Special Use Campground

5580 State Highway 143, Patterson, MO 63956-9729, United States

Sam A. Baker State Park sits where the St. Francis River meets Big Creek in Missouri's St. Francois Mountains, 430 feet above sea level near Patterson. The park offers cabin lodging and draws families and river enthusiasts for swimming, floating, and miles of trails. Visitors frequently call it a favorite, though holiday weekends bring crowds and noise.

5580 State Highway 143, Patterson, MO 63956-9729, United States

Campground 2 sits along the St. Francis River in Sam A. Baker State Park, tucked into the St. Francois Mountains at 1,234 feet elevation. The sites are close together but deliver easy river access for swimming and floating. Repeat visitors choose this campground specifically for deer sightings and proximity to the water, though privacy is limited and weekends can be loud.

5347 Co. Rd. 452, Annapolis, MO 63620, USA

Highway K Campground sits along the Black River in Missouri's Ozark highlands, about 2 miles north of Clearwater Lake near Annapolis. The 83-site campground offers electric and water hookups, riverside access for swimming and boating, and rates from $14 to $50 per night. It's a budget-friendly base for families who want river recreation without giving up hot showers and dump station access.

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Marble Creek Recreation Area sits in Mark Twain National Forest with 26 sites spread along a single loop. The campground runs $15/night and fills a niche for campers who want seclusion and creek access without hookups or potable water. Marble Creek flows through ancient dolomite formations that give the water unusual clarity and color. Cell service doesn't exist here.

PO BOX 460, Salem, MO, 65560, USA

Sutton Bluff Recreation Area sits at 810 feet elevation in Mark Twain National Forest, where the West Fork of the Black River cuts through rocky Ozark terrain. The campground has 32 sites for tent and RV camping, ranging from $10 to $40 per night. Expect no cell service and mixed conditions: reviews praise the river access and site size but frequently mention maintenance issues with restrooms.

MARK TWAIN

Silver Mines Campground sits along the St. Francis River in Mark Twain National Forest, about 74 sites spread across multiple loops. It's Missouri's only whitewater river campground, with paved site pads, 30-amp electric hookups at select sites, and nightly fees ranging from $15 to $100. No showers or dump station, which reviewers mention often.

Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson's Shut-ins State Park Campground sits in the St. Francois Mountains of the Missouri Ozarks, where the East Fork of the Black River has carved dramatic rhyolite chutes and pools that function as a natural water park. The campground features wide concrete pads, good tree cover, and clean facilities, but site experience varies by loop. Weekends and holidays draw crowds to the shut-ins during warm months.

Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park

Johnsons Shut-ins State Park Campground sits in the forested St. Francois Mountains of southeastern Missouri, where the East Fork of the Black River carves through a dramatic igneous rock gorge. The campground offers five loops (Loops 1–3 with electric hookups, Loop 4 basic drive-in, Loop 5 walk-in) and draws visitors primarily for swimming and rock-hopping in the park's signature shut-ins. Natural pools, slides, and cascades formed by ancient volcanic rhyolite. Campers consistently praise the modern, very clean bathhouse and the well-stocked camp store, though summer weekends bring heavy crowds to the swimming area.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Campground sits at Missouri's highest point, 1,785 feet above sea level, offering about 12 primitive walk-in sites on a first-come basis. The campground operates on an honor-system cash fee (reports range from $12 to $15 per night depending on season) and provides vault toilets and seasonal drinking water at the park entrance. It's a quiet, no-frills base camp for hikers tackling the Mina Sauk Falls trail and summit overlooks.

STATE HWY. DD, Belgrade, MO 63622, USA

Council Bluff Recreation Area sits on the shores of Mark Twain National Forest's largest lake, offering 75 campsites spread across individual, group, and walk-in areas. Sites are spacious and well-spaced, with fees ranging from $11 to $100 per night. The 440-acre lake and surrounding forest provide hiking, fishing, swimming, and boating, though maintenance issues and aggressive raccoons are recurring complaints.

St. Joe State Park

Campground 1 sits in St. Joe State Park's eastern Ozarks woodlands on reclaimed lead-mining land, serving as the main base camp for the park's extensive ORV trail system. The campground offers pull-through sites with electric hookups (no water or sewer) and draws families and riders who come for the ATV/SXS trails, swimming areas, and small lakes. A two-night minimum stay applies, and ORV permits (nonrefundable, nontransferable) can be purchased online or at the park's ORV contact station upon arrival.

237 Highway V, Viburnum, MO 65566, USA

Red Bluff Campground sits along Huzzah Creek in the Potosi-Fredericktown Ranger District, offering 74 sites across four loops: Creek, Ridge Top, Pines Overlook, and Group. Sites range from $15-$35 per night and include both electric and non-electric options. Recent renovations in 2023 upgraded restrooms, showers, and dump stations. Most sites sit within 200 yards of the creek.

Hazel Creek Campground entrance, Hwy Z North, Brazil Road/Co Rd 657 area

Hazel Creek Campground sits in Mark Twain National Forest near Potosi, offering primitive camping at 10 sites, all free and first-come first-served. The campground draws OHV riders, mountain bikers, and equestrians to its trail system, with amenities limited to fire rings, picnic tables, and lantern posts. Pack in water and pack out trash. Cell service is nonexistent.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park Campground sits at Missouri's highest point, 1,785 feet above sea level, offering about 12 primitive walk-in sites on a first-come basis. The campground operates on an honor-system cash fee (reports range from $12 to $15 per night depending on season) and provides vault toilets and seasonal drinking water at the park entrance. It's a quiet, no-frills base camp for hikers tackling the Mina Sauk Falls trail and summit overlooks.

5580 State Highway 143, Patterson, MO 63956-9729, United States

Campground 2 sits along the St. Francis River in Sam A. Baker State Park, tucked into the St. Francois Mountains at 1,234 feet elevation. The sites are close together but deliver easy river access for swimming and floating. Repeat visitors choose this campground specifically for deer sightings and proximity to the water, though privacy is limited and weekends can be loud.

Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson's Shut-ins State Park Campground sits in the St. Francois Mountains of the Missouri Ozarks, where the East Fork of the Black River has carved dramatic rhyolite chutes and pools that function as a natural water park. The campground features wide concrete pads, good tree cover, and clean facilities, but site experience varies by loop. Weekends and holidays draw crowds to the shut-ins during warm months.