22 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several tent camping options can be found within a 30-mile radius of Rolla, Missouri, including both established campgrounds and dispersed sites in Mark Twain National Forest. Brazil Creek provides primitive tent sites with limited amenities, while Courtois Creek Dispersed offers more secluded camping along waterways. Cedar Grove in the Ozark National Scenic Riverway provides tent camping with river access approximately 45 miles south of Rolla.
Most tent campsites near Rolla feature basic amenities with varying road conditions. Brazil Creek includes vault toilets but no water sources or electrical hookups. Courtois Creek Dispersed requires vehicles with good clearance as the access road presents challenges; one camper noted "the road to get there isn't a road so much as an ATV trail" with sections that are "mostly washed out." Sites typically have fire rings, and camping is permitted year-round, though spring flooding can affect access to creek-side tent locations. Campers should pack in all water and supplies, as most areas lack potable water.
Tent-specific areas provide direct access to waterways and trails. Brazil Creek Campground connects to the Berryman Trail, making it suitable for backpackers and hikers. According to reviews on The Dyrt, the campground offers "plenty of space" and "sites are all within about a 5-minute walk from the boat ramp." At Courtois Creek, tent campers enjoy the "very scenic and beautiful right on the river" setting, though the area lacks cell service in most locations. Walk-in tent sites typically offer more seclusion than drive-up locations, with Brazil Creek described as having "no cell signal" but featuring a "beautiful clear water creek runs directly behind this pull-off campground."
"The police drove by around 11 pm which had us wondering if some people hang out and party there on occasion. No electric for your camper, but a great spot when the weather cooperates."
from $25 - $50 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $10 - $20 / night
"We arrived on Wednesday and camped for a couple of days, very beautiful and peaceful and just gorgeous, no toilets and no electricity and no cell signal but it was amazing"
"Puddles that could be who know how deep or what's in them (I may be the red flag here)."
"Lots of open space to camp and plenty of area to hike or use an ATV. Also it’s on the river which is nice!"
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability"This camp site is along the berryman trail so you can stay here if youre backpacking said trail."
"This is a bare bones campground, located in Mark Twain National Forest, it has a place for you to camp and a fire pit, that's it. No facilities, no water, no bathroom, no lights."
"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."
ScoutVault toilets available. Quiet. No water, hook ups or picnic tables, but fire rings. Wish people would understand pack in pack out and not leave trash! Otherwise very peaceful experience. Had service of at least 2-3 bars entire time. Town of Linn a 20 minute drive to get supplies.
GuideThis is a USFS campground that is perfect if you want a secluded spot to disconnect for awhile. No water, electricity, or cell service, but the views are amazing and Paddy Creek is beautiful. Campground requires a six mile drive on somewhat rough gravel roads and and a paved creek crossing if you are are coming from the Licking, MO side of the forest.
There are about two dozen campsites, each with a narrow and short concrete pad to back a vehicle into. A small popup camper or travel trailer may fit, but anything medium or larger is not going to work. All sites have good shade from tall trees and include a picnic table and fire ring. The single vault toilet was clean and stocked.
Cost is $15 a night and is paid for in the iron ranger nearby. The campground appears to close in late fall and open again in the spring at different dates each year, so be sure to check the USFS website before planning a trip.
GuideI stayed the night here in late April, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The campground is in the middle of a forest with a large creek running around it. It was springtime and everything was so green, there were wildflowers popping up all over the place. The sound of the creek running right behind my camp site felt so soothing. I wish I could have stayed a few more nights; this place was a little bit of magic.
The campground: The road that loops through the campground is paved, and for most (if not all) campsites you park right at your site. My campsite included a large firepit with a grate that you could grill on, a picnic table, and a paved parking space to pull-in. Even though the place was over half full, it felt very quiet. I stayed towards the back of the loop, and the creek ran just below my site. There were clean vault toilets and a trash receptacle across the road from my site. The only downside: there are places where the creek runs over the road a little, so that might cause issues if there's heavy rain in the forecast.
The area: About a thirty minute drive from Rolla, where there are plenty of places to get food or supplies. I didn't have a lot of time to explore Lane Springs Recreation Area, but it looked nice.
Booking: I drove up to the sign at the front of the campground and put my payment in an envelope. I'm not sure if there are other options to book ahead of time.
Cell Service: Verizon worked fine.
TravelerThis 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.
ScoutLoggers Lake, in the Mark Twain National Forest, is about 7 miles west of Bunker, Mo. Spring fed lake, no electric or water campsites. There is a maintained M/F restroom on the site, and a water spigot close to the restroom. All sites have a fire ring and a picnic table. GORGEOUS!
LegendNo cell signal, and as the other reviewer has said, have your map to get there, because it's easy if you do. Your phone will not get you there. Beautiful clear water creek runs directly behind this "pull off" campground. There is only one actual fire ring & picnic table, but folks have built other rock fire rings dispersed throughout the campground. Just off a main trail to Meramac river and horse and hiking trails. No water, amenities (not even a vault toilet) or cell service.
RangerLoggers 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!
GuideThis 8 site campground has well kept vault toilets and no other services, but is fee-less to match. There is a pavilion near the access points to the Berryman and Ozark trails. We camped the night before heading out on a one night backpacking trip on the Berryman and were pleasantly surprised - it had rained the past 2 days and just finished when we arrived, but the ground was not soggy at the campsite or really much on the trail at all. The sites are well spaced apart, short pads so we saw one couple park their camper on one and their truck on another (the sites were not anywhere near full). Downside to that was, they ran their loud generator all night. However the experience overall was a positive one, with friendly neighbors but plenty of distance between so we didn't cross paths or hear each other's conversations unless we wanted to, a nice fire ring - check before selecting a site as ours was missing a grate; we didn't need one anyhow, a sturdy picnic table and plenty of down wood around to collect for a fire. We will be back!!
ScoutStayed here a few nights in May. This camp site is along the berryman trail so you can stay here if youre backpacking said trail. There is only one table and one metal fire ring but people have made various fire rings out of rocks and there is plenty of room for a lot of people. The camp is right by the creek which is ice cold and good for sticking sore feet in :). There are also a few fish in there. In recent years they put in a single vaulted bathroom but thats it! No showers or drinking water if you cant filter the stream water. They also have several hitching posts for horses here since you can ride horses on berryman trail. I have at&t and ive been getting 1 to 3 bars. But the other person im camping withuisnt grtting anything with their provider. Over all I think its a great little spot if youre ok with no electricity, light or just wanna get away from it all for a while.
Tent camping opportunities near Rolla, Missouri range from primitive sites to more developed campgrounds within 30 miles of town. The region sits in the northern Ozarks at approximately 1,150 feet elevation with weather patterns that include hot, humid summers and mild winters with occasional snow. Spring brings frequent rainfall while fall offers cooler temperatures and colorful foliage. Primitive campgrounds typically remain accessible year-round, though seasonal closures may affect some locations after heavy precipitation.
Water activities close by: Brazil Creek offers convenient access for wading, swimming and fishing. A camper noted that the creek is "ice cold and good for sticking sore feet in" with "a few fish in there" for casual fishing opportunities.
Hiking connections: Many tent sites near Rolla connect to trail systems. At Cedar Grove in the Ozark National Scenic Riverway, campers enjoy "a beautiful place to float with the family" while also providing access to hiking paths along the riverbank.
Wildlife viewing: Primitive camping areas around Rolla offer opportunities to observe native wildlife. The Courtois Creek area provides a natural setting where campers can experience the local ecosystem, though one visitor warns "if you hear the animals and insects go silent... you should probably sleep in your car."
Solitude and scenery: At Paydown Access, visitors appreciate the isolation. One camper described it as "Beautiful, very secluded, and we were the only ones there" during an early March visit.
Water access: Many tent campers value riverside locations. At Water Mountain, one reviewer appreciated that "it's on the river which is nice" with "lots of open space to camp and plenty of area to hike."
Natural swimming holes: Courtois Creek offers popular swimming spots during warmer months. According to a visitor, "The water is amazing. Great for fly fishing and cast fishing" and families often come "down with kids to swim and float."
Road conditions vary significantly: Access to some sites requires appropriate vehicles. At Courtois Creek Dispersed, a visitor with a Toyota Highlander reports: "I did the road with no problem. It is not an ATV trail! There was 1 big puddle and 1 sharp rocky turn that I just went slow through. No problem. Probably couldn't do it towing a camper though."
Pack all supplies: Most primitive sites lack potable water. Brazil Creek "is right by the creek" but has "No showers or drinking water if you can't filter the stream water."
Cell service limitations: Many camping areas have limited or no connectivity. One Brazil Creek camper notes "No cell signal" while another mentioned "I have AT&T and I've been getting 1 to 3 bars. But the other person I'm camping with isn't getting anything with their provider."
Choose accessible locations: Some sites are more family-friendly than others. At Cedar Grove, a camper noted it's "a beautiful place to float with the family" though "you have to walk up a large hill to get to the porta potty."
Prepare for varied noise levels: Site selection affects the camping experience. At Rollins Ferry Access, a visitor warned it can be "busy, noisy and miserable" with "loud noise, drunks, busy traffic," making it less suitable for families seeking quiet.
Consider seasonal timing: Spring flooding can impact family camping plans. At Osage-Tavern Access, one camper visited "post labor day" and found "plenty of sites available" with "a couple of families/kids here but not too loud."
Small rigs only: Most primitive sites near Rolla cannot accommodate larger RVs. At Misfit Acres, the 20 tent sites can handle small campers but are not big-rig friendly, with limited amenities including 30-amp hookups and water access.
Bring leveling equipment: Primitive camping areas typically have uneven terrain. Brazil Creek has limited designated spots with most being "pull off" areas that require leveling blocks and proper positioning.
Plan for limited hookups: Most tent camping areas offer minimal RV amenities. A camper at Paydown Access noted "No electric for your camper, but a great spot when the weather cooperates" highlighting the primitive nature of most sites in the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rolla, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rolla, MO is Paydown Access with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Rolla, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 tent camping locations near Rolla, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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