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Best Dog-Friendly Camping in Missouri

3,545 Reviews

A hefty sum of forty-one state parks with more than 3,600 campsites makes camping in Missouri a breeze to plan and enjoy. Long known as “The Cave State,” Missouri has nearly 6,400 historic caves to offer the archeologists at heart. And with abundant shoreline space, water activities are surprisingly easy to find at Missouri campsites. So round up the crew and grab your gear – it’s time to make memories camping in Missouri!

Thanks to the Lake of the Ozarks, the state has over 1,150 miles of shoreline, making camping in Missouri a must for water lovers. Experience the Ozarks’ breathtaking outdoors in the beautiful Ozark Mountains at one of Elk River’s three campgrounds, which offer rafting, canoeing, camping and angling.

Looking for a little history lesson along with your camping adventure? Look no further than Missouri’s intricate cave scene. Meramec Caverns located in the Ozarks is a 4.5-mile cave system that has existed for the past 400 million years. Meramec Caverns is just one hour from the heart of St. Louis, and offers lodging, camping, and canoeing in addition to guided tours of the cave.

The quaint and historic Graham Cave State Park is just over an hour west of St. Louis, and offers a walk through ancient history along with year-round camping availability, five hiking trails, and over 386 scenic acres to explore. Take a trip down literature lane and visit the famous Mark Twain Cave near Hannibal, MO. Mark Twain, a Hannibal native himself, incorporates the maze-like cave in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Cave-lovers can also descend into the Onondaga Cave State Park to view towering stalagmites, stalactites, and active flowstones.

Get away and explore Missouri’s scenic shoreline spots and cave wonders. With The Dyrt, you can be sure to find the best camping in Missouri along the way.

Map showing campgrounds in MissouriExplore the Map

Best Dog-Friendly Sites in Missouri (681)

    1. Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

    56 Reviews
    Black, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 546-2450

    $11 - $32 / night

    "So in the winter we can't stay away from the state parks and Johnson Shut Ins is a perfect base to explore the area when it is too cold to tent camp with kids."

    "It is located on the Black River, and the water flowing through the shut-ins is crystal clear and cool."

    2. Meramec State Park Campground

    57 Reviews
    Sullivan, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 468-6072

    $12 - $48 / night

    "Miles upon miles of trails. Spacious campground, caves to explore, old time blast furnace to explore, fresh Missouri spring with exceptional fishing. Then theres a general store with a restaurant"

    "Growing up near here, this was the state park that my family always went to. Forty some years later, it is still my favorite park in Missouri. I enjoy camping here with my family and friends."

    3. Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campground

    49 Reviews
    Kaiser, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 348-2694

    $13 - $50 / night

    "Lake of the Ozarks State Park campground is located in Kaiser Missouri about 5 miles down highway 134 off of highway 42. This campground is about 1.5 hour from Columbia and Springfield Missouri."

    "We stayed close to the river in the primitive area and the deer were all over.  These deer were super friendly and didn't move at all as we walked right past them. "

    4. Sam A. Baker State Park Campground

    48 Reviews
    Patterson, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 856-4411

    "Pet friendly."

    "While this location was right next to dumpsters it was also adjacent to a gravel bar access for the entire park.  Our trip was amazing."

    5. Blue Springs Lake Campground

    44 Reviews
    Blue Springs, MO
    Website
    +1 (816) 503-4805

    $33 - $48 / night

    "The sites were well situated such that you felt you had plenty of privacy."

    "The original plan was to be in Blue Springs for an outdoor off-road RC event, camping in our pup with a generator at the track."

    6. Cuivre River State Park Campground

    41 Reviews
    Troy, MO
    Website
    +1 (636) 528-7247

    $15 - $38 / night

    "Our site, though, was the smallest in the loop, tucked away in the weeds, and the only area to pitch our tent was on a slight slope."

    "It’s close to our house and there’s always something new to do each time. The bathrooms are well maintained and the campsites are fairly large and provide lots of shade."

    7. Bennett Spring State Park Campground

    40 Reviews
    Windyville, MO
    Website
    +1 (417) 532-4338

    "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. "

    "A trout fisher dream, as one of Missouri’s 5 hacherys are here. Fun for this kids to see the amazing amount of fish."

    8. Onondaga Cave State Park Campground

    39 Reviews
    Leasburg, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 245-6576

    $12 - $52 / night

    "Other than the water, Onondaga Cave SP has been one of my favorite places to camp in Missouri for more than 20 years."

    "We stayed one night on our way through Missouri. It’s only about ten minutes south of I-44. The campground was only about half full, so it was nice and quiet."

    9. Hawn State Park Campground

    38 Reviews
    Farmington, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 883-3603

    $12 - $25 / night

    "Hawn State park, located off of highway 32 near St. Genevieve, is a wonderful, must visit in southeast Missouri."

    "There is 3 trails with the longest having two loop options with connectors from the other two trails. There are also walk in sites here and hike in sites. This park will not disappoint."

    10. Timbuktu Campground — Echo Bluff State Park

    37 Reviews
    Eminence, MO
    Website
    +1 (573) 751-5211

    "Came right up to our site - but please do not feed or try to pet. The rangers will have to move them if they get to used to people.

    Also local river rafting companies will pick you up at your site"

    "This is really the gem of Missouri state parks. Rv sites are all full 30/50 amp with water and sewer. All spots have plenty of room but are back in. The pads are perfectly level and are concrete."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos in Missouri

327 Photos of 681 Missouri Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews in Missouri

3545 Reviews of 681 Missouri Campgrounds

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2024

    Branson Treehouse Cabin & RV Park

    Quiet, Centrally Located, Large Sites

    We really enjoyed our stay here! It was the week after Labor Day and was mostly vacant, making for a quiet stay. Love the amenities for kids! The only reason I give 4 stars is the dog policy— it’s very strict, and there isn’t a dog park type area to let pets off leash to play & get energy out.

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2024

    Onondaga Cave State Park Campground

    Great campground. Great cave. Fun river. Avoid campsite 65

    We stayed one night in campsite 65. Onondaga Cave is amazing with the new lighting; it just reopened July 4, 2024. The river is still fantastic fun, especially for our grandkids ages 9 and 12.

    Avoid campsite 65 when it rains. We had over an inch of standing water on the concrete pad when we arrived. 18 hours after it stopped raining, we still had some water on the concrete pad.

    Other than the water, Onondaga Cave SP has been one of my favorite places to camp in Missouri for more than 20 years.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2024

    Great Escape RV Park & Campground

    Nice for overnight

    Just stopped for one night on our way east. Friendly host checked us in. Nice dog park with bench and shade. All sites are FHU. They offered to move us to a pull thru, but I picked our site based on proximity to the dog park, so I declined the move. We were in site 38, back-in 30 amp. Sites are a bit tight but no one next door so ok. I recommend for a stopover. Less fancy but nicer for dogs imo than Owl Creek which is one exit away. There is a pond for fishing (no license required) and a swimming pool.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2024

    Love's RV Hookup-St. Joseph MO 235

    Not the Best Option

    This Love’s RV Hook Up is right off I-29. We’ve enjoyed several stays at these new Love’s campgrounds(CG) and they are normally away from the main car and truck fueling areas. After cruising around the truck area, we found that we needed to go to the car area as the CG is literally off the auto-side fuel pumps/parking lot. There is a lane that we could have driven through from the truck area and this would've put us in the right position to back into our site. However, there was a Love's fuel truck parked there the whole time of our stay. There are six back-in sites with water and electric. They give you a code if you want to use the dump station. We reserved site 1 with water and electric(50/30/20 AMP). It still could have been an easy back-in but there was a big U-Haul truck parked outside of the formal parking areas in our path. We were still able to maneuver around and get in our site. After parking, we checked in online to activate our utilities. We quickly found out when we auto-leveled that site 1 was not a level site as our passenger side tires were off the ground. And whoever designed these sites thought boulders between sites was a good idea? We had to position our rig to avoid a boulder on the pad, so that we could open our basement slide drawer. The utilities are at the far backside of the pad and based on our rig’s configuration with the wet bay towards the front, we needed 25’ or more of hose and electric cord. The water pressure here is good. The WiFi is also for general public use and not very fast. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi for internet as we were not comfortable putting out Starlink in this general public area. We were next to Love’s two-sided dog park, which if not for dog poop on the inside and around the outside would have been a great convenience. Concerning the uncomfortable comment, two stealth campers in cars were in parking spaces adjacent to our site for the night. We shared the CG with a Scottish Rugby cycling team traversing the USA raising AHS awareness. We did not know that starting around 6:00 AM the sprinklers came on and all of their gear got wet. The sprinklers also make mud puddles at the dog park entrance. Loves should gravel the small and large dog entrances. There should also be signs to let campers know about the sprinklers. The other Love’s RV Stops we stayed in had restroom and shower facilities, here you go in the main building and pay to use the trucker showers. The dump station is hard to get into with a large rig. Wrapping up this unpleasant stay, this Love’s was one up on a Walmart parking lot as it had water and electric.

  • Home. W.
    Jul. 8, 2021

    St. Peters' 370 Lakeside Park

    Heaven!

    This park is very well kept, the natural lake is completely surrounded by a paved trail to bike, run, or walk on! They have a fenced in dog park and level sites!

  • W
    Aug. 23, 2020

    Twin Eagle Lake Estates & Hideout

    Beautiful place-

    This was our first trip together in our new camper. It was a little rough assessing the place thru the website but the reviews swayed us. There are walking paths all around and a beautiful lake /clubhouse area. Super people running the place and of course other campers were so helpful. We took our 2 dogs and would have loved a little more grass for their paws as the entire camping area is rough gravel. We’re hoping for a dog park in the future....? The lake has many easy entrances for swimmers near the club house - broad steps or large boulder for the more adventurous. Can be a bit slippery tho so bring your water shoes. Kids seemed to have little problem. Saturday night there was live music. Just a single guy with a guitar but great choice of music and great singing voice. Had a great 2 days. We plan to come back.

  • Roy T.
    Sep. 28, 2018

    Kansas City East-Oak Grove KOA

    Great overnight

    Easy access to Interstate and pull through sites were long enough for our truck and 32’ trailer without having to unhitch. Stayed just one night as we passed through. Looked like it would be a good place to stay for multiple nights.

    Clean campground. Nice grounds. Two good fenced dog parks.

    Only negatives were our hookups were literally in the next site next to their table, and their fire ring was very close to our trailer.

  • TJ G.
    Jul. 3, 2023

    Lake Ozarks RV Resort

    Clean campground, close to many attractions

    This campground is clean, and is close to many attractions near the Lake of the Ozarks.

    Wifi is spotty, but my site was at the back of the campground. The campsite also has a new in ground pool and dog park.

    Reason I gave this campsite 3 stars is because it is clearly still under construction (6/30/23), which I was not aware of. My guess is this was the first season it was open. Half of the park still had conex boxes and construction equipment around. The dog park had little grass and was very rocky.

    The owners were VERY nice and accommodating.

    If I were to return next year in 2024 I have no doubt I would have given this campsite 4 or 5 stars

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 31, 2022

    Weston Bend State Park Campground

    Enjoyable Stay

    Getting to the state park off I 29 and through the countryside was easy as the route had Weston Bend SP signage. We followed the SP signs to the campground(CG) where the gate was not manned so we headed to get water, but someone was sitting in the dump station waiting for another person to arrive so we went around this one-loop CG to see if there was a convenient spigot. There are spigots but with a larger rig, you will block the road, and/or you will be on a hill. We went back around and the person moved so we could get water. After that, we headed to pull through site 28 with electric(50/30/20 AMP) only. The site is long but has a 1/4 moon turn so we had to pull back around to get better positioned on the pad so we could disconnect our 39’ 5th wheel and F450 for our 3-night stay. There were tree branches overhead that we could not avoid. RVers next to us in site 30 had just arrived as well and were having trouble getting their travel trailer unhitched and leveled due to the pad’s slight incline and unlevel asphalt. They got their trailer positioned so they could get somewhat level. We got a solid two bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. Due to our proximity to Kansas City, we got a lot of OTA channels. A satellite connection would be iffy in most sites here due to the number of mature trees. The trees in a lot of sites would also scrape the top of larger rigs. There’s a variety of sites with most being good for regular trailers versus tall rigs, and tent sites. They have a nice shower house with 1 washer and 1 dryer both for$1.50. There are also vaulted toilets here and there. There’s a 1.7-acre fenced dog park that includes one large area for large dogs and two other areas with one dedicated to smaller dogs. The dog area is at the front park entrance away from the campground and it would be a long walk to get there, so we drove up. There are a lot of hiking trails here plus an old tobacco barn that’s worth a look.

Guide to Missouri

Missouri offers a variety of pet-friendly camping options, allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry friends. From spacious sites to scenic trails, these campgrounds cater to both pets and their owners.

Pet-friendly campgrounds include Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

  • At Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, pets are welcome, and the campground features large, well-maintained sites with electric hookups.
  • This park offers a unique swimming experience in the shut-ins, where you can enjoy small waterfalls and pools with your pet by your side.
  • The campground is equipped with amenities like showers, picnic tables, and a market, ensuring a comfortable stay for you and your pet.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Meramec State Park

  • Meramec State Park Campground allows pets and provides access to numerous hiking trails, perfect for exploring the natural beauty of the area.
  • Enjoy fishing or swimming in the river, where your dog can join in on the fun while you relax by the water.
  • The park features a playground and picnic areas, making it a great spot for family outings with your pet.

Pet owners like the amenities at Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campground

  • Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campground is well-reviewed for its spacious RV sites and electric hookups, accommodating both pets and their owners comfortably.
  • The campground is located near beautiful hiking trails and offers easy access to the lake for swimming and fishing, ensuring plenty of outdoor activities for you and your pet.
  • With clean facilities and a friendly atmosphere, this campground is a favorite among pet owners looking for a relaxing getaway.

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