Best Tent Camping near Moody, MO

Tent campsites near Moody, Missouri offer a mix of established campgrounds and primitive dispersed options within the surrounding Ozark region. Noblett Lake Recreation Area provides tent-only sites, though recent reviews indicate some confusion about camping availability. Sycamore Loop Dispersed camping area, located west of Moody, offers more secluded options for primitive tent camping, though visitors note that tree growth has reclaimed some former sites.

Most tent camping options in this region feature basic amenities with varying levels of accessibility. Vault toilets are common at established sites like McCormack Lake Recreation Area, while dispersed camping typically lacks facilities. Many campsites require preparation for primitive conditions, with no drinking water available at locations like Sycamore Loop. Access roads can be challenging, particularly after rain, with several campgrounds requiring travel on unpaved forest roads. According to one visitor, "The gate to go down towards this campsite was locked," highlighting the importance of checking current access conditions before arrival.

The tent camping experience in the Ozarks surrounding Moody offers opportunities for solitude and connection with nature. Turner's Mill campground, while small with only 3-4 sites, provides river access and proximity to unique natural features. Boze Mill Float Camp attracts tent campers with its location along the Eleven Point River, where clear waters and natural springs create an appealing backcountry experience. McCormack Lake Recreation Area offers a particularly peaceful setting, with one camper noting that they "had the whole place to ourselves on a Thursday night" with the area "full of chirping birds and frogs." Most tent-only areas in the region are less crowded than developed campgrounds, especially during weekdays and in early spring or late fall.

Best Tent Sites Near Moody, Missouri (23)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Moody, MO

329 Reviews of 23 Moody Campgrounds


  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 12, 2025

    Barkshed Recreation Area

    Mostly walkin tent sites

    Visited here on Oct 7, 2025. Did not camp here. There are a handful of first-come, first-serve primitive sites. I only saw one drive-in site down near the creek. There are about 4 walk-in tent sites up a driveway into a parking area. The walk-in sites are close to the parking area. One site, which is not quite level, has a picnic table. The walk-in sites have metal fire rings. There are 2 clean vault toilets with tp at the campground. No potable water. The tent sites have a dirt and grass surface. There are a few shade trees. Starlink connectivity is possible. No AT&T and T-Mobile service. Nice swimming hole down by the creek. Access to the North Sylamore Creek Trail is at this recreation area. Note that the unpaved forest road approaching the recreation area from highway 14 is sketchy in spots due to Spring storm damage. Sections were being regraded during my visit. Low clearance, 2wd passenger vehicles can make it, but should tread carefully. Also note that, due to storm damage, Tie Ridge Road between Barkshed and Gunner Pool Road was only open to 4x4 vehicles at the time of my visit.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 15, 2025

    Gunner Pool Recreation Area

    Beautiful National Forest Recreation Area

    Camped at site #3 for 3 nights in early October 2025. This site was really good for my camper van; just about level. The site backs up to a beautiful forest. The campground in this recreation area has  27 sites in 3 separate sections. There are some sites at the "pool" which are appropriate for car and tent camping. There is a section down a dirt road along the creek bottom that has a handful of sites; these sites are also good for car and tent camping. I camped in a wooded loop; the sites here can accomodate car, van and tent camping. A few towables may fit in this section. This is a beautiful wooded campground; clean and very well maintained. Most sites are level. Hammock camping is possible in some sites. Most sites have a table, tent pad, lantern pole, metal fire ring and a grill. Some sites are open, some shaded. No hookups. Potable water is located in a central area of the sections; the water was turned on during my visit. There are 4 vault toilets - clean and supplied with tp. Parts of the campground is prone to flash flooding. Very peaceful; the campground wasn't too busy midweek. The campground has access to the beautiful North Sylamore Creek trail. Access to campground on the gravel Gunner Pool Road from Highway 14 was very good during my visit. This forest road goes through the recreation area; it is busier than you would see on typical forest roads. Love this recreation area. One of the best that the Arkansas Ozarks has to offer for outdoor recreation.

  • Renee H.
    Mar. 26, 2024

    Dam - Quarry

    Clean campground, nice location

    Average space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 25, 2021

    Gunner Pool Recreation Area

    Basic but very quiet and peaceful

    General: We were apprehensive about planning to stay at this campground as the nearby one in Blanchard Springs was closed, we could not make reservations, five of the 27 sites were closed due to potential flooding from Hurricane Laura, and access is via a three-mile winding dirt road (not recommended for large RVs but it was navigable for our campervan), so we made alternate backup plans. There was no need to worry, however, as there were plenty of open sites, including some overlooking North Sylamore Creek when we arrived on a Sunday afternoon in mid-October for a hike. 

    Sites/Facilities: Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, tent pad, and lantern pole. There is a central water source.

    Activities/Amenities: This is a no-frills campground – no electric or water hookups, dumpster, playground, or flush toilets – just vault toilets. What struck me most was how quiet it was. There is access to the Sylamore hiking trail; you can hike five miles to the Blanchard Springs picnic area.

  • Tom K.
    Jun. 24, 2018

    Gunner Pool Recreation Area

    Wonderful overnight

    We hiked in to this campground from Blanchard and were pleasantly surprised. It is primitive in some aspects but not overtly so. They have vault toilets that were manageable and spickets for water. We grabbed a site that had a bi-level for the tent and picnic table. There was a fire ring as well. Overall, it has some stuff to do being by the river and a longish trail to explore. We may have been to tired to care about some of the finer details so we were pretty happy with this site!

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 5, 2021

    Gunner Pool Recreation Area

    Remote Inexpensive Camping Along Water

    For Full Video Review. CLICK HERE

    While traveling through this portion of Arkansas I stumbled upon a small roadside for Gunner Pool Recreation Area just a short distance past Blanchard Springs.    3 miles down a gravel, but well maintained roadway, the campground sat nestled between to sections of the water way.     On one side, slow moving water is met by the dam forming the blue toned pool and on the other a gentle flowing stream flanks the massive mountain side.   

    Along the camping loop, spaces are well separated and have plenty of room to spread out.   Each site is equipped with standard camping amenities such as picnic tables, lantern hooks and fire rings.      Vault toilets are centrally located in several areas of camp both on the upper and lower loops.   In addition locking style garbage cans are placed near restrooms. 

    When I visited the Forest Service was on property trimming trees and clearing debris from recent rain.   Their office is located just a short distance from the entry of the roadway, so they are often here to work on the property.

    A little gem in the midst of the campground is located just across from the pay kiosk, the story of the property and the CCC camp which actually created not only this property but also worked on neighboring sites at Blanchard.   Definitely check out the story!!

    Tips:

    • Bring your own envelop for the pay kiosk, when I visited the paper envelops were soggy and unable to be used.    You can easily pull one but putting money in them they simply fell apart.
    • Bring everything.   There are no stores in the camp in addition to no fire wood available at the campsite so make sure you come prepared.    The closest store for major things is located over 15 miles away.
  • Susan R.
    Jul. 14, 2020

    Buffalo Point — Buffalo National River

    Old School CCC Campground on a beautiful river

    Buffalo Point is a very nice, CCC built campground with some old school type campsites. A number of sites are multi-level, meaning the picnic table may be on an elevated platform with steps for access. Some sites you may not be long enough for your entire rig and you would park your tow vehicle next to your camper. Shade was plentiful. There are five different loops. The A&B loops are the closest to the large Buffalo Point sandbar and boat ramp and the sites are very close to one another. The D loop is slightly more spaced out. The E loop is nice but the pads are short. There is an access to the river between the C&D Loops.

    We did not use the restrooms because of COVID19. The ranger stations were closed and there were no programs at this time either.

    The Buffalo River is beautiful and with very few people on the river during the week when we visited. The river was very slow and smooth during our visit and perfect for those just learning to kayak.

    There are a number of hiking trails in the area. Be sure and check whether or not your dog is allowed on the NPS trails before heading out on your hike.

    Our site had a narrow pad and the electric post was located in a position that we could not use the entire length of the pad in order to extend our slide. The seating area of the campsite has great view of the neighboring campsite. But we had some foliar obstruction that provided some privacy from our neighbors on the other side. It appeared that most sites you are going to have a view of your neighbors’ campsites. We did not have enough space to put our patio mat out between our trailer and the picnic table. We spent little time at our campsite so this did not bother us.

    The NPS is starting to use motion detector lights at their parks to help with light pollution. Be sure and take advantage of the opportunity to view the stars from a gravel bar by the Buffalo River. Magical!

  • L
    Jan. 16, 2021

    Spring Creek Campground — Buffalo National River

    Private and Peaceful

    This primitive campground was perfect for me and my dog. We stayed three nights in October 2020. It’s right on a put-in spot on the Buffalo River so there were a couple of buses and shuttles but for the most part it was very quiet. The campsites are a good distance apart, they have plenty of room and have fire rings and picnic tables. Be aware that there is no drinking water and I didn’t get phone service (yay!). There is a vault toilet that wasn’t too bad. I loved this place, and will definitely be back.

  • M
    May. 6, 2022

    Twin Bridges Canoe Campground

    Early season, limited services

    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.


Guide to Moody

Tent camping near Moody, Missouri offers a variety of scenic locations for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from well-reviewed sites to more secluded spots, there's something for everyone.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Rippee Conservation Area provides picnic tables and toilets, making it a comfortable choice for families and groups.
  • Turner's Mill features a beautiful riverside setting with access to fresh water and fire pits for cozy evenings.
  • McCormack Lake Rec Area offers drinking water and trash disposal, ensuring a cleaner camping experience.

Some prices for tent camping range from $0 to $25

  • Rippee Conservation Area is a free camping option, perfect for those looking to save while enjoying nature.
  • Noblett Lake charges around $20-$25 per night, providing a lovely day-use area alongside camping opportunities.
  • Sycamore Loop Dispersed offers a no-cost experience for those who prefer a more rustic setting.

Local attractions for outdoor adventures

  • The Buffalo National River is nearby, providing excellent opportunities for canoeing and fishing, making it a great spot for water lovers.
  • Syllamo is known for its mountain biking trails, perfect for those who enjoy combining cycling with their camping experience.
  • Turner's Mill is close to scenic springs and waterfalls, offering a picturesque backdrop for your camping trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Moody, MO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Moody, MO is COE Norfork Lake Tecumseh Park with a 1-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Moody, MO?

TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Moody, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.