activities that go hand in hand with fishing and tubing such as horseback riding, hiking, hunting, mountain biking and just gazing at the stars.
At the launch site there is limited parking for floaters. You can launch tubes, motorized and non motorized boats here. There is also a pit toilet. Be very careful because on the fourth the area was very crowded. There is a vendor in the area to rent tubes and kayaks and provide shuttle service.
The water is so beautiful, clear and moving along. The clear, green water has the power to entice just about anyone to dip their toes in. Remember that during the summer this river will be very crowded but even with the crowds there was more than enough room. During the spring or fall this would be a great to kayak. Floater access in the campground is from 4/1 - 10/1. Boat ramp is open all year.
Have Fun - Stay Safe
Leave No Trace
Better Than When You Found It
LegendThis is a great campground that is just outside of eminence and has just about everything that you need from spacious tree covered tent sites to full RV sites as well. Easy access to both the jacks for river and Alley spring Because flooding destroyed the old restroom a new one has been built in its place with a full shower house as well. If you want a nice peaceful campground that is in the heart of the Ozarks scenic River Ways you will definitely want to check this place out
ScoutFirst, the park hosts were so friendly, helpful and hard working. They kept everything spotless! Bathrooms and showers were a 10. Grounds were a 10. Location and surroundings were gorgeous. Sites were spacious and there’s not a “bad” site in the whole park. It was Peaceful and quiet at night. We walked through the walk in tent camping area and it was amazing. Sites were big, private and spread out through the woods with wooden platforms. Path through the area was gravel and very well maintained. The Betty Lea Lodge was close and had an awesome store and gift shop. We will definitely be back!
Tent camping near Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mark Twain National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mark Twain National Forest is Rymers Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Mark Twain National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 31 tent camping locations near Mark Twain National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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