Nelson, MO is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Missouri camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Nelson, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
$11 - $23 / night
$12 - $23 / night
The roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with the peacefulness of rolling hills at Finger Lakes State Park, one of two ATV parks in the state parks system. Built in a former coal mining area, Finger Lakes’ trails and motocross track are popular with users who come for the day, but often fall under the spell of the spacious campground, leafy trees and hilly terrain. The park is also the site of the challenging 2.75-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail.
Finger Lakes State Park offers basic and 30-amp and 50-amp electric campsites.
Looking for a spot to launch your boat, rest your head for the night, or spend some quality time with your friends and family? Cooper’s Landing offers all of this and more! We’re a year-round full-service marina, campground, store, and live music venue on the banks of the Missouri River and right off the Katy Trail. Our family-friendly campground is freshly graded for RV and tent camping and our brand new Backyards and Beyond edition glamping tent package is ready to rent. The country store is stocked with ice, cold beverages, snacks, and firewood. Bring your own grub, or be wowed by the occasional food truck!
$10 - $60 / night
Cottonwoods RV Park is a family & pet-friendly RV Park and Campground that is located in the heart of the Missouri off of US Highway 63 in Columbia, Missouri. We are just 4 miles north of I-70, minutes from the University of Missouri, and just minutes from many local attractions including Warm Springs Ranch: The Budweiser Clydesdales Breeding Ranch.
Our park features paved roads and gravel sites and many indoor and outdoor amenities. Each site is equipped with Full Hook Ups - Electric, Water, and Sewer and a concrete patio and picnic table. Be sure to check out amenities and social calendar pages. We hope while you are here, you will enjoy our friendly, relaxed, and clean atmosphere!
We would love to be your choice for the perfect option for camping whether you are looking for. Come join us and make new memories and lifelong friends!
We are proud to be voted as the 2018 Mid-Size Missouri Park of the Year by the Missouri Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.
$45 - $52 / night
Please arrive one hour before dusk for setup at your site.
A quiet country retreat nestled in the picturesque rural outskirts of Higginsville, Missouri. Our yard consists of 3 acres of a 180-acre farm in which we have three RV sites with water and electric hookups, two camping sites and one on-site travel trailer. Wifi is available at all sites, except one. Green Acres at Red Brick Farm is located just 50 miles east of Kansas City off of I-70 at Exit 49. Once you are off of I-70 your drive is less than 8 minutes away on all blacktop roads. At Exit 49 there is also a Pilot Station for RV fuel ups. Please arrive before dusk! Site 1 is on gravel with 30 amp hookup and water. Site 2 and Site 3 are on gravel with a 20/30/50 amp hookup and water. Site 4 and Site 5 are located on grass with a 20 amp standard outlet. Site 4 and site 5 are in flexible locations. Site 6 Is the on-site travel trailer, ‘Ain’t She Cute’. No pets are allowed in ‘Ain’t She Cute’. It is also great If you would like to bring friends that do not have an RV. The vintage style travel trailer is completely renovated and decorated with collectibles and antiques and is available for booking. It is furnished with a queen size bed, tiny kitchen, TV, wifi, and full size, not trailer size, bathroom. The trailer is for 2 guests, but an additional guest may sleep on the daybed, preferably a child or a small adult. There is an additional fee if you reserve ‘Ain’t She Cute’. Call Annette at 660.909.5573 for rates. We live onsite in our 1920’s Prairie Style home which is also Red Brick Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast with three Guest Rooms available for booking. To find out more about our other lodging choices, visit us online at redshantylodging.com. At your disposal, is the use of our outdoor furniture, a fire pit (firewood is provided), a BBQ grill, and even a horseshoe pit. We also have a shower and bathroom sink in our farmhouse basement and a half bath on the main level for guest use. You are welcome to take a stroll along the winding country road or sit and relax and view the landscape with our dozens of mature shade trees, surrounding row crop fields and pastures. Our restaurant, Red Shanty Cafe and BBQ, is located in the town of Higginsville, about 5 miles from Red Brick Farmhouse. Red Shanty Cafe is open Weds & Thurs, 11am - 8 pm and Fri & Sat, 11am - 9pm. There is also a great little breakfast diner, called Michelle’s Place located just 3 miles from the Farmhouse. Interested in sightseeing we are a short drive from Confederate State Park, Missouri Veteran's Cemetery, and several Civil War sites. In addition to historic sites, numerous of Missouri's finest wineries and orchards are just a 10 to 30 minute drive from our location. You may also want to take a drive or ride on the Old Trails Scenic Byway, Route 24 for a car or motorcycle tour that will reset your pace from city life. We truly hope you enjoy midwest living when visiting Green Acres at Red Brick Farmhouse, Kenton and Annette
$36 - $210 / night
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
$11 - $23 / night
$12 - $23 / night
The roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with the peacefulness of rolling hills at Finger Lakes State Park, one of two ATV parks in the state parks system. Built in a former coal mining area, Finger Lakes’ trails and motocross track are popular with users who come for the day, but often fall under the spell of the spacious campground, leafy trees and hilly terrain. The park is also the site of the challenging 2.75-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail.
Finger Lakes State Park offers basic and 30-amp and 50-amp electric campsites.
Guide
Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses. Camping at lake is open gravel or grass. Nice fishing lake with docks, boat ramp and vault toilet and the only one provided. Parked lakeside. Quite night with one fishing boat late morning. Get a brochure with park map at entrance as roads pass through park and private property.
Scout
Great quite and secluded camp sigh. But can muddy due to sessional flooding
Traveler
Stayed 1 wonderful peaceful night. Electric hookups, water available & shower. Out in the country surrounded by corn fields. Owned by a lovely couple who reside on the property in their old farmhouse. Not far off of I70, but absolutely no road noise. A great place to stay after a long day of driving. Would absolutely stay here again.
Guide
Basic tent site, potable water was right near our site. Bathrooms were clean. There were some families staying nearby but overall was a quiet stay.
Legend
Just stopped for one night on our way east. Friendly host checked us in. Nice dog park with bench and shade. All sites are FHU. They offered to move us to a pull thru, but I picked our site based on proximity to the dog park, so I declined the move. We were in site 38, back-in 30 amp. Sites are a bit tight but no one next door so ok. I recommend for a stopover. Less fancy but nicer for dogs imo than Owl Creek which is one exit away. There is a pond for fishing (no license required) and a swimming pool.
Scout
Great stop 5 minutes off of I-70! The site has three camp sites available with car pull ins and fire rings. Lots of mosquitoes due to the site being right on the water. Also two cats hang out around the site. No bathroom we could find.
Legend
Check-in was quick and easy and we proceeded to pull through site 83 with FHUs. The gravel pad was very long and we had plenty of room for our 40’ rig and F450. The utilities were in the middle of the pad and water pressure was decent at about 40 psi. As we were on the end of a row, we had a lot of front yard space. The sites here are very close together, but long-term guests kept their sites nice and well organized, and overall this CG was very clean. There are mature trees so satellite placement could be challenging. We were able to place our Starlink in the yard area for a good shot to the north sky. We got 4 bars on Verizon and their WiFi worked well for a campground of this size. At the office, they have a nice store and gift shop with one of the best selections of camping shirts etc. that we have seen.
RangerOnly 2 miles off of the highway and is perfect for someone just passing by. I’m on my way from St Louis to Denver and it was perfect for one night. Very quiet but still close enough to hear the hum of the interstate traffic. It looked like there were 3 sites with fire rings and all very nice.
Scout
Nice place, but just didn't care for how much the cops drove threw nonstop, we are camping to get away from people and doesn't make me feel at peace wondering why so many cops always drive thru.
ScoutBeautiful spot on the lake. Clean campground, full hook-ups. Tent and RV friendly. Will stop here again!
Scout
Don’t mistake this for the RV hookup site at Roberts Bluff. It’s a bit further down the road and called Roberts Bluff Access. You will eventually see signs for a Conservation site.
There were about 4/5 spots to pull/back into. Its a small space and really close to the river where you can see huge trout and turtles swimming. There is even a boat ramp.
TravelerVery well tended grounds with enough modern features to make you feel comfortable-
TravelerEnjoyed a campfire before a thunderstorm rolled into the area. Ground away from the campsite was a bit muddy and made a mess. No surprises there! Established campfire ring at 2 spots. Another ring farther down in the turnaround beyond the boat launch.
TravelerSmall, quiet and out of the way. A few spots for camping. No restrooms, electricity or running water.
Scout
Stayed here overnight and the camphor was very friendly and helped us out. Bathrooms and showers were open, super clean. Peaceful and would definitely stay again to venture into the town
ScoutIf your camper has everything you need, it's a good campground. The website says it's 50 amp only, but it has 30 too. When we stayed there in March 2024, the shower/bathroom was locked. No park management came by our site, and when you call to get information, you get city hall telling you you need to call some other number...that they didn't have. So, everything's up to you.
GuideWe liked this place. It was a good place for an overnight camp on our travels. No restroom that we could find. No water or power. Camp is free. It has an old boat ramp so you can get down the the river easier, but water was way too low for a boat when I was there in September of 2023. Down a gravel road a few minutes off the highway in some corn field area. There are only a handful of spaces on the grass. So hopefully you get one or someone is willing to share. We had the place to ourselves.
ScoutGreat spot on my road trip west! Put in some miles and didn’t get in until about 2am and this was easy to find and great spots away from the highway but also didn’t have to trek far away
TravelerPark was full. We could only book a basic site (no hook-ups) through the website but the camp host easily upgraded us to a vacant electric site. Great park to bring your dogs! The walk or drive to the historic town literally park of the park was a surprise with a couple of hiking paths making each trip different from the first.
ScoutDecided to take my time heading from Southern WA to Southern IN and this is the best dispersed camping I’ve seen on this trip. I’ll definitely stop here again if I’m ever heading down I-70, and hopefully I’ll have my RV with me.
TravelerNot bad camp spots here, but there are a lot of drug deals going on here. Don't feel very safe at all. Sept 2023. Update... so I woke up to find out that the other campers we saw were actually homeless people. They're were people in the bathroom strung out on something also. Don't camp here!
ScoutThe security guy will just open the women bathroom door to yell at females instead of waiting at the camp site when there is an issue . Really really creepy
TravelerVery nice, clean and organized campsite. Sites are spaced further apart for great privacy. Host was pleasant and very friendly. Nice to see him driving through the site checking up on things.
ScoutNice free camping to overnight if you are travelling on your RV, close to the highway but without noise. No toillets. Verizon signal works good.
ScoutMy recent encounter with Cottonwoods RV Resort has left me utterly disappointed and disgusted, as their service was marred by deceptive policies, unprofessional behavior and childish behavior
It is disheartening to witness a company that prioritizes playing games and leaning on diplomatic responses over addressing the reality of their actions. From the outset, their reservation process raised concerns with their non-industry standard policy of requiring a 10-day notice for cancellations.
This policy, as I soon discovered, served as a warning sign of their intentions to hold onto customers' money while offering limited options for resolution. It became evident that their primary objective was not to provide a fair and transparent service but rather to maximize their own gains at the expense of customer satisfaction.
Adding insult to injury, when my wife attempted to discuss our concerns with their staff, they not only exhibited unprofessional behavior but also acted defensively, as if they were being attacked. Despite my wife maintaining her composure(while slightly elevating the pitch of her voice, but never yelling or personally attacking the person on the phone), they manipulated the situation by leaning on diplomatic responses that failed to address the reality of their actions. This tactic of deflecting and avoiding accountability only further erodes trust and demonstrates a lack of integrity on their part. It's truly sad to see this behavior come from a"business".
When I personally reached out to express my frustration(and also notify that I will post my factual experiences online), the"manager" absurdly claimed that my communication was threatening merely because I suggested the possibility of visiting their premises to discuss the matter in person. This response showcased a lack of professionalism and an unwillingness to engage in mature dialogue.
The"manager's" attempts to justify their cancellation policy under the guise of protecting customers are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. By allowing customers to reschedule their reservations while vehemently refusing any possibility of cancellation, they revealed their true motive: to retain customers' funds while offering a hollow option for rebooking. This self-serving approach contradicts their claims of protecting customers' interests and exposes their disregard for providing a genuinely satisfactory experience.
What troubles me even more is the realization that my experience is not an isolated incident. Other reviewers have expressed similar encounters, outlining the same deceptive policies, unprofessional behavior, and manipulative tactics employed by Cottonwoods RV Resort
It is disheartening to see a pattern of behavior that consistently prioritizes the company's interests over the well-being and satisfaction of their customers. In their attempts to deflect accountability, the company may try to argue that we were rude or difficult to deal with. However, it is essential to clarify that we were hung up on before any reasonable customer service was provided. When my wife, understandably exasperated, questioned whether an exception could be made in the event of a death in the family, their response was shockingly callous. It became evident that the company's priorities lay solely in financial matters, as they confirmed their lack of concern for any circumstances beyond securing their own profits. I fully anticipate their rebuttal to my reviews to show how holy they are, but again, a diplomatic response to smooth over their reviews and make them always look right.
What a terrible way to do business. If you look at the reviews left below, all are refuted to make the campsite look perfect while neglecting to remember they are in the customer service business.
In conclusion, our unfortunate experience with Cottonwoods RV Resort was tainted by their deceptive policies, unprofessional and childish behavior. Their inclination to play games, lean on diplomatic responses, and avoid taking responsibility for their actions only served to exacerbate my disappointment. I strongly advise prospective customers to carefully consider the consistent feedback provided by other reviewers and approach this establishment with caution. It is regrettable that a company entrusted with providing enjoyable experiences would prioritize such practices, leaving customers feeling frustrated and undervalued.
Here's a list of reviews you should take into consideration:- https://www.yelp.com/biz/cottonwoods-rv-park-columbia?hrid=VEyZyAFwGWP1jVoM1e8Ecw- Terri G- Kicked out for using a generator because of an issue with their power cord- https://www.yelp.com/biz/cottonwoods-rv-park-columbia?hrid=KQVPvdggSdgW16By2HS\_4g- Examples of lying to customers, kicking them out when there is room- https://www.yelp.com/biz/cottonwoods-rv-park-columbia?hrid=KN7D9ews6MEGzIdaT2fWnA- Bad experience- https://www.yelp.com/biz/cottonwoods-rv-park-columbia?hrid=\_NeYWolU-KZYvJQqbSM7eg- Indicating a good experience unitl they get mad with you then they call the police and get defensive- what a great place to stay!- https://www.roverpass.com/c/cottonwoods-rv-park-columbia-mo/- Trying to kick out people who are on Cancer treatments, again they reply to everything thats negative with a rebuttal that frames them as perfect-"Surprised they didn't charge us for breathing..."
Ranger
Nice little camp ground. Lots of open space for the dog to play. 2 nice ponds. Sites are nice & level good space. There is some traffic noise, being next to the interstate. We were able to mask it.
Ranger
We camped out here for the weekend.
The campground is one circular lot with I think around 18 spots. Some are basic just for tents and some have water and or electric.
The ones on the inside of the circle have more space and are more open but you don't have any privacy. Most spots on the outside of the circle, especially on the north and west sides have more privacy but not as much space.
The grounds are well kept with grass while maintained.
I hiked on most of the trails in one day. I missed the memorial trail and boardwalk. Home that I walked on will maintained. Some of them are more difficult than others but none of them too strenuous.
Note about the lake - Once you get to the parking lot for the lake you'll see nothing but trees. On the east side of the parking lot (next to the state park signage/billboard) there are two trail heads. Take the one on the left. There's a quarter mile hike down to the lake. The way back is mostly uphill. Not too steep, but steep enough you might feel it if you don't do much hiking/walking.
Playground It had a nice playground for small kids including a little play area and some swing sets.
Restrooms There were two bathrooms present. One was a traditional drop toilet. It had a solar fan so surprisingly it did not have any smell. The other bathroom has a shower and the women's had two toilets and the men's had one toilet and a urinal. Everything was clean.
Dog-friendliness We did not take any dogs but we saw plenty of people who had dogs.
Camping near Nelson, Missouri, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From scenic trails to family-friendly amenities, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful region.
Camping near Nelson, Missouri, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something to offer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Nelson, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, Nelson, MO offers a wide range of camping options, with 50 campgrounds and RV parks near Nelson, MO and 3 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Nelson, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Nelson, MO is Arrow Rock State Historic Site Campground — Arrow Rock State Historic Site with a 4.4-star rating from 20 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Nelson, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 free dispersed camping spots near Nelson, MO.
What parks are near Nelson, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Nelson, MO that allow camping, notably Harry S. Truman Lake and Blue Springs Lake.
