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Best Tent Camping near Pomona, MO

352 Reviews

Tent campsites near Pomona, Missouri include several primitive options along the Eleven Point River and surrounding areas within the Mark Twain National Forest. Sycamore Loop Dispersed offers drive-in tent camping with minimal amenities, while McCormack Lake Recreation Area provides tent sites with basic facilities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. Both locations offer secluded camping experiences typical of the Ozark region.

Most tent campgrounds in this area feature unpaved access roads that may become difficult to navigate during wet weather. McCormack Lake Recreation Area maintains toilets and trash collection but lacks drinking water and electrical hookups. Whitten River Access provides tent camping with river access via a boat ramp, though the gravel road in is rough and challenging for larger vehicles. Vault toilets are available at most established sites, but campers should bring all necessary supplies including drinking water. Several locations like Turner's Mill and Boze Mill Float Camp offer primitive tent camping with picnic tables and fire rings but minimal other amenities.

The tent camping experience in this region centers around water access and natural features. Turner's Mill provides tent sites adjacent to crystal-clear springs and the Eleven Point River, offering excellent fishing opportunities and swimming holes. Sycamore Loop Dispersed camping provides more isolation, though recent visitors note that "new tree growth has taken over" many former campsites. Whitten River Access is particularly popular among kayakers and anglers seeking riverside tent camping. A camper described McCormack Lake Recreation Area as "peaceful and full of chirping birds and frogs," noting they "had the whole place to ourselves" on a weeknight. Most tent sites throughout the region offer good shade coverage and access to hiking trails, with the best experiences found at locations farther from main roads.

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Best Tent Sites Near Pomona, Missouri (22)

    1. Noblett Lake

    4 Reviews
    Willow Springs, MO
    11 miles
    Website

    $50 / night

    "There is plenty of wildlife around and a lake not too far away from you. It is around 20 -25 dollars a night. I think this place is perfect for a wedding"

    2. Sycamore Loop Dispersed

    2 Reviews
    Willow Springs, MO
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (573) 364-4621

    3. Rymers Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

    2 Reviews
    Birch Tree, MO
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (573) 323-4236

    $5 / night

    "This is on the Jacks Fork River, blue green crystal clear water, vault toilets only, in October after closing can be solo camping.           "

    4. McCormack Lake Rec Area

    4 Reviews
    Alton, MO
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (573) 364-4621

    "We had a local with his hounds running around with a flashlight looking up trees for about an hour around 9PM. I'm guessing he was raccoon hunting...?"

    "Totally alone with a gorgeous lake."

    5. Rippee Conservation Area

    3 Reviews
    Vanzant, MO
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (417) 256-7161

    6. Turner's mill

    4 Reviews
    Alton, MO
    36 miles

    "I grew up going here and it is great , there is great trout fishing and several real good swing holes the campsites are right beside the river which is really nice , the only issue is the restroom is a"

    "River access and super close to stream/cave/waterfall area. Water from the cave is so fresh and clear! Truly a beautiful area!"

    7. Boze Mill Float Camp

    6 Reviews
    Alton, MO
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (573) 364-4621

    "Several dedicated camp sites that each have fire ring, shepherds hook, picnic table. There is one pit toilet building."

    "Great place to go primitive if the weather is right and no matter the weather, the water is beautiful. Our favorite time to go is in the fall when the leaves begin to change."

    8. Whitten River Access

    2 Reviews
    Alton, MO
    39 miles

    "There's a vault toilet. It's otherwise primitive camping. Our group kayaks in during trout fishing trips and have never had a problem finding a place to camp."

    "No one around on this 5 degrees F night. Access road is steep but not rough."

    9. Whitten acces

    1 Review
    Alton, MO
    38 miles

    10. Cedar Grove/Dee Murray Backcountry Camping — Ozark National Scenic Riverway

    2 Reviews
    Jadwin, MO
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (573) 323-4236

    "Campground is very primitive you have to walk up a large Hill to get to the porta potty and is sometimes noisy with all the floaters but all in all a great place to go."

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Pomona, MO

5 Photos of 22 Pomona Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Pomona, MO

352 Reviews of 22 Pomona Campgrounds

  • Renee H.
    Mar. 26, 2024

    Dam - Quarry

    Clean campground, nice location

    Average space between sites. Level paved sites with gravel picnic area including picnic table, fire ring, lantern hanger. Some sites had covered picnic area. Limited shade, most sites don’t have trees. Good access to sites. Clean and private bathrooms. Each room had its own lockable bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. Garbage cans were outside of bathrooms, as well as dumpsters near the registration building. Friendly staff upon check in. Campground was patrolled regularly. No laundry or recycling. Nearby road with little road noise. Verizon cell signal was excellent. There is a dump station and potable fill station. No store or food for purchase on site. No hiking in campground, but multiple trails nearby. Boat ramp at campground and lots of wading fly fishing in river. Fish hatchery across from campground.

  • Marissa H.
    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.

  • Kelsie L.
    Sep. 18, 2020

    Loggers Lake Campground

    Nice camping right on the lake

    Loggers Lake campground runs along the 22 acre Loggers Lake near Bunker, MO in the Mark Twain National Forest.

    Be prepared for a decent amount of driving on gravel county roads. The route from bunker itself has a bit less while the route to Salem is longer on gravel with a handful of water crossings.

    There are 14 sites which all have parking, picnic table, and fire ring. Most have lantern poles. Most back right up to the lake. Most have back in parking which can accommodate a vehicle with trailer. The first few sites have split parking, which can house your trailer in one spot and vehicle next to it, but not long enough to back in without disconnecting. At the beginning of the campground there is a swimming area with picnic tables, grills, and a vault toilet. After this, there are the sites mentioned above with split parking. Tent sites and tables are down a hill from the parking spots here. There is a small fork with a parking lot and a handful of sites - while we were here there was an RV in this area. I believe this would be the only place a full RV could park in the campground. Finally is the main campground loop. There is another vault toilet at the beginning of the loop. Both vault toilets were relatively clean. One had air fresheners in it. There is water access near the vault toilet. On the loop, all exterior sites back up to the lake. There are two sites on the center of the loop which would be very nice for a large group. The lake itself is beautiful and easy to access. There is a boat ramp at the campground loop and a spot at almost every site to put in a kayak or canoe.

    There is a 1.5 mile trail along the lake which begins at the campground loop. There is a spur to the spillway. The trail does not seem to be very heavily traveled, expect to walk through brush and spider webs!

  • A
    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!

  • Josh C.
    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
    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
    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.

  • Wayne P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 21, 2020

    Lakeview - Bull Shoals Lake

    Wonderful camping

    Great site to camp. Concrete pads and asphalt driveway. Good road around campsites. Pads are very level. Sites have a lot of space between them with many Oak shade trees. Covered picnic table. The table was newer aluminum and clean. Camping at it’s best. Good water and electric hook up. Dump station has two stalls and is in great shape.

  • M
    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.

Guide to Pomona

Tent camping near Pomona, Missouri centers around the Eleven Point River watershed in the eastern Ozark Highlands at elevations between 800-1,400 feet. The region features limestone and dolomite geology with numerous springs feeding crystal-clear rivers. Most campsites require navigation of unpaved forest roads that can become impassable after heavy rainfall, particularly during spring storm season.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: The Eleven Point River at Turner's Mill offers excellent trout fishing in clear waters. "There is great trout fishing and several real good swing holes the campsites are right beside the river which is really nice," notes visitor Glen T.

Spring exploration: Visit Boze Mill Float Camp to experience unique geological features. "There is a beautiful blue spring coming out of the bottom of a pool formerly used to power Boze Mill," explains William M. The springs maintain a consistent cold temperature year-round, creating refreshing swimming opportunities.

Seasonal considerations: Fall offers unique experiences at Eleven Point River. Charlotte B. recommends: "Our favorite time to go is in the fall when the leaves begin to change. The water may be chilly, but the views and the fishing are perfect."

What campers like

Solitude on weekdays: Weeknight camping at McCormack Lake Rec Area provides uncommon privacy. Delanie J. describes it as "Totally alone with a gorgeous lake," while Meghan B. reports "Had the whole place to ourselves on a Thursday night."

Affordable camping: Rippee Conservation Area offers no-cost accommodations with basic amenities. Glen T. notes it "Has great fishing, nice and peaceful and not well known not many campsites, I believe only four but it does have firepits and grills."

Scenic swimming areas: Natural water features enhance the camping experience. At Turner's Mill, Kaylee D. describes "River access and super close to stream/cave/waterfall area. Water from the cave is so fresh and clear!" Jared G. adds that "The river is shallow enough to wade across and cool off in."

What you should know

Road conditions: Access to many sites requires careful planning. The road to Whitten River Access "is rough gravel and a big rv will be slow going," according to Ralph S., though he's "seen good size rv's there."

Site availability changes: Before planning a trip to Sycamore Loop Dispersed, note that Jen reported: "Pretty much all the campsites listed in this area have been turned into day use only/No camping here spots. The gate to go down towards this campsite was locked."

Bathroom logistics: Consider campsite layout when selecting your spot. At Turner's Mill, Glen T. mentions "the only issue is the restroom is a little walk from the campsites."

Tips for camping with families

Beginner-friendly options: Noblett Lake works for less experienced campers. Kevin T. notes "This area is good. Its not the best but it will do for amateur campers. There is plenty of wildlife around and a lake not too far away from you."

Child-safe swimming: Cedar Grove/Dee Murray Backcountry Camping offers accessible water recreation. Lisa S. describes it as "nice Scenic remote area, good for wading and trout fishing. It is also a beautiful place to float with the family."

Bug protection: Charlotte B. cautions about insect activity: "I do suggest lots of bug spray. For some reason, I always get eaten up by mosquitos in this area." Mosquito populations peak from May through September.

Tips from RVers

Site limitations: Most tent camping sites around Pomona have restrictions for larger vehicles. Ralph S. notes that at Whitten River Access, "The road in is rough gravel and a big rv will be slow going."

Access planning: When accessing campsites, consider potential seasonal challenges. Linda C. reports "Access road is steep but not rough" at Whitten River Access, but conditions vary with weather and can become muddy when unfrozen.

Limited options: Traditional RV amenities are scarce in this region. Josh observed at Sycamore Loop Dispersed that there "Seems to be a guy living in a rv at the end of the road which is really close to the one camping friendly spot, kinda kills the dispersed camping vibe."

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pomona, MO is Noblett Lake with a 2.5-star rating from 4 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Pomona, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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