Best Tent Camping near Plato, MO

Tent Camping Reviews near Plato, MO

390 Reviews of 11 Plato Campgrounds

• 

  Marissa H.

  Traveler

  Aug. 11, 2020

  Timbuktu Campground — Echo Bluff State Park

  Wonderful Swimming Hole

  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.

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• A

  Alicia N.

  Scout

  Nov. 4, 2024

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Small sites with little privacy - campground fine, but not great

  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!

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• 

  Josh C.

  Scout

  May. 20, 2019

  Paddy Creek Recreation Area

  Great for solitude

  $5 recommendation donation for the night. Stayed at this campground as a halfway point hiking the Big Piney Trail loop. Typical primitive campground with toilets, bear-proof trash cans, and camp sites with fire rings and picnic tables, but not much else. Didn’t see any water faucets near our site.

• A

  Aly

  Scout

  Sep. 27, 2020

  Sinking Creek Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  A sweet little spot

  Easy to miss with a quick turn off but once you cross the bridge on the main road you will be curious about the creek below. A handful of primitive camp sites with a fire ring, picnic table & lantern hook. Quick access to the cool creek and the much cooler river—crystal clear waters. Would advise a pair of water shoes for walking the riverbed and water as they are very rocky (available at nearby store if needed).

  A peaceful and inexpensive site to rest your head and rejuvenate in the waters.

• M

  Marty

  Guide

  May. 6, 2022

  Twin Bridges Canoe Campground

  Early season, limited services

  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.

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• 

  Napunani

  Legend

  Dec. 1, 2023

  Bennett Spring State Park Campground

  Fishing Paradise

  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

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• M

  Madison G.

  Traveler

  May. 27, 2024

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Needs tent pads

  Pretty campground with river access and accessible restrooms. Showers were a little far from our loop. I wish the sites had tent pads as it was hard to find a flat spot to place the tent and several holes in the terrain. There is NO cell signal, so I highly recommend you take a weather radio. I wish we had.

• 

  Joe J.

  Traveler

  Sep. 9, 2021

  Fishermans Paradise

  Off the beaten path

  For starters the RV park is about 1/4 down a 1 lane gravel road so if you’re pulling a big rig you better hope you don’t meet another vehicle. All the 50 amp full hookup sites seem to be in use by permanent residents. The 30 amp sites are not on level ground. No water or sewer connections for the 30 amp sites. The road also gets a little steep and winding to the 30 amp sites. Nice small lakes make for a nice view once you get into the valley.

• 

  J K.

  Legend

  Aug. 6, 2019

  Alley Spring Campground — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

  Great campground close to eminence

  This is a great campground that is just outside of eminence and has just about everything that you need from spacious tree covered tent sites to full RV sites as well. Easy access to both the jacks for river and Alley spring Because flooding destroyed the old restroom a new one has been built in its place with a full shower house as well. If you want a nice peaceful campground that is in the heart of the Ozarks scenic River Ways you will definitely want to check this place out