Best Tent Camping near Noel, MO

Conservation areas and public lands surrounding Noel, Missouri offer several backcountry tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts. Gibson Spring Back Country Site in Fort Crowder Conservation Area stands out as a highly-rated tent-only camping destination, accessible via a short hike-in trail. Flint Creek, located in neighboring Oklahoma, provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities and creek access. Highwater Camp on the Illinois River offers tent campsites with river access, though availability is limited. These primitive tent camping areas serve as gateways to the natural landscapes of the Missouri-Oklahoma-Arkansas tri-state region.

Most tent-only sites in the area feature minimal improvements and basic facilities. Gibson Spring Back Country Site includes picnic tables and trash receptacles but requires visitors to treat spring water for drinking. According to a camper review, "This site would be great for someone just getting into backpacking as it is a short hike to the campsite from the closest trail head (took me only seven minutes)." The trailhead can be difficult to locate as road signage is limited. Flint Creek offers more amenities including toilets and electric hookups, while maintaining a rustic tent camping experience. Sites typically have fire rings where permitted, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods.

Tent campers frequently use these areas for water-based recreation and hiking. Flint Creek features what one visitor described as "a gorgeous little natural waterfall right under the highway" and "expansive swimming and wading areas." The creek provides deep pools and shallow areas suitable for various swimming abilities. At Highwater Camp, campsites are "large and open with lots of shade trees" but require careful placement during high water periods. Visitors noted the privacy compared to more crowded campgrounds in the region. Fort Crowder Conservation Area offers 11 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, making it an excellent base for backcountry tent camping adventures.

Best Tent Sites Near Noel, Missouri (9)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Noel, MO

1 Photos of 9 Noel Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Noel, MO

595 Reviews of 9 Noel Campgrounds


  • Matt S.
    Jul. 23, 2017

    Lost Bridge South

    Stay at South Bridge for Lakeside camping and beautiful scenerey

    I really like Lost Bridge South and Lost Bridge North. They are on the banks of Beaver Lake and are beautiful. The only downside is both campgrounds are built on the slopes of a hill. The RV and camper pads are level with asphalt, but to pitch a tent can be a bit tricky to find level ground.

    Personally I do not like pitching my tent on concrete or rock pads, I prefer good old grass and dirt. Both my tent and my back last a little bit longer when on soft ground versus rocks.

    The facilities were clean nice. The showers and bathrooms were pretty good. The only problem was there were no soap dispensers, so bring your own if you like clean hands.

    This is a solid four star campground. I highly recommend getting a campsite next to the lake. We had a lot of fun with some great views.

  • M
    Mar. 6, 2022

    Lost Bridge North

    Off Season Perfection

    Visited here in early spring and were spoiled with amazing lake views and not many neighbors. When the trees leaf out I’m guessing you still would have good privacy. No water hook ups at the site (if you need to fill your tank the water next to vault toilet by the lake is the most flat) but 30 amp hook up made it very comfortable. Large concrete picnic tables and fire rings (some also have grills) at each site. Close enough to Bentonville to spend a day in town or exploring Crystal Bridges!

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 22, 2021

    Gopher Valley - Twin Bridges — Grand Lake State Park

    Pleasant RV/Tent campground

    Gopher Valley campground in on of several campground in the Twin Bridges area of Grand Lake State Park.  This campground is fully paved with both full hook up RV camping area, tent camping area and areas that work for both.  Campground have drive through and pull in sites.  Sites all have picnic tables and metal fire rings.  Campground has a large pavilion which can be rented.  The pavilion has a huge BBQ grill.  Campground has a small playground for the kids.  Small restroom with showers is available.  With the exception of the RV pull through sites all the other sites have plenty of grass to set up a tent.  Sites can be reserved.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 22, 2021

    Eagle Bluff - Twin Bridges — Grand Lake State Park

    Tent camping with covered picnic tables

    Eagle Bluff campground has both RV and tent camping spots.  Drive in sites have electrical, picnic tables, metal fire rings, BBQ grills and paved parking pads.  The nice part of this campground is the undeveloped camping area for those tent campers, the sites while close together have Shelters over most of the sites picnic tables as well as BBQ grills.  Sites with electricity have plenty of room for setting up tents.  Campground has a new playground for the kids.  Rest room has showers as well.  Horseshoe pits and a basketball hoop are also available.  Sites can be reserved.  A Pavilion is available.

  • Heather P.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 19, 2018

    Natural Falls State Park Campground

    Where the Red Fern Grows

    This State Park is best known for the filming of the movie Where the Red Fern Grows and it's understandable why. The falls and the trails/nature walks are beautiful. Very easy hiking/walking with a nice reward on views of the falls and river/stream.

    Now the camping. There is an RV area and a Tent only area. When we arrived (Oct) the RV area was pretty filled up and we prefer less neighbors, plus we were tent camping. So off to the Tent camping area. The sites were nice and level but no real break up/divide between sites. Luckily there was only 2 other Tent campers when we showed up so we chose the opposite side of the area. There were fire rings, grills and cement picnic tables.

    There are full facilities and the camp host does a great job keeping them maintained and also checking in on all the campers/RV'rs.

  • S
    Oct. 21, 2019

    Natural Falls State Park Campground

    Great for small family

    We chose the rv site 16 from their website before ever seeing what the campground looked like in person. It is the site toward the back of the rv park overlooking the bluffs. 

    Our site had plenty of tree cover that kept us from seeing the bluffs; but it also provided for a cool experience looking out of the back windows of our camper, especially at night. 

    The sites are a bit too close to one another. But our neighbors in site 15 were super cool. We came with only one bundle of firewood and they quickly provided us with more than enough to have a great time, and more than enough for the next morning. 

    The reason it gets 4 stars is because the sites are too close to one another. What was especially strange is that the fire ring that belongs to site 15 was actually directly behind our pad on site 16. Our fire ring was located between our site and the other neighbor's site (17) next to us. Very strange.

    The campsite otherwise was wonderful. Our kids loved the two playgrounds. The weather was great. So we took a quick stroll through the woods and to the small waterfall nearby. Would definitely go again, maybe even to book two or three sites next to one another, being so close. That would be fun for a larger group.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2017

    Lake Wedington -- Temporarily CLOSED

    Picture Perfect camping

    A gorgeous park in the Ozarks National Forest close to the civilization in Fayettville Arkansas. This place reminded me of Lake Lure from “Dirty Dancing” with its historical buildings and beautiful lake. Super quiet at night, there were about 18 campsites in the campground (none with electric or hookups), all reservable. This was somewhat a problem as I lacked reservations. While the campground was almost empty (there were only 5 other campers), there were only two sites that were “open” for the night. An impending storm kept many from showing up, and by morning there were only 3 tents still set up. Each site had a nice tent pad that according to the campground host drained well (except for one site on the hill, can't remember which site number, which fortunately wasn’t available), grills, and fire rings. I ended up with site #10 with a great view of the lake. In fact the only thing really separating me from the lake was a nice bit of lawn and the lake trail. The hosts had put up solar lights along the path through the trees to the bathroom, which would have been helpful if not for the relentless rain that kept everyone from wandering about in the dark. In the morning I didn’t have to share the shower house with anyone except the spiders as only 3 other campers stuck it out through the night and their sites were closer to the other shower house. While not modern by any means, the shower house was clean and the water was hot. Just know that you will need to push the water button several times to get a good rinse as it only seemed to run the water for about 2 minutes a push. I didn’t drive over to check out the cabins, but I understand that you can rent a historical cabin if tent camping isn’t your thing.

  • Tom K.
    Jun. 2, 2017

    Withrow Springs State Park Campground

    Great for Hiking Hobbs/ Visiting Eureka

    We have debated staying here for years but with the cost for an RV spot at $30+ per night, we were priced out. However, last fall they opened 10 walk in tent camping spots and we were sold. The cost is the normal amount of around $12 a night for a tent site and each comes with a great spot for the tent, a fire ring, and a table. The campground gets loud but it is always enjoyable. The grounds have hiking trails and a pool. We have never been on the War Eagle River to float as it is only seasonal.

  • Dexter I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 29, 2021

    Angler's Paradise - Twin Bridges — Grand Lake State Park

    Camp between two rivers

    Angler's Paradise campground is a 20 site campground in the Twin Bridges area of Grand Lake State Park.  The campground sits between the Neosho and Spring rivers.

    17 of the sites are RV sites with hook ups, the last three are primitive tent sites.  All sites have Picnic tables and BBQ Grills.  Some sites have hooks for lanterns.  Restrooms are on site as well as water and trash service.  Most of the RV sites are right up against each other with little room between.  It appears that this will be a busy site due to the very large boat launch at the campground.  The campground is also just off of U.S. Highway 60 so expect some road noise.  The campground does have a shelter as well that can be rented for $51.


Guide to Noel

Tent campsites near Noel, Missouri are primarily situated in the hilly Ozark landscape with elevations ranging from 800 to 1,200 feet. The area experiences humid summers with temperatures averaging 90°F in July and moderate winters with occasional snow. Spring camping requires preparation for sudden thunderstorms, while fall offers cooler temperatures and colorful foliage across the conservation areas.

What to do

Water activities along Flint Creek: Flint Creek offers multiple swimming areas with varying depths suitable for different swimming abilities. One camper notes, "They have a nice, expansive swimming and wading area all along the creek. There are deep pools and shallow wading areas to fit all ages and abilities." The creek maintains comfortable swimming temperatures from late May through September.

Trail exploration at Fort Crowder: Fort Crowder Conservation Area contains 11 miles of multi-use trails accessible from Gibson Spring Back Country Site. These trails wind through oak-hickory forest and open meadows. A visitor mentions the site "has plenty of room for numerous tents" and is accessible via "a short hike to the campsite from the closest trail head."

Wildlife viewing at Elephant Rock: The nature park provides habitats for deer, turkey, and various bird species. A visitor recommends it as a "Great hiking area" with "beautiful breathtaking views. Especially sunsets and rises." The park remains open year-round but limits access during severe weather conditions.

What campers like

Privacy at river sites: Highwater Camp provides secluded tent sites along the Illinois River. A camper reports, "You will enjoy the privacy compared to other campgrounds in the area that have large crowds." These sites accommodate small to medium groups but require booking well in advance during summer months.

Beginner-friendly backpacking: The short access trail to Gibson Spring appeals to novice backpackers. The campsite includes "several picnic tables, a trash can and a BBQ grill that someone left behind," making it suitable for those new to dispersed camping. Water from the spring requires treatment before consumption.

Waterfall features: Flint Creek has natural water features that appeal to swimmers and photographers. A camper describes "a gorgeous little natural waterfall right under the highway so you can see when you drive by." These water features remain accessible year-round but are most impressive during spring runoff.

What you should know

High water concerns: Riverside camping requires monitoring water levels, particularly at Highwater Camp. A reviewer advises, "Be careful when camping, as it is near the river and if the water gets high, you will need to move up to the higher bank." Campsites nearest the water may become unusable during heavy rain periods.

Limited facilities: Most tent sites in the region provide minimal amenities. At Mountain View Camping, facilities include basic toilets and showers, but a camper describes it as "Off grid type camping... Not bad place... Owner is very nice." Campers should bring sufficient supplies as resupply options are limited.

Seasonal considerations: Summer temperatures frequently exceed 90°F with high humidity. Fall and spring offer more comfortable camping conditions with temperatures between 50-75°F. Winter camping is possible but requires cold-weather gear as temperatures regularly drop below freezing at night.

Tips for camping with families

Child-friendly swimming areas: Elephant Rock Nature Park provides safe natural swimming areas. One visitor confirms it's a "Family friendly, good for hiking and Bigfoot looking!! Kid friendly area." The park maintains clean facilities and offers shallow water areas appropriate for younger children.

Educational opportunities: Conservation areas include interpretive trails identifying local plant species and geological features. The distinctive elephant-shaped rock formation serves as an educational landmark. A visitor mentions, "There's really a rock that looks like an elephant, too!"

Group meal options: Some campgrounds provide occasional community meals. At Mountain View Camping, "They feed you Friday night and Sunday morning," which reduces meal planning needs for families. These meals typically feature simple campfire cooking but accommodate basic dietary restrictions with advance notice.

Tips from RVers

Access limitations: Most primitive tent sites in the area restrict RV access due to narrow, unpaved roads. Heavenly Hollow explicitly requires 4WD vehicles, making it unsuitable for most recreational vehicles. Sites with RV accommodations typically limit size to under 25 feet due to turning radius constraints.

Alternative camping options: For RVers seeking proximity to tent-only areas, established campgrounds with electric hookups exist within driving distance. Flint Creek offers some electrical connections while maintaining a natural setting. A seasonal camper reports, "I camp here for a few weeks every year," suggesting consistent availability for longer stays.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Noel, MO is Gibson Spring Back Country Site - Fort Crowder Conservation Area with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Noel, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.