Looking for the best options for tent camping near Portland? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Dry Fork Recreation Area, a campground and picnic area located at the equestrian trailhead of the 36-mile Cedar Creek Trail. This area, located in central Missouri near Fulton serves recreationists with or without horses. This campground is situated in a quiet mostly oak/cedar forest. It is comprised of 8 single primitive campsites that can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet in length, each with table, fire ring, and lantern post. Other amenities include drinking water, vault toilets, and hitching rails. There is a picnic area across the road with picnic tables that can accommodate small groups. There are currently no camping fees, but donations are encouraged. A printable brochure is available.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
$20 - $40 / night
Just minutes from Columbia, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park gives visitors the chance to scramble, hike and bicycle through a scenic environment – and lets them peek into Missouri’s underworld. The park contains some of the most popular hiking trails in the state and also offers solitude while hiking in the Gans Creek Wild Area. Visitors can also see a large cave system with its rock bridge, sinkholes, a spring and underground stream at the Devil's Icebox. You can explore Connor's Cave in the light of the opening for a taste of the underground world.
Non-profit, educational or Scout groups can take advantage of the special-use area for overnight primitive camping. It features two fire rings, a vault toilet and several picnic tables. There is no water or electricity. The cost is $2 per person, per night. Reservations are required. For more information, call 573-449-7402.
Little Lost Creek is a partially spring-fed Ozark stream, characterized by clear water and a rocky stream bed. Campers are limited to 14 consecutive days in a 30-day period. Groups of more than 10 campers need a special-use permit.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Guide
Lovely wooded spot. There are about 6-8 sites. Can back in a camper. Outhouse building. Only had one other camper. Shaded, wooded. We had a lovely night but woke up covered in ticks! Lots of ticks here. We ride our motorcycles here to tent camp. Sites are close. Fire rings , no picnic tables.
Traveler
We stayed at Camp Takimina on our first shakedown trip with our Popup camper. It was amazing. It was about 5-10 minutes from I-70, super easy to get to. The camp was quiet, private, and peaceful. There are no hookups, but water was right next to us near the parking lot, and the picnic tables near the lodge were shaded most of the day. Portapotties were clean and well stocked. We brought our dog and two children and the had an absolutely fabulous time! We hiked a lot in the woods, played in the creek, and had plenty of time and space to figure out our new to us popup camper. There aren't actual spots for to park in, it is just a big gravel lot with a couple designated areas for campers if the lot is full (it wasn't full at all). We reserved Arrow Hill also, which is a huge site right next to the parking lot, so we had a campfire ring to cook on. Most of the firepits have benches that surround them, which was very handy not to have to move chairs around all the time. The tent sites were huge- easily would fit multiple tents at each site, and we will absolutely be back to tent camp, and with the popup too!
Traveler
Did a 2 night tent camp with my family and it was awesome. We had a great time on the trails and near the Mighty Missouri River.
GuideThe campground is located in a gym of a park located along the Missouri River. Reservations are required and the sites are in high demand. Tent camping only. There is water available in the park.
This Campground places you in the heart of Missouri Wine Country and there's a perfect base for visiting the wineries and restaurants along highway 94.
Guide
137 acre lake with great fishing, offering rv hookups and basic tent sites with a pavilion and privys
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
Hermann is an amazing village of old world charm nestled into the Missouri River Valley. Picture book clock towers and church steeples among 19th century era brick cottages adorn the historic German immigrant influenced village with plenty of restaurants, shops and galleries for wandering pleasure. Hermann is right in the heart of Missouri wine country with two stunning wineries within walking distance of the campground; Stone Hill and Hermannhof...these are not to be missed. For cycling enthusiasts...the 240 mile Katy State Park Trail(nation's longest Rails to Trails Project) is just across the river from Hermann and follows the Missouri river through countless little river towns rich in history. A short distance south on highway 19 is the Swiss Meat Company, well worth a visit. The city park has an amazing campground operated by the City of Hermann. They offer full hook up sites(water, electric and sewer), water and electric, electric only, and tent camping. 18 full hook up sites are paved with grass areas and fire rings, 25 full hook up sites are on a paved parking lot(big rig friendly), and 8 electric only sites are on grassy area. A bath house with showers and restrooms are available, along with a dump station.To make a reservation please call the City Office, 573-486-5400, Monday-Friday between 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Full hookup(water, electric& sewer)…..$30.00 Water and electric…..$25.00 Electric only…..$20.00 Tent camping…..$15.00 This is a great spot for an overnight...but don't cut yourself short...it's absolutely great for an extended stay. http://hermannmo.com/campground/
Legend
There are 10 or so primitive tent sites and an area that will accommodate about a dozen RV’s. There are no services here and no hook ups, but it’s free. The primitive tent sites are spread out along the main road through the conservation area, which means that in the daytime you will get road noise and dust, but its pretty quiet at night. Only a couple have picnic tables, but all seemed to have at least a level spot for the tent and a fire ring. I noticed some sites had a bit of trash in the fire rings, probably from day use or partiers. There is no trash service, so plan to pack out your trash. The best site (already taken, too bad) was set on the edge of the woods next to a fishing pond. The campers that were there let me take some pics of their site since it was so pretty. The only downside to that site was its proximity to the RV lot and their generators. There are some nice hiking trails here to explore.
Guide
We discovered this gym. On our way home. Just needed to stay overnight, but will definitely be back. The little details make it very homey. Sites are well laid out and easy to maneuver. Full hook ups or tent sites are available to meet the needs of the camper. Clean facility and family friendly.
Guide
Great location for a weekend getaway, only 1 hour from the city! Hiking trails, level lots, full hookups available, There are 2 loops, the tent camping side is well shaded with a lot of room between sites. The full hookup loop has a lot of room, but can be a challenge backing in, as the camp sites are at a 90 degree angle to the road. Would love to return.
Scout
Lost valley happens to be one of our favorite camp grounds. They are extremely family friendly, they have an indoor pool, hot tubs, and sona, an outdoor pool and hot tubs, inflatable jump pillows, concerts almost every weekend, full hookups, plenty of tent camping sites as well, two swim beaches and several lakes on the property. If that's not enough try the horse back riding, or indoor mini golf, or grab a meal or a drink at the on site restaurant and bar.
Scout
I took my daughter and a friend on their first camping trip here. We stayed the last weekend of the season (10/29-31). It was quiet with only two RVs on one end. We picked a tent site at the other end, right on the river. The girls ran all over the camp ground. The ranger was super friendly and shared information about the area. Since it was the end of the season, the coyotes were coming back closer to the area and serenaded us all night. We can't wait to go again next year
Legend
This is a nice, large campground in the middle of Meramec State Park. The campground is a large level meadow between the river, the bluffs and the road. For being close to the road, there is not a lot of road noise. I noticed more river noise with boats buzzing up and down the Meramec. The campground was well maintained and nicely laid out with several loops. There didn't seem to be any real separation between the tent and RV sites, but on a early season weekend, you can manage to get a tent site away from the RV's. Some tent sites have good ham mocking trees, but not all sites do. And some sites were clearly in low lying areas that would definitely puddle in a decent rain. All sites had the standard fire ring and picnic table. I thought the shower house was really clean and well maintained, although for a campground this large I would have thought there would have been two. There is a nice hiking trail coming out of the campground that winds along the river and then along the base of the bluff. You can hike up into a large cave and get a birds eye view of everything through the trees. Across from the campground is Fisher's Cave which is open for exploration during the summer months. It was not open when I was there, but there is a trail going to the top of the cave, and of course you can stand at the gated entrance to the cave and feel the cold air coming out. I'm not a caver, but apparently this is a really good cave for exploring.
GuideThere are five tent camp spots located at Lazy Day and we camped on T4 at the very back of the campground. The on site facilities were excellent and clean, and these include a shop (with souvenirs as well as basic necessities and other assorted items), showers, and bathrooms. The T4 spot is pretty well isolated near the back and is right next to the trail that goes to one of the two fishing ponds on site. In addition to the trail leading to the back pond, there is another short trail that cuts through the woods on the south side of the camp. Despite the large size of the campground (about 65 RV spots) the noise level was fine and we went undisturbed while sleeping.
GuideRV spots are pretty close together, but nicely shaded. Group tenting sites lack water and bathroom facilities, but make up for it in proximity crystal clear river water. Perfect for floating, fishing and swimming!
GuideWe stayed at one of the few tent sites. It was a shaded spot under some pine trees, and that came with the occasional tick. No big deal though. There are two “club houses”. We spent some time in the smaller one by the pool. There was a shelf for you to take a book leave a book. The other shelves where filled with hundreds of dvds to choose from to play on the tv. There was also a stove, sink, and fridge. Which was very nice since we had a tent. The bathrooms were very clean and the showers were free. The aesthetic of the camp was amazing and rustic. There’s a coin laundry room outside the bathrooms, which was also really nice but we didn’t end up using. We only stayed a night, but will definitely be back.
LegendThis is a private campground run by Meramec Caverns. The campground is large and shaded, right on the river. There are hook up sites and tent sites. My advice is to try and get a spot all the way to the left of the entrance. These sites seem quieter and more spread out. The down side is that they are pretty far from the shower house and bathrooms. Most of this sites (but not all) have picnic tables, grills and fire pits. There are a few really nice sites right on the river. There is a restaurant, general store, canoe rental, zip line (it goes across the Meramec River, not sure how you get back!), and of course the caverns. The cave tour is a bit hokey, but if you can look past the mannequins and silliness, the caves themselves are really spectacular. You can definitely see why Jesse and Frank James used this as a hideout.
Traveler
Campsites were right on the Missouri River. Had great views and a stunning sunset. Staff was super friendly and helpful. We set up our tent and enos for the night on the way to Colorado. Even had phone service. Everything we could have asked for!
Guide
Very relaxed place. Kinda drive in and park anywhere you see a firepit. We had a rooftop tent on the truck and a tent. We camped near the smaller pond. The spot was fine and there wasn’t a ton of tent campers so we had the place to ourselves. The portapotties were gnarly but the toilets/showers behind the office were clean and had hot water. Staff was friendly when we checked in and we bought an armfull of fire wood and they even dropped it off where we parked in their sidebyside but it was damp so we had to scavage some smaller sticks to get the fire hot enough to self sustain. There was a lot of burned cans and some trash in our fire pit when we showed up so we threw it all away before we started our fire. Would stay again but it definitely isn’t a 5 star clean place. Think Ruth from Ozark show.
RangerLots of thing to do. Camp ground has lots of trees for hammock camping and large sites for tents. *Note- only two tents or lodging items per site. Free showers and clean facilities. There is a cave tour that is a lot of fun. Tons of great hikes with some that take you to caves. Access to the river for lounging or floating.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI1OsuchfISOmrCJn1Fjwmm2DmtYOfm69xchAU0/?taken-by=abbysitzer My daughter and her friend made a fun video.
ScoutNice simple campsite with a relatively clean pit toilet. Easy to find flat ground to pitch a tent. Just far enough from 70 to be quiet and there was only one other campsite taken.
GuideNice campground with tent areas and RV area well separated. Fire rings with attached rebar grills on a bricked square. Picnic table and lantern post. Small playground near the check in station/camp store. The store is small but will have what you need. The showers were adequate with the requisite daddy long legs. There were a fair amount of ticks so spray your gear with permethrin. Many of the sites were pretty small - we had a hard time seeing where a tent would fit, usually the answer was on the side of the road. Also, many were close together with little privacy. We stayed on site 53. Which I definitely recommend. Plenty of space for the tent (on a bit of a slant with tree roots, but doable, especially with air mattresses), great privacy on one side, decentprivacy on the other, and a lovely view of the woods at the back.
ScoutNancy was a great person to check us in- we had a lovely spot to set up our tent- they even offered us electric accessvif we wanted! Nice site/ would recommend this for a lazy day!
Scout
Plenty of tent spots with tree cover and fire pits. Lighting bugs came out at night.
Traveler
It was a nice 5 day stay posts of room for your tent and parking. Play ground was very clean and pavilion had lots of outlets and picnic tables.
TravelerNice view. Right on Missouri River. On Katy trail. Bathrooms are port a johns. Live music some nights.
TravelerThe campsites and grounds are well-maintained. However, the campsites did not have designated gravel tent pads. Given that we had to set up in/right after a rain, our tarp was sitting in grass and mud. I never knew how much I appreciated a designated gravel tent pad until then. Having never camped here, we had reserved site 25 and had the whole loop to ourselves (it was a Monday night, though). Our site, though, was the smallest in the loop, tucked away in the weeds, and the only area to pitch our tent was on a slight slope. After walking the loop, I noticed that sites 26 and 29, offered more room and were better maintained. We probably could’ve changed sites had we not arrived so late and in the rain.
Firewood is available for $5. We saw a nice playground at the entrance. There were plenty of showers (water was nice and hot!) and flush toilets in the bathhouse. The bathhouse could use some TLC, but the warm water made up for it. There are laundry facilities, though we didn’t use them.
Tent camping near Portland, Missouri offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from primitive sites to those with essential amenities, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Portland, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Portland, MO is Fredericksburg Ferry Access with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Portland, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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