Best Tent Camping near Mount Vernon, MO

After reading from some this was not equipped for tent campers I would have to beg to differ. The campground is great for those camping in a tent!!

I spoke to someone before checking it out and they were more than welcoming but did mention that the grassy spaces were a bit limited. They did however openly welcome tents!!

The ground without grass does pose a bit more of a challenge should you get one of those spaces but with proper padding it is a great location to visit. The water front is great and they do have a dock to access the water for fishing and an area for launching kayaks which is very nice.

Tent area is undeveloped, but the lawn is fairly level, bathrooms and showers are only a short walk away. Nicole showed me to the site and was a wonderful help. Great spot that most people might pass up because its right next to the highway, but honestly you can barely tell aside from the hum of trucks. Bathrooms are beautiful and clean, 2 toilets, 2 showers and a sauna in each. The place is quiet and seems like a lot of people here are long term residents. We are in a tent on the back lawn by a small fishing lake. Nice playground for younger kids and you cant beat the atmosphere and the birds. Free on-site laundry which I took advantage of when I needed to wash and dry my blanket on a cold night. Unfourtunately no campfire for tent camp sites, but bring a camp stove and you'll be fine. They are actively doing renovations and the office isnt open yet, so you have to call the park manager, Kim, for info and she is wonderful. All the staff is. Kim came by and took my son and 2 other kids on a golf cart ride on the trail behind the lake and they had a blast. We are loving it here and are sad to be leaving after the weekend. Update: I have just been informed they have a Willie Nelson impersonator doing a show here tonight, this place would get 6 stars if I could.

We stopped in at Baxter Campground for a few days on our way to Rogers. We were at site 18, right on the water. We camp in a tent, so the tent pad was really appreciated, just a little too close to the fire ring. There were plenty of trees with shade, we had plenty of room for a hammock to enjoy the breeze and lake view.

My only complaint is the shower /washrooms were HOT! There were fans there, but wow you take a shower and then sweat as you are getting dressed. Lol

Would stay again

The groundskeeper was pleasant. The bathrooms very clean and super cute! So many places to tent camp and the view is amazing! I loved all the art work around as well.

Perfectly nice place, very friendly staff, and really not much to complain about. The wifi signal was very weak in the tent sites, but useable. There is a train that goes by occasionally, but didnt bother me. Nice little fenced dog runs, was a cute touch. But at the end of the day it is basically like all KOA’s an RV parking lot with trees. Close to Springfield which is nice, and there arent a lot of great options around this area so it was fine for a one night stay over. Bonus points for being able to get a pizza delivered to my tent site.

I went with my family to go tent camping here. Nice tent spots that are flat. Ground is somewhat hard to get spikes into and depending on the season, expect rain! The woods behind are non threatening, you don’t really have to worry about animals. Fire pits are great too.

Camping was closed due to Covid, but we strolled thru the campgrounds. The tent camping area was spacious and close to the water. The handful of RV sites were very close together and up the hill from the water, without much view.

The lake is nice and quiet, allowing kayak, canoe, and SUP.

Place was fine and well kept. Convenient store and pool and playground were nice. Went on a holiday weekend so I expected it to be crowded. Didnt expect such small tent sites so close together. If it isn't crowded not a big deal.

While this is mostly an RV campground there are some tent campsites that are out of the way and usually free. It is an off-roading park so be aware of the noise.

We loved this campground. My parents brought their camper and we tent camped. The park was beautiful, the facilities were very clean, and the people were friendly! It was nice and quiet, close to the lake, and our children loved the pool! Just a short drive to Branson or to do some mountain biking in the state park! We will be back!

6 of us went down for a 3 night tent camping long weekend. Weather was for casted to be rainy all weekend, luckily it help off except for at night for 2 nights. Campground was great! Unfortunately due to recent flooding the swimming area wasn't as great as normal but still nice. Bathrooms and showers are decent and close to campsites. Lots of tent and rv camping spots. Campground is located right by a marina.

We went in the off season and got a creek March snowstorm our group sampled a little of everything they had to offer. Some tent camping, some staying in the cabins and some in the new bike cabins. They were working on renovating the cabins and adding new tent pads when we were there. Overall was a good place showers were ok but showing their age. Direct access to trails and lake very nice. Had nice group bonfire. Good times overall.

Clean and well maintained KOA. Friendly personnel. Shaded, pull thru sites as well as back-ins, cabins, and tent sites. Sites are very level with crushed stone pads. Good water pressure. Lots of grass. Patio sites are available. Internet is poor, as typical of most RV parks. Cable tv with about 30 channels. Good stopover park.

We had a electric site with a pop up. We arrived and realized it's mostly set up for tent camping. The employees weren't exactly the most welcoming, or informative. It's a neat area though, playground, pretty lake and trails. When we went it looked like they were making some major improvements on the sites, which is great. If you're in a tent or in the bike cabins, go for it. It's totally for you guys. For an rv? I wouldn't do it again. Showers and restrooms weren't awful.

The campground is split by highway 86 with the east side being all paved sites for RVs. It also has the marina. The west side is more wooded and has several sites for tent camping. The sites down by the beach and boat launch are non electric. As mentioned in the other review, the traffic noise is noticeable as is the boat launch traffic, but if you can ignore that this is a great place to relax and enjoy the water.

Busy little older park on a lovely lake near Eureka Springs, AR. Great birdwatching opportunities, nice hiking trails. Mostly tent camping, some with electric. Sites lower and closer to the lake subject to flooding and can get quite boggy after a lot of rain. Reservations must be made via Reserve America, and you'll need to look at the map to get the site number since only a few sites have identifiers. Drive into the park is very beautiful, hilly and curvy!

I didn’t get to stay here, camping was closed due to COVID. However, we did get to see the campgrounds. Tent sites were nice and relatively spacious and close to the water. The hand full of RV sites were underwhelming and close together, and not near the water.

The lake is pretty and quiet, just canoes, kayaks and SUPs allowed.

Also bring your mtn bike, as the downhill park is just outside the park.

We had a nice stay here the campsite was secluded away from everything. The sites were nicely spaced out away from everyone. We stayed at site 23 in the pines which was directly across from the bathhouse but there were only two of the four bathrooms open so it was a little frustrating waiting for a bathroom. But the stay was great it would be a great stay for tent camping, RV or camper. Would definitely recommend and a great view of the dam right when you get to the campground, be sure to stop and take a look.

The campground was closed to tent camping but open for RV’s when I was there(Covid-19 precautions), but I was able to check out the tent area. It’s down by the lake, with some sites at the back of a large meadow with a tree line(a few good hammock trees!) and some sites right next to the lake. I suspect that a lot of these sites next to the lake will flood as they are almost flush with the lake level. Some sites looked brand new with great tables, fire pits, and tent pads. Other sites were definitely older and a little worse for the wear. There is a great trail system in this park, so be sure to take a hike or three. Up in the RV area is a nice playground for the kids(when it is accessible again, after Covid passes), and down by the lake is a big boat launch with fun paddle boats and kayaks for rent(the rental cottage is right there at the boat house, very convenient).