The Dyrt can help you find the perfect horse camping site near Mount Vernon. Finding a place to stay in Missouri while traveling with your horse has never been easier. These scenic and easy-to-reach Missouri campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Roaring River State Park is unique on so many levels! With a deep, narrow valley surrounded by a striking and rugged landscape, Roaring River State Park is one of Missouri’s most popular state parks. Located in the southwest Ozark hills, Roaring River State Park is one of three state parks stocked with rainbow trout and is a great place for camping near Bentonville. Eager anglers flock to the park year round to try and catch their lunker trout. The scenic setting makes everything more fun. The park has seven hiking trails, a swimming pool for cooling off, picnic tables for a leisurely lunch and a nature center to learn about the park. For those wanting to spend the night, the park has many options. The campground has basic, electric and sewer/electric/water site. Rustic cabins are scattered throughout the park or guests may choose a modern room at the Emory Melton Inn and Conference Center. The center also boasts a full-service restaurant.
Hawker Point Campground is a shady campground located on Stockton Lake in the scenic Ozark Mountains of southwestern Missouri. The lake and surrounding landscape offer countless recreational opportunities along its nearly 300 miles of shoreline, providing visitors with many ways to explore one of the most sought-after natural areas in the state.
Boating is always a popular pastime at the lake. Sail boating is especially popular and the lake hosts several races each year. The facility provides a boat ramp for easy access to the water. The waters of Stockton Lake are home to several species of fish including small and largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, walleye, catfish and sunfish, making it an ideal area for anglers. Several trails wind around the lake shore and through the landscape. The Stockton Lake Equestrian Trail continues approximately 15 miles between Hawker Point and Orleans Trail Campgrounds.
The land surrounding the lake contains hundreds of acres of native prairie grasses, rolling hills and thick forests that turn crimson in autumn. An abundance of wildlife lives both in and around the water, including wild turkey, great blue heron, deer and bald eagles. Visitors can learn about the lake's bald eagles by attending an annual eagle-watching event during the winter.
There are three full-service marinas located around the lake, which offer a wide range of services and supplies, including boat rentals, fuel, fishing tackle and restaurants.
$18 / night
Big M is a spacious and grassy campground that sits along the White River Arm of Table Rock Lake in the Missouri countryside. Big M provides plenty of sites with a panoramic view of the beautiful Table Rock Lake, surrounded by the scenic foothills of the Ozark Mountains.
Whether on water or land, Big M Campground offers visitors countless recreational activities. Picnicking, swimming, scuba diving, boating, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing are all popular pastimes at the park. With a large marina located just a short walking distance from the campsites, boating and fishing enthusiasts will find they have everything they need to enjoy the deep, clear waters of Table Rock Lake. While the lake boasts an abundance of crappie, catfish, and bluegill, Table Rock is most famous for bass, and is acclaimed as one of the best bass fishing lakes in this hemisphere. Multiple fishing tournaments are hosted yearly and anglers will there is no shortage of Largemouth, Smallmouth, White or Spotted bass. For visitors interested in staying near shore, a designated swimming beach near the campground's volleyball court, offers a convenient way to cool off during warm summer months. Table Rock Lakeshore Trail, about 2 miles long, runs from the Dewey Short Visitor Center to the Table Rock State Park Marina. During the spring hikers will see dogwood, serviceberry and redbud trees in bloom as well as many wildflower species. During the autumn months, visitors are treated to nature's colorful fall foliage. The trail also offers beautiful views of Table Rock Lake. Other hiking and mountain biking opportunities are available at the Mark Twain National Forest, parts of which are easily accessible from the campground. Click here for more information.
Table Rock Lake is a beautiful body of water surrounded by a forest of oak and hickory trees. Its waters wind down through the valleys and hollows of the Ozark Mountains, from Branson, Missouri to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. More than five million visitors per year take advantage of this recreational oasis. Originally built for flood control, the Table Rock Dam has created a lake that boasts 779 miles of shoreline for the public to enjoy.
The Dewey Short Visitors Center is located at the south end of Table Rock Dam. It offers three educational films focused on the history of the dam, the story of Lewis and Clark and the history of eagles and their endangerment in the state of Missouri. The visitor center also contains exhibits on the natural history of the area. Those visitors arriving by boat can take advantage of the courtesy dock.
$28 / night
Orleans Trail Campground is a shady campground located on Stockton Lake in the scenic Ozark Mountains of southwestern Missouri. The lake and surrounding landscape offer countless recreational opportunities along its nearly 300 miles of shoreline, providing visitors with many ways to explore one of the most sought-after natural areas in the state.
Boating is always a popular pastime at the lake. Sail boating is especially popular and the lake hosts several races each year. The facility provides a boat ramp for easy access to the water. The waters of Stockton Lake are home to several species of fish including small and largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, walleye, catfish and sunfish, making it an ideal area for anglers. Several trails wind around the lake shore and through the landscape. The Stockton Lake Equestrian Trail continues approximately 15 miles between Hawker Point and Orleans Trail Campgrounds.
The land surrounding the lake contains hundreds of acres of native prairie grasses, rolling hills and thick forests that turn crimson in autumn. An abundance of wildlife lives both in and around the water, including wild turkey, great blue heron, deer and bald eagles. Visitors can learn about the lake's bald eagles by attending an annual eagle-watching event during the winter.
The Orleans Trail Marina is located nearby with camping and full marina services available.
$160 / night
Bar-K Wrangler Camp is a primitive horse camp, with limited picnic tables and fire rings and one vault toilet. Parking to accommodate stock trailers and towing vehicles. Bar-K is located on the west bank of Swan Creek, serves as a Trailhead for the Swan Creek Trail and is open year round. Pack in/Pack out garbage. Click Here for a Recreational Opportunity Guide about this site. For information on the Swan Creek Trail.
Bar M Resort is a beautiful vacation spot located in Branson West, Missouri.
The resort is situated on 10 unspoiled acres on a private cove of
Table Rock Lake, offering both lodging and campground accommodations to cater to a variety of tastes.
The resort is versatile, featuring everything from primitive camping to camping cabins, making it a unique property.
It also has full hook-up RV sites with 50- or 30-amp electric Notably, the resort includes a sparkling
swimming pool with a water slide, a boat dock, and a launch ramp.
All on 10 beautifully manicured acres on the shores of Table Rock Lake just minutes from Branson.
If you are interested in a fantastic Table Rock Lake Resort vacation, this is the place for
you and both Branson, Missouri and Springfield, Missouri are only a short drive away.
Bar M Resort is perfectly suited for family reunions with both cabins and camping facilities and a large
picnic pavilion for large family meals and meetings.
$50 - $60 / night
Swan Creek is an 8,488 acre area that provides for year-round nonmotorized dispersed recreation use as it is a designated Semi-Primitive Nonmotorized (SPNM) Area. There are approximately 20 miles of moderately used riding, hiking, and mountain bike trails available. Swan Creek itself offers swimming, fishing, and a non-potable water supply. For more detail of the trail visit Map of the Trail System. Trail System Map (printable) and Trail System Map GEO Referenced for use with Map Apps
Traveler
No amenities other than composting toilets. There are a few tent sites along the road and there is plenty of grassy area near the creek for RVs/trailers. This is a horse camp with plenty of evidence, but it was only us and a couple of other tent campers.
The creek was obviously spring fed, crystal clear and had a gravelly bottom. There were plenty of places to get in the water...understanding that this is horse camp.
The place was well maintained and mowed and it was super peaceful and quiet. The main annoyance was some trash in fire pits along the creek.
If you consider this as a waypoint, two things:
1. There is about a mile of dusty, gravel road that is a little rough.
2. We had great T-Mobile 10 miles south, but it dropped to zero by the time we drove into camp.
Scout
Campground was nice and maintained. Showers in campground 2 were dirty.
GuideWe had a family reunion here and rented out some cabins. It was a great time. Fishing is great. Listening to the river while falling asleep is also hard to beat.
ScoutI went here with a group of friends looking for a free campsite that had enough space.
This place is great! When we arrived a few people were sitting in the creek so we moved further up stream and found a nice site with easy creek access. We were likely the only group for at least 2 square miles.
Guide
We stayed at Big M in campsite 44 in mid-May. The campground was definitely lively and there was a lot of people and activity going on the whole time, though everyone was very pleasant. It was more college kids/large families than the quiet retired crowd. Our campsite had a lot of privacy on 3 sides and had a small creek running through a ways behind it, downhill. There really wasn't a good level spot for our tent due to where the firepit was placed so we had to sleep on an incline. And the drive for the spot was at a pretty decent incline so a camper would definitely need to be leveled. A smaller tent could probably squeeze in well. The marina had a decent restaurant where you could get a beer and dinner. It's not too far of a drive from Roaring River which has lots of hiking trails. The bathrooms were pretty outdated and you need to bring your own hand soap, but that's pretty normal. The showers were a ways away from our site so did not end up seeing them.
LegendOpen: year round
FREE
FCFS
Pack it in Pack it out
LNT
This a primitive horse camp that is not far off the highway. It is far enough that it is or can be quiet. It is also great for star gazing, hiking, mountain biking and trail rides. Swan Creek runs along side the camp so you will need to be aware of possible flash floods if you are camped right next to the creek. There are picnic table, fire ring and a pit toilet. NO WATER
BTYFI
Travel safe
GuideGreat place to fish. Nice open camp spots, easy access to hiking trails and great fishing!
GuideSpent a quick one night passing thru here. Sites just ok but surrounding area and hiking nice. If fly fishing is your thing then this place will do it.
GuideWe pulled in several hours early and were allowed to go immediately to our campsite, #121. The camp hosts were extremely nice. It was a back-in, across the road from the river, and next door to the bathrooms. The campsites around us were electrical only, but it just so happens that the water for our area was at site 121. This was a very shady site. It rained off and on all afternoon and evening. That didn't keep us from enjoying the beautiful Roaring River and pointing out all the trout visible in its waters. This is a fisherman's heaven.
While there is much to do at Roaring River, for us it was cut super short. The National WX service issued flood warnings, so at 10:15pm our camp host knocked on our door and said the Park Ranger advised us to leave. Even with the light rain, this particular site was already full of puddles. So we obediently packed up, with water up to our ankles as we headed for high ground. As the following day's forecast continued with rain and predictions of flood we bailed and headed for a different campground. The rest rooms were clean and there were plenty of individual showers, but we did not have a chance to check them out.
GuideOur yearly trip to Roaring River is one of our favorites. We stay in the duplex cabins on site and my wifes family stays next door. We fly fish for trout and have a blast!
Guide
I have been hiking here twice but haven’t camped yet. The trails and the river make for some great scenery. Be wary of the water level, this can impact any hiking you might be looking to do, so be ready.
GuideOur girls had a blast there! For first timers, this place is great! Quiet, relaxing, and a nice hatchery/hiking area!
ScoutWe tent camped in Campground 3 at lot 168. We are more of the hiker, woodsy, adventure type people. If I would have known better I would have chosen Campground 1 for tent camping, as it seemed less groomed. Campground 1 was tucked up in an inlet that went back into the valley. It dead ends at a wonderful trailhead. The west side on CG#1 is lined by a beautiful creek that runs into the rotating river. Lots 54-77 are close to the bathrooms and well shaded, and I have them noted in my phone for our next trip. Reservations required and easy to make (1-877-422-6766)
Campground 3 was very open and didn’t feel very “woodsy”. However it was still a very nice spot with a short walk to some awesome fishing spots. It is also near the two longer trail heads, which we enjoyed. If you have ATT you won’t have any cell service here. BUT.. there’s WiFi. Yes. In 2021, you can get WiFi at your campsite. I don’t really like this, but it was helpful for my partner who is a businessman and needs to be able to send emails. (This was only from CG#3 in my experience)
Campground 2 seemed like a nice in between of 1 and 3. It was a little more shaded, but seemed to have more traffic.
Every campground offered basic, electric, or all the fancy stuff. We like to rough it, so that wasn’t for us. We will be back for sure!
TravelerDecent place to shoot and walk the pupps
GuideNot my favorite of all parks but also not one to miss. Roaring river state park has a working trout fish hatchery. You can walk the holding tanks and feed the trout from baby to ready to be released into the river. There is also a cave you can walk in where you’ll find a pool of water that goes for miles underground. Roaring river has three different campgrounds. I prefer ground one and two...however the downside is the spots are not very spacious / far apart from those camping next to you. There are also several hiking trails through out the park, a visitors center, bath houses, a pool, and swimming holes (the water is very cold—great in the hot summer)
They are currently redoing the park in a multi million dollar project. The plan was to be completed already however due to COVID19 there have been some delays. I am excited to see the improvements once complete.
TravelerBut here we go....
This place is AMAZING! Gun range, Horse Riding Trails, Camping and a water source. The scenery is so breathtaking and you never want to leave!
Traveler
Definitely one of the most peaceful and tranquil campsites I ever stayed. Great place for families too. Access to Table Rock, Game Room, Pool and Jacuzzi. Small cabins and A-frames to rent. They have it all. This is my getaway!
GuideThis is a COE facility. Pads are generally good and pretty level. Sites are spaced out nicely. There is a marina here with a restaurant that is open during the season. It had just closed on Labor Day when we were here. I would definitely recommend it and I would stay here again. There is not a lot to do though if you are not going out on the lake. We drove over and spent the afternoon at Roaring River State Park, which is very near by.
GuideNice place to walk in the woods, camping by permit, short drive from Springfield, high traffic
TravelerWe recently stayed here for thr first time and we can't wait to go back! Our camp attendants were amazing! The river is striking. Everyone is so friendly. We hiked, fished, swam, and enjoyed the nature center (2 kids 3 dogs). We are anxious to ckme back during different seasons to watch Natures beauty and wonder!
RangerI grew up 30 miles from RR.. over the years I have camped or visited here it has grown and in some cases gotten a little crowded, but with good reason, it’s a beautiful and fun site with lots to do in and around the park area. From wishing to ORV to hiking to lake access it’s an all around fun area. The Trout farm is a fun tour and the trails around the area are easy to access.. big sites in most areas, the upper area has full hookups while the river bottom is not.
Guide
Lake camping isn't my favorite because often times the sites are too close together for the privacy and quiet that I prefer that being said Hawker point is my favorite lake campground. Many sites are well spaced and shaded. Campground host is friendly
GuideJust 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!
TravelerWe've enjoyed a week here and have had a blast!
TravelerI enjoy camping here because the sites are spacious. The lake is clear and has good fishing. The bath houses leave a little to be desired. You have drive half a mile to get to them.
ScoutI’ve been going here every year since I can remember. The camping trip to roaring river state park is the one thing I look forward to every year.
GuideAll the campsites are fairly level and the entire park is nicely maintained. There is not water hookup at each site, but fresh water fill stations are easily accessible throughout the park. Great layout for family walks or kids to ride their bikes throughout. The bathhouses are nice and taken care of. The river is stocked with trout daily. There a few hiking trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mount Vernon, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mount Vernon, MO is Roaring River State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mount Vernon, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Mount Vernon, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
