Best Glamping near Stockton Lake

This state park is one worth a stop when near Springfield. I drove north toward this park to enjoy something a bit different and found it to be very peaceful during a weekday. 

I had traveled here following a busy time and expected to still have some of that lingering noise which hangs out after a big event. But by the time I reached the location it had dwindled out. Leaving behind in the peaceful outdoors were shaded sites that were well placed but slightly trashed. That isn’t the fault of the park but rather of the people who did not pick up after themselves. 

After a little tidying of my site, I was home for the night in a nice tent site. I took a tour of the grounds and noticed that the showers were nice, the water was great in pressure and hot!! Restrooms were well maintained and even after the weekend they had already done their maintenance and had them looking very nice!! 

Something else to note when traveling is cell service. With AT&T I had 3 bars of service, something which I was very uncertain of after driving to the location had been spotty in some areas. 

The campground runs alongside a waterway and it was nice to enjoy around dusk the sounds of the water. I would have taken a dip in it had I not arrived so late in the evening, it looked so perfect for just dipping the toes in. Also I could see this being a great place to launch a small boat or kayak. 

Nearby camp is one of the larger hatcheries in the state which you can visit during certain hours and see how they work to diligently populate the waterways and lakes in Missouri, pretty cool process and information. Definitely recommend!!

Campsite Review

This is quite a large campground, meaning it can easily cater to tents, car campers, and RV heroes. Each site had electrical hook-ups, and there was a common combination shower & laundry area. My campsite, like all, came with a picnic table and a fire pit. I definitely recommend ear plugs if you are a light sleeper since the bugs were very loud all night. This is one of a few campgrounds within the State Park and I chose it since it offered lakeside views – which were very pleasant. There was also boat ramp access. I had a nice bike ride from the campgrounds to a nearby campsite area near Racoon Ridge on some well paved roads, capped off with some different lakeside views. There was a few places to fill up drinkable water and use bathrooms.

Product Review

I won the Saris Feedom Superclamp 2-Bike bike rack from a contest held on The Dyrt's facebook page, so I decided after a few weeks and trips with the product to do a review.

So far the bike rack has been up to Jasper National Park from Boulder, CO with stops along the way in Grand Tetons, YellowStone, Glacier, Banff and Lake Louise National Parks as well as a roadtrip from Boulder to Toronto, ON through Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. I've gone on various road conditions over the 5,000+ miles as well as in various driving conditions (city, highway, off roading, and country).

This bike rack is incredibly easy to use. It is what I call "micro adjustable" just because the bike is clamped to the rack with a bunch of slide-able wheel wells and tire arms adjustable at any position. It works with any bike type, and is super easy to install - no special tools needed. Your car just needs either a 1.25" or 2" hitch. Watch the video review here.

I also love that it comes with included, retractable bike locks to secure your crappy or expensive bikes to the rack, then another lock between the rack and your car's hitch. I can't fully open my trunk (although it looks like the new model EX2 solves this bit of trouble) when I have bikes on the back, which I would complain about if this didn't take any longer than 10 seconds to get the bike's off.

I was also impressed how well the rack held up when I went up Shadow Mountain with 2 on the rack to do some riding around the summit with the Grand Tetons as my backdrop. The bumpy road and constant rocking could've bent the frame, but it held up beautifully.

Shout out to Saris for putting some good material around the wheel clamps to keep any harsh contact points against my bike. My bikes are cheap, but someone with anything they care about will appreciate the care they took to keep their bike protected.

I'll do an update on this review after a few more weeks with the rack for my overall impressions, and so far so good!

ROAD TRIP!

And so the road trip to Canada with my dog Sirius begins! I hit the road a little late from Colorado, so I knew as I was driving that when I finally made it to Missouri I was going to be rolling into the campsite in dark. Luckily, most of the drive east once you leave the Rocky Mountains is flat and uneventful so anything I would have seen in the daytime wasn’t much better than blackness. There’s some vast prairie landscape along highway 70, so it’s not the worst scenery to have, but I’ve driven from Colorado to Chicago a few time and I was trying to avoid another one of those endless farm field drives you can find along highway 80. Oh well, more of the same I guess.

When I was researching places roughly 9 hours from home, Harry S Truman State Park looked like a fun place to check out near the Ozarks if you’re on the road and passing through. There are lakes plenty large enough for any water activities you’re creative enough to think up, and the many campgrounds found scattered in the parkland offer a great balance of seclusion and variety. I picked Long Shoal since it was near the water and promised some nice lakefront views. I was going to have to wait until the morning to find out if that promise was one the park could deliver on though, as I didn’t arrive into camp until close to 2am. I parked, popped up the rooftop tent, popped in my ear plugs, and hit the sack. The next morning I awoke to a large lake and a kayaker enjoying their morning paddle. My morning was spent cycling the 4 miles just past the welcome center, where I enjoyed some more lakeside views from Racoon Ridge. It certainly was convenient to have a paved road the entire ride lined with dense forest trees. I wish I saw some deer along the way, but I can’t always get so lucky. The heat was quite strong, so it was a nice coincidence that the ride was shaded and hugged the water’s edge. I took in the lake views, but I didn’t have long to enjoy the scenery, as I had another 8 plus hours in the car that day, since I wanted to get to Kentucky and spend my real play time of the trip checking out the Land Between the Lakes Recreation area.

After one visit, this became one of my favorite state parks. This is one of Missouri’s’ “trout parks” with a hatchery and release sites so fishing (which actually becomes catching) is a big draw. Bennett Spring is so serious about their fishing they even have a trout cam so you can watch other anglers testing their skills.

When we pulled into the campground and picked out a super sweet paved full hook-up site we let out a sigh of approval and knew we were going to really like it there for a few days. The park has 143 campsites comprised of five loops so there are a wide variety of camping options, from basic to sewer/electric/water sites with some being reserveable to first come, first serve. There are wooded sites and those in the open where you are close enough to the fishing action to watch anglers from your RV. In addition to camping, there are 65 other lodging units which are cabins, duplex/fourplexes, and motel rooms.

We came to camp, fish, and hike but there is also canoeing, floating, a nature center and museum, trout hatchery, dining facilities, a church, Olympic-size swimming pool, and much more. When I wasn’t wading in the water with a wet line, we were walking through the woods. The park has over twenty miles of hiking trails meandering through its 3,216 acres. Trails range from a leisurely walk along the stream to that of rigorous mountain trails that reward hikers with great picturesque views of the Ozark Mountains. Guided ranger-led tours are also available for those wanting a little more information on your walk. The camp store is quite large with everything from food to souvenirs. For Anglers this is where you get your fishing permit and advice on the best lures to use (of which they have a large selection).

One aspect of this park that is so appealing is the historical character that came from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) improvements made back in the 1930’s. They built a dam, arched bridge, cabins and shelters, dining lodge, roads, and trails. The CCC influence is obvious when looking at the dining lodge with its stone and wood exterior and post and beam interior that stands the test of time and emits rustic charm. The dining lodge still performs its original function and is popular among visitors (especially those who want to have their freshly-caught trout prepared for them).

To make a reservation or view campsite details, photos and availability, go to the reservation website by clicking the “Make a Reservation Now” link below. Reservations may also be made by calling toll free 877-ICampMO (877-422-6766). Printable campground maps are available for your reference by clicking on the "Map" links.

Some state parks are remote and have a quiet and tranquil feel. This park has a lot going on so that is probably not the case in the busy summer season. When we were there in early April the park’s campgrounds were pretty empty and quiet and while we really liked that we also liked that there was a lot to do. Our three days passed quickly and we would definitely come back.