Best Tent Camping near Sumner, MO

This campground is very nice and offers lots of options,including two different types of electrical sites, basic sites, and walk-in basic sites, they do also have a number of family sites. They offer s firewood vending machine and ice for sale by the camp host. The marina is very nicely set up for handicapped accessible fishing from the fishing dock. Unfortunately the marina store was not open when we visited. We were too early in the year. The swimming beach looks very nice, although it was too cold to use when we were there. Some of the camping sites are more tent friendly than others. Some of them look like it would only be good if you were in a pop-up or a trailer.

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.

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.

Long branch SP located in north central Missouri is a fantastic state park. The campground is well situated on the banks of long branch lake. The walk in sites are 50 feet from the lake and are level. The park has a swimming beach along with boat ramps and as we were told great fishing. The majority of the camp sites have lake views and are far enough from the highway that it is quiet at night. There are several hiking trails, from a prairie hike to a forest hike. The facilities are updated and clean. Talking with the park ranger, this park does fill on up quickly and reservation are recommended.