Boating

Kaskaskia River Camping & RV Park

34 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Kaskaskia River Camping and RV Park in New Athens, Illinois, offers 34 full-hookup RV sites and seven tent sites on the riverbank, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 90 feet. Back-in categories at four amp combinations join pull-in and pull-through tiers, with a pavilion and direct river access. Thirty-four sites span back-in 20/30/50-amp, back-in 20/50-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in 50-amp, pull-in 20/30/50-amp, and pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 90 feet. Listing the exact amp combination in every category removes any doubt about what you are plugging into, and 90 feet accommodates anything on the road with room to spare. Seven tent sites round out the lodging. A pavilion handles the practical side. The river carries the recreation, with boating, fishing, hiking, and biking all from the property. The amenity set is deliberately spare, which keeps rates low and suits a park built around the water rather than on-site programming. Pets are welcome. St. Clair County sits in the rolling agricultural country between East St. Louis and the old river towns of the American Bottom. The Kaskaskia is Illinois's second-longest river and runs navigable here, with a lock and dam system and good catfish and bass water. St. Louis is about 40 minutes northwest, which makes this a quiet base for the metro without metro pricing. Summer drives the heaviest demand, with spring and fall fishing strong and considerably easier availability. Reserve ahead for holiday weekends.

from $18/night

Blue Springs Ranch

142 RV Sites, 33 Cabins, 65 Tent Sites

Blue Springs Ranch in Bourbon, Missouri, offers 142 RV sites, 33 cabins, and 65 tent sites on a spring-fed Ozarks property in Crawford County, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 65 feet. A zip line, horseback riding, kayak and boat rentals, and spring-fed swimming run on site, and the ranch is open all year. One hundred forty-two sites run in back-in, water-and-electric back-in, and pull-through configurations carrying 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 65 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Thirty-three cabins and 65 tent sites make this one of the larger and more varied properties in the Missouri Ozarks. A general store, laundry, dump station, RV storage, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The spring water is the difference. Constant clear cold water feeds the creek and ponds, setting the ranch apart from the warm-water lake resorts that dominate Missouri summer camping. Swimming, kayaking, paddle boats, boating, and fishing all run from the property, with kayak and boat rentals on site, plus a zip line, horseback riding, paddle boarding, an outdoor pool, and a beach. A playground, pavilion, and barn round out the grounds, with planned activities through the season and strong birding in the surrounding timber. The ranch also operates as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. You can reserve a cabin or campsite any time of year, and groups can be accommodated year-round with notice. Note that floating and trail rides close from October 31 through April 15 — worth checking if either is central to your trip. Summer is peak for the spring-fed water. Reserve well ahead.

Ozark Outdoors Resort

Few Ozark destinations pack as much river adventure into a single address as Ozark Outdoors Resort, a sprawling riverfront property on the Meramec that has been welcoming families to Leasburg, Missouri, since 1960. The resort lines one and a half miles of the Meramec's scenic banks with more than 200 RV sites, motel rooms, cabins, and tent sites—enough variety to accommodate any travel style under the towering hardwoods and limestone bluffs that define this corner of Crawford County. A full roster of water-based recreation, aerial adventure, and evening dining ensures guests rarely need to leave the property once they've settled in. RV sites range from primitive to full hookup with 20/30/50-amp electrical service, water, and sewer, and a picnic table and fire ring accompany each site regardless of hookup level. Cabin options span rustic Country Log Cabins and Deluxe Kozy Cabins to motel rooms, condos, and group retreat lodging, giving the resort the flexibility to host family reunions, corporate outings, and church groups as easily as solo travelers. The Meramec Mercantile supplies camping essentials on-site, while the Paddlers Bar and Grill serves seasonal meals and cold drinks at the water's edge. Float trips on the Meramec, Courtois, and Huzzah Rivers form the beating heart of the Ozark Outdoors experience, with canoe, kayak, raft, and tube rentals available for half-day or multi-day journeys through crystalline Ozark spring-fed water. For those who prefer their adventure overhead, the Floating Treetops Aerial Park delivers 36 unique challenge elements across six ziplines suspended among the forest canopy—a course that engages first-time climbers and seasoned adventure seekers alike. Sand volleyball, horseshoes, and a swimming pool add land-based options when the river crowd thins in the late afternoon. The Meramec River corridor hosts some of Missouri's most spectacular cave country, with Onondaga Cave State Park just upstream offering guided boat and lantern tours through one of the Midwest's finest show caves. Meramec State Park, a few miles east on Highway 185, provides additional hiking trails, cave tours, and a family aquatic center popular with summer visitors. The resort's position between St. Louis—about 75 miles northeast—and the Missouri Ozarks interior makes it a natural launching point for exploring the Salem Plateau, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and the Current River corridor to the south. Float trip season runs April through October, with June and July delivering the warmest water and the most festive atmosphere on the Meramec, when the resort's campground fills with the laughter of families who have made the Ozark Outdoors float trip an annual tradition. Spring and fall bring lower crowds, quieter campsites, and a more contemplative Ozark experience for those who prefer their river adventure without holiday weekend energy. Reservations are strongly recommended for summer weekends and holiday blocks—the combination of riverfront camping and the Floating Treetops aerial park draws visitors from across the Midwest, and popular cabin styles book months in advance.

Little Sinkin Creek RV Resort & UTV Campground

2 Onsite RV/Trailers

Little Sinkin Creek RV Resort & UTV Campground in Bunker, Missouri, is built entirely around off-highway vehicle recreation, offering RV rentals — the Cherokee and the Cougar — alongside full-hookup sites on a big-rig-friendly property with direct trail access. A dump station and WiFi serve riders in one of the Ozarks' most trail-rich landscapes. The two on-site RV rentals, named the Cherokee and the Cougar, let riders arrive with a trailer full of machines and no rig at all. Full-hookup sites accommodate guests bringing their own, on a layout sized for big rigs hauling UTV trailers. A dump station and WiFi handle the practical side. Pets are welcome. Trail access is the entire proposition. UTV and ATV trails run directly from the campground, which removes the trailering-out routine that most OHV trips require. Fishing, swimming, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and biking are all available in the surrounding country, and off-roading is the reason nearly everyone books. Bunker sits in Reynolds County, one of Missouri's least densely populated, in the heart of the Mark Twain National Forest. The Current River watershed, the volcanic shut-ins, and Taum Sauk Mountain — the state's highest summit — all converge within a short ride, which is why the OHV community treats this stretch of the Ozarks as a destination rather than a stop. Riding season runs spring through fall, with fall color weekends drawing the heaviest traffic. With two rentals and a small site count, reserve well ahead for any weekend.

from $125/night

Happy Pappy's Montauk RV Park

8 RV Sites

Happy Pappy's Montauk RV Park in Salem, MO, offers 8 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 45 feet. Sites come as back-ins and pull-thrus, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. The park is open all year. A bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, and on-site dining cover the essentials, and pets are welcome with a playground on the grounds. A boat ramp and boat rentals put guests on the water, with hiking, fishing, kayaking, horseback riding, birding, picnicking, and Ozark dark-sky stargazing. The park sits less than a mile from Montauk State Park and its access to the Current River — spring-fed, pristine, and home to some of the best trout fishing in Missouri. Salem is in Dent County at the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest, where the Current begins its run south through the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Rates and availability are on the booking page. Eight sites a mile from Montauk means trout season books out early.

from $39/night

Indian Point RV Park

29 RV Sites

Indian Point RV Park in Eddyville, Kentucky, offers 29 RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 40 feet. A full-hookup pull-through category joins water-and-electric back-in tiers at both amperages, with a boat ramp, boat docks, outdoor pool, clubhouse, and game room. Twenty-nine sites span back-in 30/50-amp water-and-electric only, full hookup pull-through, water-and-electric back-in 30-amp, and water-and-electric back-in 50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 40 feet. Read the category carefully — only the pull-through tier carries sewer at the site, and the back-in categories are water and electric. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, boat storage, and a recreation center handle the practical side. A boat ramp and boat docks open the water for boating and fishing, with an outdoor pool, clubhouse, game room, sports courts, pavilion, playground, dog park, and a river on the property filling the rest. Pets are welcome. Eddyville sits between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in the Land Between the Lakes region — 170,000 acres of protected recreation area between two of the largest man-made lakes in the eastern United States, with elk and bison ranges, a planetarium, and some of the best crappie and bass fishing in the country. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand, with the spring and fall fishing runs strong. Reserve well ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $55/night

Holiday Hills Resort

7 RV Sites, 2 Cabins, 1 House, 4 Apartments, 6 Treehouses

Holiday Hills Resort in Eddyville, KY, offers 7 RV sites and 13 apartment, cabin, house, and treehouse rentals, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 60 feet. Sites come in two categories, standard back-in and lakeview back-in, each carrying water and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. There's no sewer at the site, so plan on the on-site dump station. The lakeview sites are the ones to request. A general store, firewood, propane fills, and golf cart rentals cover the essentials. For after-hours check-in, go to the A-frame building, turn right of it, and call the resort for instructions. Pets are welcome. The lodging roster is the most varied in western Kentucky — treehouses alongside RV sites is not a common combination. A boat ramp, boat docks, an outdoor pool, a disc golf course, sport courts, basketball, volleyball, corn hole, a pavilion, and a playground fill the grounds, with boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, and biking on Lake Barkley. Eddyville sits in Lyon County on Lake Barkley, next to Land Between the Lakes. Rates for sites and every rental type are on the booking page. Lakeview sites and the treehouses book earliest.

from $48/night

Camp Lakewood Campground

52 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Camp Lakewood Campground in Effingham, Illinois, offers 52 RV sites and three tent sites within a mile of both I-70 and I-57, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 120 feet. Premium pull-through categories, including one with a patio, join full-hookup and water-and-electric back-in tiers, with an outdoor pool, boat ramp, and game room. Fifty-two sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in water-and-electric, premium pull-thru, premium pull-thru with patio, and pull-thru 30/50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 120 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. One hundred twenty feet is among the most generous capacities anywhere and accommodates anything on the road. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer at the site. Three tent sites round out the lodging. A laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. If you arrive after the office closes with a reservation, your name will be on an envelope with your site details. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a boat ramp for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing, and a game room, playground, and swimming filling the rest. Pets are welcome. Effingham is the crossroads city of downstate Illinois, where I-70 and I-57 meet — one of the most convenient overnight stops in the Midwest. Demand tracks interstate traffic rather than a season. Reserve ahead for holiday travel periods.

from $35/night

Waters Edge RV Park & Marina - Murray

23 RV Sites

Waters Edge RV Park & Marina in Murray, KY, offers 23 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 50 feet. Every site is a full-hookup back-in carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, and ADA-accessible sites are available. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, a dump station, a recreation center, and a barn are on the property, along with cabins for guests without a rig. Pets are welcome, and there's a playground. The marina is the anchor: 36 boat slips, boat docks, and a boat ramp put guests directly onto the lake for boating and fishing, with walking trails, hiking, biking, and picnicking on and around the grounds. Golf, a state park, and a water park are nearby. Murray sits in western Kentucky's lake country, a short drive from Benton and the Kentucky Lake and Land Between the Lakes recreation area. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Ask about boat slip availability when you reserve — the two book separately.

from $65/night

Myers Landing RV Resort

12 RV Sites, 8 Motel Rooms

Myers Landing RV Resort in Springville, TN, offers 12 full-hookup RV sites and 8 motel rooms, with 50-amp service and back-in sites for rigs up to 45 feet. Every site is a back-in carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi. Note the electrical: the resort runs 50-amp service, so a rig wired for lighter service will need an adapter. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, and eight motel rooms for guests without a rig cover the rest. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool, a game room, a pavilion, a playground, volleyball, and corn hole fill the grounds — a lot of amenity for 12 sites. Springville sits on the western shore of Kentucky Lake in Henry County, where the Tennessee River's impoundment creates one of the largest and most productive inland recreation lakes in the eastern United States, with boating right there. Rates for sites and rooms are on the booking page. Twelve sites on Kentucky Lake means summer fills fast — reserve ahead.

from $35/night

Hidden Creek Camp Ground

101 RV Sites, 2 Tent Sites

Hidden Creek Camp Ground in Springville, Tennessee, offers 101 full-hookup pull-through RV sites and two tent sites minutes from Kentucky Lake, with 30 and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 40 feet. Creekside, interior, and communal woodside lot categories join a small-cabin creekside option, with an outdoor pool, pond, and walking trails. One hundred one sites span communal woodside lot, creekside lot, creekside lot with a small cabin, interior corner lot, interior creekside corner lot, and interior creekside categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 40 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig, and that the layout is pull-through throughout. The creekside lot with a small cabin is an unusual hybrid — extra sleeping space alongside your rig. Accessible sites are available. A laundry, restrooms, showers, and boat storage handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a creek and pond supporting fishing, and walking trails, hiking, a playground, pavilion, and picnicking filling the grounds. Pets are welcome. The campground sits at 2576 W Antioch Road in the rolling hills of Henry County, minutes from Kentucky Lake — one of the largest man-made lakes in the eastern United States and a destination anglers and boaters drive to from across the Southeast. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand, with spring and fall fishing strong. Reserve ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $40/night

Lakeside Timbers RV Campground

126 RV Sites

Lakeside Timbers RV Campground in Neoga, Illinois, offers 126 full-hookup RV sites across 18 lakefront acres on Lake Mattoon, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 80 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Waterview, field view, and interior categories join a standard tier, with a marina, boat ramp, outdoor pool, and general store. One hundred twenty-six back-in sites run in 30/50-amp full-hookup, full-hookup field view, full-hookup interior, and full-hookup waterview categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Naming categories by outlook — water, field, or interior — tells you what you are booking, and 80 feet accommodates the longest coaches with a tow. A general store, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The store's provisions go well beyond standard camping supplies. A marina and boat ramp open the lake for boating, with an outdoor pool, game room, pavilion, dog park, swimming, and picnicking filling the rest. Wine and beer tasting is nearby. Pets are welcome. Lake Mattoon sits in the agricultural lake country of Cumberland County, where east-central Illinois's flatlands open onto one of the region's most productive recreational lakes. Effingham, Mattoon, and Charleston are all close, with I-57 and I-70 within a short drive. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand. Reserve well ahead for June through August weekends.

from $35/night