Best Tent Camping near Tuscumbia, MO

PROS 

Senior discount 

Check-in via text was easy and fast 

Beautifully maintained state park 

Quiet during week 

Pull-thru Site 102 level, concrete pad surrounded by grass 

Site sufficient length for trailer and tow vehicle 

Metal frame plastic plank picnic table metal fire ring with cooking grate 

Dark sky friendly except for campsites 101-106 

Trash dumpsters throughout campground 1 

Firewood for sale $5 at entrance gate house 

Huge park store! 

CONS. 

1 toilet and 1 shower for 48 campsites in Campground 1. Both door locks did not work. There were lines for the one toilet most of the time!!!

$6.50 Reservation Fee 

Site 102 had a wonderful view of the entrance gatehouse that had blaring lights all night, the one lane dump station and a dumpster 

Campground 101-106 sites slammed together; our campfire ring was 15 feet from neighbors sewer outlet 

Site 102 campfire ring was 2 feet from site unmovable picnic table 

No privacy from any other sites 

No security overnight gate closures 

Would not recommend Park restaurant

First off there is camping here!!!! This Missouri Conservation area is a Swiss Army knife of rugged of the path camping. Rivers, Lakes, Gun range, Horses and hiking can all be enjoyed here. First come first serve basic camp area on the river. It has 1 fire ring in a gravel turnaround. Don’t let this fool you. This area has an abundance of wildlife equestrian trails and hiking. Getting too hot paddle on the lake located on the left Forck after entering. The area has a handgun, and rifle range with vault toilets. The pictures speak for themselves. Love this spot and will be planning another trip soon.

Stayed here for a weekend during the hottest part of the summer. Most sites have decent shade.

Sites are back-in with a coarse gravel pad. Current bathhouse is adequate, but a new one is being built. New one looks to be about four times the size of the old one.

There is a raised fire-ring and a picnic table at each site. There is firewood available for purchase.

Grounds sit next to a state numbered highway, so access is easy. Don't expect a remote setting. The highway traffic can be distracting if you're used to camping in the woods.

I stayed the night here in late April, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The campground is in the middle of a forest with a large creek running around it. It was springtime and everything was so green, there were wildflowers popping up all over the place. The sound of the creek running right behind my camp site felt so soothing. I wish I could have stayed a few more nights; this place was a little bit of magic.

The campground: The road that loops through the campground is paved, and for most (if not all) campsites you park right at your site. My campsite included a large firepit with a grate that you could grill on, a picnic table, and a paved parking space to pull-in. Even though the place was over half full, it felt very quiet. I stayed towards the back of the loop, and the creek ran just below my site. There were clean vault toilets and a trash receptacle across the road from my site. The only downside: there are places where the creek runs over the road a little, so that might cause issues if there's heavy rain in the forecast.

The area: About a thirty minute drive from Rolla, where there are plenty of places to get food or supplies. I didn't have a lot of time to explore Lane Springs Recreation Area, but it looked nice.

Booking: I drove up to the sign at the front of the campground and put my payment in an envelope. I'm not sure if there are other options to book ahead of time.

Cell Service: Verizon worked fine.