Best Tent Camping near Plato, MO

This is a really nice spot for tent camping - even though it’s clearly geared towards RV camping. Make sure to book a walk-in campsite if you’re tent camping, otherwise you’ll be in the lot with the RVs (no trees, no privacy etc see first picture). You’ll have to carry your gear to your site, but not too far. Each walk in site is fairly isolated and separate from the other site by trees. Each site has a wood tent pad, picnic table, and fire ring with grate. If you want you could even go to the lodge (walking distance) for a meal and skip the cooking! Book your spot in advance as it seems like they fill up quickly.

I'd seen a lot of great reviews for this campground, so I had high expectations when we arrived for a night in early November. We reserved a spot in the 900 loop, just to be safe - a few of the camping loops allow reservations, and the rest are walk in. The loop was very open, spaces all fully visible to each other. The bathrooms were locked for the season after 10/15. 

Since things were pretty empty, we moved to the 500 loop, which was more tree covered, near the river, and next to the shower house, which was the one park bath open for the winter. Bathrooms and showers were clean, though no camp host was present the night we stayed. 

We were the only people on the 500 loop, so it was fine, but again - sites VERY close together. Some picnic tables were less than 20 feet apart. The 600 loop was the only heavily occupied loop when were there, filled with campers, presumably because of the electric access. 

This is a NPS campground, so its amenities tend to be fewer than many MO state parks. I have other parks in this area that have more scenic and private tent camping. Just on the other side of the river is the Alley spring and mill, which are lovely - and ironically, some of the picnic sites are more spacious than these tent sites. I wish we could camp on that side!

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.

PROS 

Senior discount 

Check-in via text was easy and fast 

Beautifully maintained state park 

Quiet during week 

Pull-thru Site 102 level, concrete pad surrounded by grass 

Site sufficient length for trailer and tow vehicle 

Metal frame plastic plank picnic table metal fire ring with cooking grate 

Dark sky friendly except for campsites 101-106 

Trash dumpsters throughout campground 1 

Firewood for sale $5 at entrance gate house 

Huge park store! 

CONS. 

1 toilet and 1 shower for 48 campsites in Campground 1. Both door locks did not work. There were lines for the one toilet most of the time!!!

$6.50 Reservation Fee 

Site 102 had a wonderful view of the entrance gatehouse that had blaring lights all night, the one lane dump station and a dumpster 

Campground 101-106 sites slammed together; our campfire ring was 15 feet from neighbors sewer outlet 

Site 102 campfire ring was 2 feet from site unmovable picnic table 

No privacy from any other sites 

No security overnight gate closures 

Would not recommend Park restaurant