Best Equestrian Camping near Shell Knob, MO

We booked 6 sites of horse camp for Labor Day weekend back in July. They had plenty of time to take care of sites. We got there and the grass was high on all sites. One of the guys with us brought a battery operated weed eater and started to weed eat our area when a park ranger stopped and said we weren’t allowed to weed eat only they are allowed to mow. We asked if they would mow sites and they said NO. The people right down from us on other horse site had to keep horses tied to trailer because weeds were that high you couldn’t get to horse post. One of had brought our RV with horses and were told we weren’t allowed to bring RV even though when we booked it online, it gave us the option to book RV with horses. We usually come to horse camp 5-6 times a year, but think this might be our last time going. Seems they are trying to close down horse camp.. we had reservations on Memorial Day and when we got there it was full of tent campers with NO HORSES but they were allowed to stay there. This place is turning into a joke. You pay $20 a night to get nothing but harassed by the park rangers!!

This a horse camp, but there is plenty of space to just pitch a tent if needed. Free site with a beautiful backdrop

Steel Creek campground is a beautiful grass savanna orbited by 500 foot bluffs. From the campsites is a short hike through large beautiful hardwood trees. A glorious river of milky blue green waters flows at the base of the bluff around the camp's peninsula. East of Ponca this is the closest area to car/RV camp. This camp is also horse camp friendly. Many trails come through Steel Creek for backpackers, horse trails, and of course canoe/kayakers dock and launch from here. I call this base camp because there are so many trails and historic options in this upper area of the Buffalo. My one and only con is the tent camp area is open to all the other tent campers. In other words your camping side by side. Aside from that its definitely worth it!

We rolled in at 8pm on a Friday night. The sign said "campground full" but thanks to another review we disregarded this and found an open site, as did the person who drove in behind us. The 26 sites are in two layers, one closer to the parking lot, one closer to the woods, river and bluffs. Rangers patrol regularly and are very helpful. There is a ranger station beyond the horse campground which is a pleasant walk or a quick drive. We stopped there to get our National Park stamp! Easy access to a trail directly from the lot, or walk beyond the horse camp to the Old River trail head. Centerpoint Trail is a 15 minute drive away and offers access to the Big Bluff/Goat Trail. Caution drivers: the road in to the campground is windy and steep. A sign warns against bringing RVs. However there were an enormous bus and tons of horse trailers and campers at the bottom of the hill - braver people than I:) Bathrooms are clean, dimly lit at night presumably to keep bugs out. Each site has a lantern pole, fire ring and picnic table. Lost Valley Trail and shelter are a 10-15 minute drive away. Since it was raining we cooked our dinner in the shelter. Overall a beautiful place with great access to multiple trails as well as river access. Sites are a little close, but if you're fine with having neighbors 20 or so feet away, we highly recommend:)

Located within a few miles of the horse camp , this site is Aimed more at group camping, there is not as much shade as I’d like to see. It is immediately next to Erbie put in, with walking distance to both the Erbie Ford and the old community of Erbie, which includes several old homes that have been preserved, the old Erbie Church and Cherry Hill cemetery.

Both cecil Cove Trail and the main Buffalo River trail are right there. With bathrooms and a nice swimming hole, this is a local favorite. The water is seasonal, so ne aware of flash flood risks.

This is a great campsite if you’re wanting to get outdoors, but aren’t quite adventurous to go full-out. You wake up every morning to the sound of the Buffalo River coursing by just a few hundred yards away, and are greeted by the breathtaking view of the bluffs you are surrounded by!

It has running water, and even a pretty nice public bathroom. Fees are not outrageous, and there is even a site for campers with horses. Overall, it was a great experience, and I’d recommend to all! One thing to consider, however, is to make sure your car has pretty good handling and brakes— as the drive up to the entrance and down to the campsite is steep and curvy (it is paved, though)!

Exploring the Buffalo River off of Route 7 I found two campgrounds which I was very excited to have found for future visits. I explored each in detail and took a day to enjoy the trails around them.   Erbie Campground actually has two different points of interest the campground for RV and tent visitors and the Horse camp area (in a different location but named the same) for larger vehicles that need pull through access.  

The entire campsite area is first come first serve but they do have some really exciting features which make a trip here well worth leaving the house a little early to take advantage.  A boat launch is designed for smaller boats and can easily be accessed, group sites for those needing a bit more space and RV areas, though they do not have electricity of water they are designed for the larger units to fit without impeding into their recreational space.  

Though it had just rained this campground seemed very full, unlike the other one I had visited.  I noticed several larger tents and a few RVs taking advantage of the grounds which seemed to be holding firm despite a lot of water from the storms.  

The water access from this location is key as are the trails. I spent a while walking along and they seemed maintained better than many primitive trails.  All in all I was very impressed with the campground and even more so when I found out there is no fee for this campsite year round.  

TIPS:

• Bring your own toilet paper the facility only has vault toilets so you won’t want to risk not being prepared.
• Lanterns are a must, there is not really any outdoor light so it is very dark around camp at night.

This campground offers a lot of options. Including trout fishing, hiking, and swimming. Located in South Missouri it is an easy day trip into Branson Missouri or Eureka Springs Arkansas. Very well located and very well run by the state. They offer a pretty well equipped camp store along with the lodge and restaurant. This state park is gorgeous and one of my favorite places to go. They also have a nature center and trout hatchery. Park is open year round, trout tags must be purchased at the camp Store. All campgrounds have nice bathrooms and showers. Just a heads up though if you are looking for a quiet relaxing weekend make sure you avoid kids free fishing weekend! It’s a ZOO that weekend!

Lots of semi secluded sites and a nice swimming area. There is a play area for children as well as volleyball. Both tent and rv/camper sites. Beautiful wooded area with hiking near by. Bosting and day sreas are ample.

Small store at boat dock

We stayed at Big M in campsite 44 in mid-May. The campground was definitely lively and there was a lot of people and activity going on the whole time, though everyone was very pleasant. It was more college kids/large families than the quiet retired crowd. Our campsite had a lot of privacy on 3 sides and had a small creek running through a ways behind it, downhill. There really wasn't a good level spot for our tent due to where the firepit was placed so we had to sleep on an incline. And the drive for the spot was at a pretty decent incline so a camper would definitely need to be leveled. A smaller tent could probably squeeze in well. The marina had a decent restaurant where you could get a beer and dinner. It's not too far of a drive from Roaring River which has lots of hiking trails. The bathrooms were pretty outdated and you need to bring your own hand soap, but that's pretty normal. The showers were a ways away from our site so did not end up seeing them.

The campground was cleanish. The bathrooms stunk, but weren't terrible (ya gotta bring your own soap I guess). There were no trees/shade in any of the campsite so we didn't really hang out there until evening because it was too hot for the kids. And there is an annoying guy on a golf cart (camp resident) you'll meet him ;). However, there is a beautiful cold, clear river to cool off in. We had a blast with my brothers' family there. Everyone swam a lot while we were there. There are hiking trails that get you into some really cool rock formations and beautiful wildlife. The fishery up the road is a cool place to check out as well. The fish are beautiful in the lake. The firewood at the local store is way expensive, so bring your own. Everything is expensive in the area come to think of it. You'll hear of the rules from the guy in the golf cart. Ha. It's alright, but go see for yourself!

Roaring river is vast in beauty, and can cure a wandering souls need for adventure in a matter of minutes. While it has become slightly commercial and more people are visiting for the fishing and hatchery the atmosphere remains peaceful.

Roaring Rivers has three different campgrounds. Camp one is the quietest of the three. The facility is well maintained and clean. Their are plenty of things to do in the park from trout fishing to swimming, to hiking. The Fire tower trail is one that will give great views of the valley. It can be very busy during the peak times and weekends.

Fishermen will love Roaring River! If you don't fish it is okay. The area is situated in the Ozark Mountains with the campground next to the stream where they release trout. The campground we stayed at has very little shade and the spacing felt uncomfortable as it has no natural blocks from the other sites. The sirens at 7 am and in the evening are what ultimately turned me off. We awoke every morning to fishermen down by the stream waiting for the siren to tell them they could fish. The talking could be heard all the way up and down the valley.

Good trails, really beautiful water and geology (caves, bluffs). Most people here come for the fishing. The camping sites have showers and are very clean. They’re open and green and nice. Campground doesn’t stand out but the park really does.

We were turned off by the sirens at the park alerting fishermen you can fish. The campground is okay. Very open and not a lot of shade. The local ozark said are beautiful