Want to know some of the best camping spots near St. Louis? Read on!
My family loves camping; we are all about heading outside to enjoy the beauty of nature. There are so many amazing places to camp within a couple of hours of St. Louis. With camping being one of the few options for fun activities this summer, I thought I would put together a list of some of our favorite places to get outside to camp!
Fern Clyffe State Park
This is a beautiful campground near the Shawnee National Forest. You can take a trailer or tent camp. If you have a trailer, there are spots with electric and water!
We grabbed a handicap-accessible spot that made this campground super power-wheelchair friendly. The spot was large enough that my son had plenty of room to cruise around in his chair, and it was paved, so he wasn’t bumping all over the place on gravel or dirt!
Tip: Bring your scooters to get to and from the bathrooms on paved paths!
Watch out for deer because there are tons!!! There are also lots of great hiking spots within walking distance from the campsite. This is our favorite place to camp by far!
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area
This campground is on Lake Carlyle. It is a great place to go kayaking and fishing. The campsite even has a pool, which is awesome!
We stayed here during a meteor shower, and it was the perfect place to see the entire sky!
They have tent and RV camping. This was not a very wheelchair friendly campsite, so make sure and take that into consideration if you need accessibility.
This campground is close to the city, so if you want to get away but don’t want to drive too far, this might be a good option!
Lake of the Ozarks State Park Campgrounds
Make sure and grab one of the camping spots directly on the lake. We attached our hammock to the trees right next to the water so that we could sway over the water and enjoy the view. We also brought our kayak, which we could easily put in right at our campsite.
My kids really enjoyed the playground at this campground. They were able to play and run around while we made and broke camp.
This campground was extremely power-wheelchair friendly. We got a handicap specific spot that had a large paved plot.
Silver Mines
This is a beautiful area in the Mark Twain National Forest. You can tent camp or take an RV or camper.
You can swim in the river, go fishing, or head out on the kayak.
This area is special because of all of the beautiful rock formations. There is great hiking with lots of wildlife and natural beauty to check out!
The campsites are well cleared of brush and debris. They are grassy, but my son had no trouble in his power-wheelchair.
Pere Marquette State Park
This is a very rustic camping experience. If you like the true nature experience, this is a great place.
The campground and surrounding woods are absolutely beautiful, and it is a very relaxing place to camp.
This is not a wheelchair friendly campground, so if that is something you are looking for, I recommend one of the other campgrounds listed.
A few camping tips:
- These areas have a lot of tick activity. I highly recommend treating your clothes for ticks. If you do encounter a tick, my favorite resource is THIS site where you can submit a picture, and they will tell you your risk for various diseases.
- If you are affiliated with the Boy Scouts or the military, you may be able to find additional camping locations. This year the boy scouts are not holding camps, so they are offering a socially distanced version of camping on their properties.
- Have a great trip! Camping is always a time when we make so many wonderful memories! My kids are engaged and happy, and they love to talk and tell jokes. We absolutely love this time together.
There are so many great campgrounds in the area! I know we have only been to a fraction. Make sure and share your favorite camping locations with us in the comments!
