Best Tent Camping near Miller, MO

Camped in Loop B on Oct 4, 2023. Camping was free at this Corp of Engineer campground since off season began on Oct 1st. The Loop B campground has several RV/tent sites arranged in sub-loops in an open field; some trees for shade. Sites are close to each other; no privacy between sites. Sites appear to be level. Each site has a metal fire ring, table and lamp pole. The loop road is paved and the sites were gravel. There were no hookups in Loop B. The water station was shut off, but the vault toilet, which wasn't very clean, was open. No camp host on duty during our stay. There is access to Stockton Lake from the loop road. There was nothing special about this campground, but has good lake access for boats.  Otherwise this campgrund is suitable for an overnight stay.

The tiny campground is located in a wooded hollow at the edge of the prairie and has 4 primitive sites, no electric or water at sites, no showers and one vault toilet only. You can drive up the hill to the maintenance area to get water and there is a sign for this. 2 sites have paved pads and the others are gravel/dirt. The 2 outer gravel sites back up to a curved stream that runs along the perimeter of the campground but are lower and more shaded and more prone to hovering clouds of bugs. They are all have a picnic table and fire ring and are relatively private and well distanced. Since you have to drive through this stream to get to the campground beware when there has been heavy rain as it may not be accessible. The center paved sites are more open and grassy and get more wind but also don’t have as much shade. I think I stayed in site 4 and it was great for my solar panel. I did have steady cell service with AT&T while here.

Since it’s pretty primitive you will likely have the place to yourself, but be prepared to have guests of the state park driving through all day to check it out. Lots of deer around, beautiful to see but this also means ticks! There is also significant poison ivy along the roads but there are signs warning about that. Best to keep to the maintained roads and paths. As far as dogs, they are not allowed on any of the trails because of the bison but they can walk the entire main gravel road of the state park (no shade). Nature center was closed due to covid when I was there but looks interesting. There were a couple bison about 20 feet from the center when I was there. My parents visited once and ended up on the road for about an hour while an entire herd of bison meandered across the road around their vehicle! The bison roam free here, although the small campground area has fences and/or cow grates to keep them out. The land is stunning and open and takes you back to a bygone era of this country. The sunrises here over the prairie are gorgeous.

Open:  year round

Reservations:  877-444-6777 or recreation.gov

                           Reservations must be made at least 3 days in advance

Fees:  $15.00 single with electric

            $10.00 single no electric

            $45.00 group site

            Passes honored

Bear Aware.  Beautiful fence around campground with the road and pads all paved.  Nice.  Complete campground is well maintained.  Camp host on duty, no gate house.  Sites are very large and spaced out well.  Some pull thrus.  Picnic table, fire ring, toilets, showers, water, trash.  There are nearly 80 miles of inter connected loops that go from easy to hard terrian, winding in and out of forested hollers and along ridge tops.  ATV must be 50 inches wide or less.

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For those looking for a campground near Branson which offers access to top attractions as well as Table Rock Lake, Indian Point is worth a consideration. The park itself is only a short distance from the 76 Strip and has quick access to Silver Dollar City, even sharing a tram system with the park. 

The campground is well spaced and offers shaded sites for a variety of sizing options from tent camping to larger pull through sites. Each site boasting the standard amenities for travel of a fire ring and picnic table. Many also have connections available and include both water and electrical offerings. 

The site offers a dump station for those RVers needing the service and day use areas for those wanting to visit for fun day at the lake without the commitment of an overnight stay. Picnic Shelters are available and can also be rented for special events and larger groups. 

Restrooms here vary and have both standard restrooms and shower houses. The set up itself is very nice and looks to be much more improved than some parks in the area offering a bit more privacy from the typical sites which have only curtain doors. The facilities instead look very well maintained and have private restroom and shower units for those using them. Although they are still recommending as much distancing as possible and use of your own isolated restrooms when applicable. 

When I visited I noticed the sites are not all created equally in way of parking, some were very lengthy and could easily allow for more than one vehicle while others were lucky to have a small parking area for a car and tent. My advice is to defiantly look and book online before coming to the park before any trip to ensure your spacing. For those not doing so, additional parking is located throughout the park in small pull out areas near restrooms and closer to the boat ramp areas. 

With recent closures of many outdoor areas, this location has opened its doors to tourists once again for the season and with that it has quickly become a popular destination. For this reason you will want to book ahead of time and be prepared to face larger than usual crowds when using the public spaces. 

Rains also can dictate your usage of certain portions of the park as the level of the lake can climb and engulf the swimming beach and outlets to the marina. Upon my visit I noticed the swimming beach was completely under water and thus the facilities near it were not able to be used. The marina was very busy despite many of the walkways being underwater slightly or a brief walk through water to get to. 

The overall feel of this campground is very homey as the people visiting all seem to be very family friendly. The limitation of alcohol keeps man of the party goes away from this park and it allows for quieter evenings and more family based fun inside the park itself with the vast open spaces. 

In addition to the lake and campground themselves, there is a small general store located just across from the camp to make those last minute pick ups a bit easier to find versus running back into town. This is extremely helpful for those who need something small but don’t want to have to drive far to get it. A small restaurant is also located in this area. 

Tips: 

• If you are staying here book online and really look at the map when doing so to ensure your sizing needs are met in way of parking. 
• Venture into Branson for live shows and music, activities and more!! 
• Take a hike on one of the many hiking trails in the areas and explore this region of Missouri!! 
• Check the weather before securing a waterfront site. Lake levels are displayed on the Table Rock website and you will want to make sure you are not visiting when lakes are overflowing to the point of cutting down your adventure. CLICK HERE FOR LAKE LEVEL

This is a favorite campground and swimming hole! It is close to Silver Dollar City and other Branson activities. We most recently camped in the far loop which is not waterfront but has nice sites. We could hike down to the waterfront but there really arent designated trails from this area. It was rough terrain. There is plenty of shade and places for the kids to hang their hammocks. We like the bathrooms with the private toilet and shower. No issues with crowding or waiting for one to open up.

The swim beach is nice and has picnic tables for use. We kayaked around the cove while others swam. No alcohol or pets allowed in the beach area which I appreciated. Family friendly!

Just got home from a weekend stay at site C19 at Hawker Point COE Park. This particular site was just up the hill from the lake and completely private. The walk to the lake was about 50 yards and a little steep but we managed to carry two kayaks down and up without too much trouble (and we are a middle-aged couple), and it was totally worth the effort because it was as if we had our own private cove.

The site is very spacious and shaded with plenty of trees for our hammocks and clothesline. Lots of level places for tents. The park attendants were very friendly and helpful.

C19 has no electricity or water and the closest vault toilet is a good walk down the road. The shower houses were driving distance away. We have a shower tent, so that wasn’t an issue for us.

We drove through the rest of this park to check out A and B campground loops. A loop consists of full hookup sites and many sit right on the water. Little shade and crowded, but if you like to play on the lake all day these might be for you. B loop had pretty wooded sites but many were not close to the water. C loop is where it’s at!

This campsite is not for those who want amenities. There are 4 SPACIOUS sites and they are what I would call primitive. No hookups/ no electricity/ no running water. Good for star gazing. Two sites have a paved pad and two do not...depends what you’re looking for. There are quite a few trails ranging from 1.5-4.5 miles—- total of 14 miles of trails. The nature center is small but they have two bison, a coyote, and many other learning opportunities inside. Speaking of bison and coyotes... you’ll hear the coyotes all night howling and barking...the bison are roaming around which you will be able to see where they’ve been by the scat droppings around the road and trail system. Definitely something to see if you’ve never seen the plains before.

As a person who has been to Silver Dollar City more times than a I can count, I never realized that the theme of the park was echoed in yet another location of Branson.   It wasn't until I visited the Wilderness at Silver Dollar City, a unique campground located just beyond the property lines of the park itself, that I was able to see just how fun it would be to stay basically in the park but also in the wilderness.

Let me explain, you are not in the park itself, rather on the border in a nice shaded and wooded area with some massive improvements for comfort.    There is a pool for those hot summer days, very nice bath houses and loops for both RVs and tent campers.   But the theme of Silver Dollar City is most prevalently able to be seen in the vintage style cabins they have on the cabin loop.   It is here that you feel like you are truly a part of the park still as the structures closely resemble those within the many streets of the park.   You almost expect to see some of the characters roaming around doing their daily tasks such as cutting wood or creating amazing crafts.   

The cabin area is hands above the rest, the best thing you will find for vintage country style vibes in this area!!  They come in many styles and sizes to accommodate any family, and they offer a variety of unique features depending on the selection.    Something I did notice was they do have old rockers on the porches for that perfect night in the Ozarks all the while offering a modern grill on each cabin to make a stay here both iconic and convenient.   

On the main camping loops you find many sizes and styles of camping sites.    Larger RVs have elongated pull ins for their rigs with large side yard style spaces while smaller rigs have just enough room to pull in and detach so they can go explore.    Pricing reflects the size of the spaces themselves as it does with the style of connections or lack there of.

As a tent camper I noticed the camping loop for tents specifically was very quiet and located slightly away from the RV campers.   A large field separated the two and it made all the difference in way of road traffic and also camping congestion.   Not as many campers come here to stay primitive in the tent only area and it cut down on a lot of the traffic near restrooms as well.

Tent camping loop is basic with fire rings and picnic tables.   There are common water spigots placed for usage but otherwise it is no frills.    Camping here you can walk throughout camp but it is the furthest distance from the main areas for recreation.

Something else nice about this campground  is the access you have to the park itself.  A dedicated shuttle runs to the campground from the park to pick up anyone who is wanting to visit so you do not have to worry about finding parking or driving at all once you arrive.    You can navigate directly to the ticket counter from the campground without lengthy lines waiting for trollies or having to walk further.   Additionally staying here you have additional discounts in the park itself, so keep that in mind if you are planning a trip!!!