If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Sturgeon, look no further. Finding a place to camp in Missouri with your tent has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Missouri camping adventure.
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.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Hello there! We (Christina & Brian) are excited to share our 80 acres with you! At the moment we offer only dispersed camping. We want to keep it as "Organic" as possible! So, there will only be 1 main gravel road, that is mostly covered in gravel at the moment. NO concrete or asphalt areas. Heavy rains will in-hinder on how far you can travel in. Either way, we can assist you, unless you are an RV. If you like, we have a large metal wagon that you can hand pull or pull by our truck. You are welcome to bring your UTV, but only to move your equipment and guests back and forth to our site or your vehicle. We are willing to show you around before you set up camp. If you are coming in at dark, we can suggest a campsite, then you can move in the daylight if you like. FIREWOOD: We have more than you can handle as this land has been harvested for timber prior to our purchase. We also encourage you to take some as long you use it up while in Missouri. More info at website DontMoveFirewood dot org We do NOT have amenities on site as of yet. We will provide bottled water at no cost. We highly encourage that you unplug while you are here, but not required. We do want you to have your phone with you for safety and capturing moments while you are here. We do have cell service here! We are close to many places: * 1/2 mile to Casey's General Store * Mark Twain State Park: 30 min * Long Branch State Park: 40 min * Thomas Hill Reservoir: 40 min * Finger Lakes State Park OHV/ motorcross: 40 min * Amish Community (Clark): 30 min * Casey's Gas Station: 3 min * Dollar General: 4 min * Walmart Supercenter: 17 min
If you are bold and want to enjoy nature nudist style, that is welcomed, but ONLY at your campsite and maybe a larger area for an additional fee once you arrive. This place is NOT a nudist camp, but it is private enough that you can be comfortable in your area. We thank you for taking the time to read our post. If you have any questions, feel free to get hold of us at anytime.
$25 - $30 / night
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.
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Traveler
We visited twice in the off-season we loved the campground so much. It’s quiet and secluded. Very clean and beautiful.
Guide
Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses. Camping at lake is open gravel or grass. Nice fishing lake with docks, boat ramp and vault toilet and the only one provided. Parked lakeside. Quite night with one fishing boat late morning. Get a brochure with park map at entrance as roads pass through park and private property.
ScoutGreat quite and secluded camp sigh. But can muddy due to sessional flooding
Scout
Had a great stealth camping experience here. Road was gravelled all the way down and opened up to a big gravel lot. I could tell there were a few other paths I could take but the grass was a little overgrown and it was already dark out, so I just car camped in the gravel lot. Had no issues and didn’t see or hear anyone else!
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.
Scout
Great stop 5 minutes off of I-70! The site has three camp sites available with car pull ins and fire rings. Lots of mosquitoes due to the site being right on the water. Also two cats hang out around the site. No bathroom we could find.
Legend
Check-in was quick and easy and we proceeded to pull through site 83 with FHUs. The gravel pad was very long and we had plenty of room for our 40’ rig and F450. The utilities were in the middle of the pad and water pressure was decent at about 40 psi. As we were on the end of a row, we had a lot of front yard space. The sites here are very close together, but long-term guests kept their sites nice and well organized, and overall this CG was very clean. There are mature trees so satellite placement could be challenging. We were able to place our Starlink in the yard area for a good shot to the north sky. We got 4 bars on Verizon and their WiFi worked well for a campground of this size. At the office, they have a nice store and gift shop with one of the best selections of camping shirts etc. that we have seen.
Traveler
Stayed one night in a campervan. Would definitely recommend! We arrived a little late - right at sunset - but the friendly and helpful staff had already texted us all the info we needed for arrival. It was very quiet. Level spaces. Very dark, unlit walk to the bath house, so bring a light! Bathhouse was clean and well kept. Would recommend!
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.
RangerOnly 2 miles off of the highway and is perfect for someone just passing by. I’m on my way from St Louis to Denver and it was perfect for one night. Very quiet but still close enough to hear the hum of the interstate traffic. It looked like there were 3 sites with fire rings and all very nice.
Scout
Nice new concrete sites with fire pit, full hookup. Great trails and fishing lake, with concrete sidewalk and benches around it to make fishing easily accessible.
Scout
Don’t mistake this for the RV hookup site at Roberts Bluff. It’s a bit further down the road and called Roberts Bluff Access. You will eventually see signs for a Conservation site.
There were about 4/5 spots to pull/back into. Its a small space and really close to the river where you can see huge trout and turtles swimming. There is even a boat ramp.
TravelerEnjoyed a campfire before a thunderstorm rolled into the area. Ground away from the campsite was a bit muddy and made a mess. No surprises there! Established campfire ring at 2 spots. Another ring farther down in the turnaround beyond the boat launch.
TravelerSmall, quiet and out of the way. A few spots for camping. No restrooms, electricity or running water.
Traveler
Gorgeous little lake. Vault toilets. Our camp fire ring was shaped like a heart! Probably not on purpose but we liked it. Very quiet. Lots of fishing. And we actually saw the cat!
Scout
Stayed here overnight and the camphor was very friendly and helped us out. Bathrooms and showers were open, super clean. Peaceful and would definitely stay again to venture into the town
Guide
This was my first time out on Bee Trace Trail and I had a great time. Both the hike into the campsite and out the next morning were pretty easy; the back half of the brown loop, specifically the stretch between the backpack camping site and the kayak camping sites, was sometimes frustratingly difficult to follow. I had to pull out my phone several times to get reoriented. That being said, that stretch isn't very long and the rest of the trail presented zero issues for navigation.
The campsite for backpacking is located at the very tip of the peninsula and it's a great spot. There is a camper-made fire ring here, but the regulations(and posted signs) state no fires, so I would be cautious with what you choose to do. The kayak sites are a little more developed, with picnic tables, trash hooks, and iron fire pits/grills, but I'm not sure how they feel about backpackers using those. On the day(s) I went through, I saw only two other people on the blue loop and nobody on the brown. However, I saw tons of boats out on the lake going by and they all had full view of the campsite(I think it would be pretty clear even once the trees are full); something to be aware of if you're looking for a super isolated camp. There is plenty of space to pitch a tent and many trees to choose from for hanging a hammock.
If you're looking to get your feet wet with backpacking(as I was), this is a great spot to do it. If you're a seasoned backpacker and are just looking for a quick out-and-back, I think you would be equally pleased.
Guide
The walk-in campgrounds (it's about a 50 foot walk from the parking lot to each site) at Long Branch are located off in their own little area at the shore of the lake that offers some pretty good isolation. Although we went at a time when the water was still shut off, there are bathrooms and water available via a very short walk from the walk-in sites April 1-Oct 31. The sites are each very spacious with flat areas and material already laid out for pitching a tent and plenty of trees for throwing up a hammock. Although firewood was stated to be available year round from the vending machine, it was locked up when we went through, but there is a convenience store right across the highway from the lake that sells wood bundles and anything else you might need.
We really enjoyed our time here and we'll definitely be coming back in the warmer months to enjoy some swimming and boating.
ScoutIf your camper has everything you need, it's a good campground. The website says it's 50 amp only, but it has 30 too. When we stayed there in March 2024, the shower/bathroom was locked. No park management came by our site, and when you call to get information, you get city hall telling you you need to call some other number...that they didn't have. So, everything's up to you.
Legend
PROS
Senior discount
Site 32 level asphalt pad surrounded with grass and river rocks
Moveable aluminum table
Metal fire ring with cooking grate
One hook lantern pole
Site 19 very near toilets and a dumpster
Friendly and helpful gate personnel
4 bars TMOBILE
CONS
Some road noise in the distance
Electric box at rear of site pad
Sewer connection 6 inches above ground
Poor planning to demolish all but one campground toilet/shower facilities at the same time
No overnight gate closure
Don't Miss
Rustic Oak Cabin Restaurant
Mark Twain Memorial Shrine in Mark Twain State Park. Free entrance
Ride the Mark Twain Riverboat in Hannibal
Downtown Hannibal nice variety of stores and shops
Dam Visitor Center very nice--fairly new
Scout
so family friendly, very well service, cheap, and most importantly everyone enjoyed time there
GuideWe liked this place. It was a good place for an overnight camp on our travels. No restroom that we could find. No water or power. Camp is free. It has an old boat ramp so you can get down the the river easier, but water was way too low for a boat when I was there in September of 2023. Down a gravel road a few minutes off the highway in some corn field area. There are only a handful of spaces on the grass. So hopefully you get one or someone is willing to share. We had the place to ourselves.
GuideGreat staff, wonderful level sites. Bathroom on site. Pool during season. Partially shaded. Dog walk area. Pet friendly.
GuideBeautiful wooded sites, a bit close together and not a ton of privacy but we weren’t bothered by our neighbors at all. The bathrooms are very clean and nice, they have a dish washing sink and good showers. Our site had an electric hook up.
GuideWe 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.
GuideFar enough away from the highway to be silent. Toilet available. Fire pits. T-Mobile service is good.
ScoutGreat spot on my road trip west! Put in some miles and didn’t get in until about 2am and this was easy to find and great spots away from the highway but also didn’t have to trek far away
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sturgeon, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sturgeon, MO is Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - Educational Scout Camps with a 3.6-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Sturgeon, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Sturgeon, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
