Best Cabin Camping near Thayer, MO

Kids had a blast, and the trout fishing is great too! Cabins are very nice!

I had a pretty awful expereince with Apple Jacks 21 this weekend. I wanted to share to maybe help others get more clarification when booking. I had a lot of upset and disappointed friends that drove a long way for this. 12 people total.

I know this resort is new and just coming along. I understand that. But there are quite a few issues that concern me and should have been addressed before allowing bookings.

The owner did not reply when asking for confirmation via Facebook messenger, which is how I booked but she did look at and ignore my message. We decided to go anyway. After all, we had 12 people in our group and I can't let people down. She did not want payment before our arrival.

When we got here we had to go search for someone to figure out where to go, which is precisely why I tried to confirm the day before. Took 3 phone calls before we got the owner to answer and we were told to go down to the bar and find some man. The man had no idea what we were to do or where we should go. Again we waited while he called her several times. We were exhausted from a long trip and just wanted to get setup and rest.

After finally getting settled the owner drove by and said she would come back after supper (for payment I'm guessing) but never did. We still hadn't paid by night 2. And then night 3.

When asking where our friends would park their RV it was again an hour long process to figure it out. We also figured we should attempt to find out which cabin is for our other group since it's so hard to find anyone here that knows what is going on.

Our friend finally got in the RV site the electric hookup had an open ground. The wire was literally sticking out of the post box for my kids or anyone to get seriously injured. They also just wanted to get settled and rest so we ran an extension cord from our post since no one is to be found and no one answers their phone, again. Finally the worker man called back and came and said he couldn't help us due to a warranty on the work but gave us an extension cord.

The cabin, no one knew what was going on either. We finally found out later on and went and checked it out. There were other people's items inside. But noticed maybe it was 2 parts because there was a door in the middle. So they carried their stuff to the other side where it was pretty filthy. Hair in the sinks from someone shaving, a sink full of dishes, filthy refrigerator, filthy bathrooms etc. Then the worker man comes flying in aggressively asking who is in cabin 1 and I said I had no idea what cabin is which so he showed us we weren't supposed to walk through cabin 1 (again, no signs or numbers). Nothing is marked here. Then they have no key to lock up the door to the outside or the door to the "grandsons" that apparently live on the other side (cabin 1??). The "grandsons" can just come into my friends cabin anytime they want as there is no lock between the cabins. We were also told that the cabin was "right across the street" from our RV sites. It's was a 1 mile drive because they removed the driveway between them (didn't inform us of this). Our friends in the cabin have mobility issues and that is the reason being close was so important. It was a truck ride away. Definitely

Again, I tried to drive up to River's Edge to pay for my site (that's what the worker man said to do) and no one knows the pricing. She wanted me to leave my credit card there and she would charge me later. Not happening. I left all my info, she was supposed to get a total and call me to pay by phone but that never happened either.

On Sunday, the owne came flying in after seeing my comments to someone else having issues about this place being a disaster and was nice at first until I wanted to tell her my issues. She snapped and didn't want to hear any of it. She also asked me for a pen to write down my credit card number. It's 2021 and they write down credit card numbers? The owner stated that I had booked 3 cabins and she had to turn people away Friday night and they sat empty because of me. That is false. I read a reveiw that she turned them away due to plumbing problems. I have screenshots of booking 1 cabin and 1 RV site and later adding another rv site. I also have screenshots of asking for confirmation of 1 cabin and 2 rv sites. Finally in such a mean but sweet way she told me this wasn't the place for me and we weren't welcome back so we packed up and left.

After we left and got on the road someone else called me about payment. I told her I already paid the owner. She said the owner told her to call me about payment. Apparently, this woman texted me a bill but I didn't get it until we left due to phone service issues. The bill didn't even show the total. But the woman was kind and understanding that I didn't get her text. Then 2 hours later my card was charged $653 when it was supposed to be $580. What a disaster.

All in all I think I lost 6 hours just trying to figure out what is going on here.

This was supposed to be my birthday trip. What a fiasco.

Luckily, my credi card company refunded me since none of the amenities she advertised were there.

The people of Missouri gave a wonderful gift to the people of the United States.  A gift I did not know about or had never heard of till we made the decision to camp in Missouri.

Big Springs was Missouri's first state park.  The CCC did a lot of construction on the park and so much of the buildings are still there.  In much need of repair and I do hope the federal government will restore.  Big Spring is off of Missouri Highway 160.  Turn onto State Route 103 to Big Spring.  The spring has a wheelchair accessible pathway that will lead right to the spring.

The campground is large and open.  Tent sites along with with RV sites but the RV sites are small and very close together.  Some RV sites had electric but no water or sewer.  There is a dump site.  During the summer I think I would get a reservation for the RV sites if you need electric.  If you have the ability to generate your own electric stay in the open tent site area.  The tent site area is large and open to the sun.  Big Springs has flush toilets and hot showers.

There are picnic areas with tables and grills scattered throughout the park along with two group shelters.

The Ranger programs are well worth checking out.  Take advantage.

The Current River makes a wonderful backdrop for nature lovers.  You have the options of hiking, biking, fishing, camping, floating, kayaking, and all sorts of boating with a ramp in the park.

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Better Than When You Found It

This campground is a must visit. Obviously the main attraction is the amazing and magical spring. Flowing 226 million gallons a day! Campground is beautifully manicured and has spacious sites and many options. It's a self serve campground so pay at the front. The hot water in the showers was out but still giving it 5 stars because this place is just great. The cabins are super cute cottages that are being remodeled right now, and I can't wait! The trails are well kept and moderately challenging. I highly recommend camping here dont forget to bring in your own firewood.

We stayed here to utilize their shuttle services for kayaking the 11 point. It was the week before the Memorial Day holiday and we had the place to ourselves! There are bathrooms available and hot showers, awesome people to chat with and a cool dog named Dan. We stayed in the primitive camping section but were informed there are also cabins available. Our site was just what we needed with a Rim fire pit and a couple of picnic tables. Richards definitely catered to us as we decided at the last minute to take another float and they jumped right in and made it happen for us. The convince of having your own vehicle waiting for you after a long day of floating is worth every dime you pay for it! I would highly recommend Richards for their shuttle services and camping area.

Very busy place in the prime time (literally memorial day - labor day busy). Big stop for the college kids and younger groups but was still nice. Has a store, canoe/raft/kayak rentals, tent and camper spots, fire wood. Can be load cause of the parties. Still recommend it

Big Spring, Ozark National Scenic River is one of many springs to visit in this area.

The river is very well used by the party crowd, several of the rocky sand bars are occupied by RV group sites playing loud music and obvious alcoholic beverage consumption. I’m not against a good time but the trash they leave and their obvious disregard for the preservation of natural sites is not conducive the the purpose of the conservation effort. It is still possible to enjoy the area and there are places to get away from the crowd.

In 2017 the area had a major flood and renovations are slow. There are porta pots in some of the campgrounds and the showerhouse is in bad shape. There are three campground areas and a group site near the spring. They have a grill, fire ring and lantern pole. The sites are good sized and depending on which site your in you will have shade and privacy. Several are near short trails to the river. Some of the trails are still closed and other areas may never open back up.

We waded with water shoes on and hiked to several locations. I think I will come back in the colder months when the flow of tourist has lessened and the sites are less traveled.

It is a destination location. There is a nice little collection of stores in the area. With a coffee shop and apparel store to name a few. That area is frequented by the equestrian crowd but everyone is welcome.

We drove through Eminence, Missouri several times. It is one of the main intersections to the different areas. There are two restaurants, sit down and drive up plus a Sinclair for fuel.

Bring your water craft and keep your tank on full there is a lot to see in the area with a few miles in between.

If you’re traveling through southern Missouri and looking for a park to stay in, this is a great choice! Right off the interstate and easy to get in to. Site are graveled and level, and most are full hookups. The majority also have picnic table and fire pit. Plenty of potty spots for the babies scattered throughout the park and a 25 acre trail area. John, the owner, is a great guy! Friendly and welcoming, he keeps the park well maintained. Will definitely be using again!

For Labor Day we stayed at Big Spring State Park CG, near Van Buren, Missouri which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. 

We arrived Friday afternoon and set up camp in the 100 loop, which are primitive campsites with fire ring, picnic table and lantern hook. Nice shady outer ring with plenty of room to set up your area. The inner ring is less private and lacking in shade. There are trails from the back sites to the river and the wading/swimming was nice. Where your hiking shoes to get there, and pack your water shoes you’ll probably want them for the rocky river bottom. 

 In May 2017 the area had major flooding. ( A Park Ranger put on a very informative slide show about it Friday evening) The park is still in the process of rebuilding many of its structures. That being said there are porta pots in two of the campground loops and some of the trails are closed still. The actual showerhouse was extremely busy and not well maintained. Spiders galore, three claustrophobic shower stalls (one was inoperable) with questionable cleanliness and the configuration is just weird. I’ve said it before , it’s unfortunate that the state does not keep these awesome areas maintained. 

The campground was full but we still had privacy and the noise was never intrusive on our activities. 

Big Spring is pretty awesome. There is a trail that circles up around the spring to the far side and several areas to take pictures from. It’s worth the visit to see the spring. We will visit again but I think I will take my field shower!

The Big Spring is really pretty and we appreciated learning about the geology of the area. The campsites were tight. The pads were small and short. Campers had to part their vehicles on the grass. There were no private campsites that I observed. (I always appreciate some foliage and privacy between campsites so you feel like you are camping in nature rather than a parking lot. During the week there were less campers so you felt like you had some space but on the weekend it was cramped with cars and trailers. 

I did not find the access to the river easy or convenient. We were in t he 200 loop. There was an access off the 100 loop that had stairs and then a short cliff (say 10 feet high?) with a rope that you had to hang on to while you backed down the cliff then waded across some shallow water. Not very conducive to transporting supplies for a day at the river. The second access off the three hundred loop was a bit easier to negotiate. It involved a100 yard (guesstimate) walk in the woods through deep sand then an easier scale down a bank and across a large gravel bar to reach the river. The water was clear and refreshing. Good fishing and a nice swim area. The downside for me was the very fast motor boats that would speed by. The drivers of the boats would not slow down for kayaks or people tubing. This behavior was surprising to me although I was told that this is normal on Missouri rivers and lakes. 

Considering the motorized boats and the more challenging access to the river, I think I prefer Sam A Baker and Buffalo Point AK over this campground.

Great campground. Clean. Party atmosphere. Wouldn’t take the family. Great place to rent canoes for a fun float.

Great place to rent canoe or raft, the owner has ran this place since I was a little kid , very great people

This is a great place to start your 11 point river trip! Stop here to rent your canoes or kayaks and get dropped off wherever. You can drive to Greer Spring that is a spring that comes out of a cave. It was in Backpacker Magazine as well. This has been my favorite river to float down so far. I’d suggest making the trip without kids the first time to judge your skill level. It’s a bit fast and deep at the beginning. Lots of stopping points on this river. Very scenic.

$10 per night, firewood, ice, and more amenities on site.  The owner is so nice.  His dog Lil' Dan also slept with me.  There is a horse next to the camp sites and it's just so beautiful.  Float launches from the campground, so convenient.  Close to Grand Gulf, Greer Spring, Mammoth Spring, and right on beautiful highway 19.  I will be back soon!