Tent Camping near Stanton, Missouri

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.

Candy Cane RV Park & Campground

9 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Candy Cane RV Park & Campground in Steelville, Missouri, offers nine full-hookup RV sites and three tent sites three minutes from downtown, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. An outdoor pool, mini-golf, and a family-owned operation that charges nothing extra for the shower house or dump station make this an intentionally small-scale Ozarks stop. Nine sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30-amp back-in and 50-amp pull-through configurations, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Three tent sites cover simpler camping. Laundry, restrooms, showers, a dump station, and WiFi handle the practical side — and the shower house and dump station carry no charge, which small family-owned Ozark campgrounds maintain as a point of hospitality. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with an 18-hole miniature golf course, sports courts, basketball, volleyball, and a pavilion filling the grounds. Swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking run from the area, with live music through the season and a state park nearby. Pets are welcome. Steelville sits in the Meramec River valley at the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, where spring-fed streams, float rivers, and karst geology of the Salem Plateau created Missouri's float-trip camping culture. The Meramec River is five miles away and Meramec Spring Park — with its natural spring, trout hatchery, and trail system — is ten minutes out. Downtown Steelville's restaurants, including Rich's Famous Burgers and the Spare Rib Inn, are three minutes from the sites. Float season drives summer demand. With nine sites, reserve well ahead for any warm-weather weekend.

from $25/night

Sinking Creek Ranch

19 RV Sites, 5 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites

Sinking Creek Ranch is a 277-acre wilderness ranch in Bunker, Missouri, bordered on three sides by Mark Twain National Forest. Twenty RV sites, five primitive tent sites, and five luxury glamping tents sit along a spring-fed creek in Reynolds County, one of the least populated counties in the state. Fifteen creekside full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and 30/50 amp electric on gravel pads running 65 to 90 feet, with six sites at 80 feet or longer. Big rigs and toy haulers fit comfortably. Sites are back-in, each with a fire ring and picnic table. Five dry gravel sites round out the RV inventory. A dump station and fresh water fill are on site, and extra vehicles park free. One flat rate covers your rig, your whole group, extra vehicles, and your dog. No per-person charges, no per-vehicle fees, and electric is never metered. Weekly and monthly rates are available for extended stays, with electric included. Ride from your site. Over 7 miles of private single track for dirt bikes, a 4.5 mile loop for side-by-sides and four wheelers, and direct access to hundreds of miles of fire roads and blazed trails in Mark Twain National Forest. Helmets required, daylight riding only, and quiet hours are enforced from 9pm to 7am. The bathhouse is a log cabin with private hot showers, flush toilets, and complimentary coffee. Firewood and ice available on site. Starlink WiFi at the bathhouse. The night sky is a Bortle Class 2, among the darkest in the eastern United States, and the Milky Way is visible with the naked eye on a clear night. Walking trails run the property along the creek. Horses are welcome with advance notice. Pets are welcome at no charge. Check-in 3pm, check-out 11am. Self check-in instructions sent before arrival.

from $15/night

Deer Creek Campground

Deer Creek Campground sits on the spring-fed Black River in Lesterville, Missouri—a Reynolds County Ozark community about two hours southwest of St. Louis where the Black River's cold, clear current, high quality of water, and accessible float corridor have made it one of the premier river recreation destinations in the Missouri Ozarks. The campground's combination of RV sites, cabins, and tent camping with an in-house float trip outfitting operation makes it a genuine Ozark river camp where the water is not merely adjacent to the camping but central to the entire experience. RV sites with hookup options, cabins of various sizes, and tent sites accommodate the full range of camping preferences, with outdoor pool, playground, a large pirate ship play structure for children, volleyball court, fire rings, picnic tables, and a covered pavilion available for rental providing the on-property recreational infrastructure. A camp store handles supply needs. The campground's Black River position means that creek access is immediate—the spring-fed water characteristic of the Ozark streams maintains temperatures in the mid-60s through summer, providing the cold, refreshing float and swimming experience that distinguishes Ozark river recreation from the warmer lake swimming that characterizes most Midwest summer camping. Deer Creek is also a river outfitter, offering four- to ten-person rafts, party islands, canoes, kayaks, and tubes for a seven-mile guided floating trip on the Black River—a self-guided float through the Ozark woodland where the river's spring-fed clarity, boulder-lined pools, and gravel-bar swimming holes define a distinctly Missouri outdoor experience. The float trip returns guests to the campground via shuttle, and multiple daily launches accommodate camping guests who want to spend more of their day on the water than a single float covers. The combination of the campground's location on the float corridor and its outfitting operation makes it one of the more self-contained river camping operations in the Missouri Ozarks. The Reynolds County Ozarks are anchored by a series of Missouri state parks that collectively make the area one of the most park-dense recreational landscapes in the state: Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, where the Black River flows through volcanic rhyolite formations creating natural rock water slides and swimming pools unique in Missouri, is the most famous. Elephant Rocks State Park, a field of billion-year-old granite boulders among the oldest exposed rock in Missouri, provides geological wonder accessible to visitors of all mobility levels on its paved trail. Sam A. Baker State Park, one of Missouri's most beloved parks, provides additional Black River access with hiking and camping in the St. François Mountains terrain. Deer Creek Campground operates through the Missouri Ozarks river season, with peak float trip demand from Memorial Day through Labor Day when the Black River's consistent spring-fed flow and moderate gradient make it accessible to all experience levels. Fall brings cooler temperatures, reduced crowds, and the hardwood foliage of the Ozark plateau in its full color display from early to mid-October, when the river's accessibility continues but the social intensity of peak summer diminishes. The campground's proximity to Johnson's Shut-Ins and the geological wonder of the Reynolds County state park cluster makes it a natural combination of river camping and state park exploration in a stretch of the Ozarks that rewards a multi-day stay.

from $33/night

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.

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

Eminence Cottages and Camp

7 RV Sites, 4 Tent Sites

Eminence Cottages and Camp in Eminence, Missouri, offers seven full-hookup RV sites and four tent sites in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 80 feet. Pull-through categories join cottages, a hot tub and sauna, and kayak rentals in Shannon County. Seven pull-through sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20/30-amp and 30/50-amp service, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The 80-foot capacity is generous for a small property. Four tent sites and cottages round out the accommodations. A general store, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. With seven RV sites, reserve well ahead. Pets are welcome. Kayak rentals are available on site, which matters here — the rivers are the reason to come, and having boats on the property removes the outfitter logistics. A hot tub and sauna, pavilion, sports courts, volleyball, corn hole, and walking trails fill the grounds, with hiking, canoeing, and kayaking from the area and a golf course nearby. Eminence sits in one of Missouri's most remote and purely beautiful rural counties, where the Jacks Fork and the Current River flow cold and spring-clear through forested limestone valleys protected under the National Park Service since 1964. For guests wanting immersive access to the Ozarks' most celebrated float rivers with comfort infrastructure for multi-day stays, this is the deepest access point in the region. Float season runs spring through fall, peaking in summer. Reserve well ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $29 $25/night

Broken Arrow Campground

36 RV Sites

Broken Arrow Campground in Eminence, Missouri, offers 36 full-hookup RV sites in the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 70 feet. Double pull-through and amperage-specific pull-through categories mean no backing at any site, with river frontage and a beach. Thirty-six sites run in double pull-thru, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 50-amp categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric, sized to 70 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The double pull-through accommodates two rigs traveling together, and 70 feet handles a long coach with a tow. An all-pull-through layout means no backing at any site. Restrooms handle the practical side. A river runs the property with a beach for swimming. The amenity set is deliberately minimal, and here that is the point — guests come for the water, not for programming. Pets are welcome. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is one of the most naturally spectacular regions in the American Midwest and the first national park area established to protect a river system. Crystalline spring-fed water winds through limestone bluffs and hardwood forest in a landscape that has changed remarkably little. The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are the main draws for float trips, Alley Spring's historic mill and Round Spring are close, and Big Spring pushes 286 million gallons a day. Summer float season drives the heaviest demand, with spring and fall offering cooler water and far easier availability. Reserve well ahead for June through August.

from $12/night

Ozarks Landing RV Resort

74 RV Sites, 12 Tent Sites

Ozarks Landing RV Resort in Lake Ozark, Missouri, offers 74 full-hookup RV sites and 12 tent sites directly on Lake of the Ozarks, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Dedicated fishing pond back-in spots at both amperages join deluxe, premium, and standard categories, with boat docks, a boat ramp, and fishing pier. Seventy-four sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 50-amp, deluxe back-in 50-amp, premium, fishing pond back-in 30-amp, and fishing pond back-in 50-amp categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet. The fishing pond categories put you on the water at the site, which is exactly what most guests here are after. Twelve tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. Boat docks, a boat ramp, and a fishing pier give direct lake access for boating and fishing, with an outdoor pool, pond, and playground filling the rest. Pets are welcome. Lake of the Ozarks has 1,150 miles of shoreline — more than the entire California coastline — which makes it the most extensively developed recreational lake in the Midwest and the center of Missouri's most commercially active resort economy. Bagnell Dam, the Grand Glaize arm, and the lake's restaurant and marina infrastructure are all close. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand and fills the corridor. Reserve well ahead for Memorial Day through Labor Day, with far easier availability in the spring and fall.

from $26/night

Jellystone Park™ Mark Twain Lake

7 RV Sites, 33 Cabins, 12 Tent Sites, 1 Lodge

Jellystone Park at Mark Twain Lake in Monroe City, MO, offers 7 full-hookup pull-through RV sites and 34 cabin and lodge rentals, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 45 feet. Every RV site is a pull-through carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. With 34 cabins against 7 RV sites, this is a cabin resort that also takes RVs, so book the pull-throughs early. Laundry, a general store, a boutique shop, firewood, golf cart rentals, and both RV and boat storage cover the practical side. Pets are welcome. Your per-person camping fee includes access to the Water Zone, the RV park pool, theme weekends, and hourly activities listed in the campers app. The recreation is the full Yogi Bear program: a water park with a lazy river and splash pad, an outdoor pool, mini-golf, laser tag, a jumping pillow, gaga ball, a recreation center, sport courts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, gold panning, a snack bar, a bar, and live music. Monroe City sits on Mark Twain Lake, an 18,600-acre reservoir on the Salt River in the northeastern Missouri prairie. Rates are on the booking page. Seven pull-throughs at a resort this size means they go first.

from $25/night

Jellystone Park™ Pittsfield

90 RV Sites, 52 Cabins, 5 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites, 6 Cottages

Jellystone Park Pittsfield in Illinois offers 90 RV sites, 52 cabins, five tent sites, and four glamping sites on a private lake, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 60 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Back-in and pull-through categories at both amperages join a splash pad, beach, jumping pillow, and boat rentals. Ninety sites run in back-in 30-amp, back-in 50/30-amp, and pull-through 50/30-amp categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Fifty-two cabins, five tent sites, and four glamping sites make the lodging inventory unusually deep. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Day passes run 11am to 6pm and include the jumping pillow, wibit, pool, slide, splash pad, paddle boards, and kayaks. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a private lake, beach, and boat rentals supporting swimming, boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, inflatable water toys, and fishing. A jumping pillow, arcade, game room, gem mining, sports courts, volleyball, gaga ball, horseshoes, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, a recreation center, playground, pavilion, dog park, bar, and snack bar fill the rest. Pike County sits where the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers define the western Illinois landscape. Summer is decisively the season. Reserve well ahead.

from $43/night