Camping and Floating in Missouri
Missouri has beautiful rivers with clear water. We have taken many river trips in southern Missouri and have camped in some great campgrounds. All of the places below offer floats or you can choose to just hang out at the river for the day. If tent camping is not your thing, many places also have cabins which we have sometimes chosen to do.
The Black River is the cleanest and clearest river in Missouri. We have made yearly trips to Bearcat Getaway on the Black River since 2012. Bearcat has a huge stretch of river access, live music on summer weekends, and a clean bathroom/shower house. It is our favorite place to camp and spend time at the river. The star gazing next to the river bank is second to none. We have watched the Milky Way rising and meteor showers that rival dark sky areas we have visited in the west.
We have spent weekends at Huzzah Valley Resort and Bass River Resort. Both were great trips, and the campgrounds are fun with many amenities. Huzzah is known as a party campground, and Bass River can also be lively as well. The rivers are good in this area, but there are better rivers in Missouri. If these campgrounds were on the Black River or Current River, they would be even better.
The Current River is our second favorite river and is very clear and clean. The campground we used to frequent is closed now, but there are still many camping options on the Current River. A camping and floating trip on the Current River is a blast.
Jacks Fork River is a tributary of the Current River, and our new favorite place to stay in cabins is on this river at Jack’s Fork River Resort. They offer a range of cabin options and have a lodge. We stayed in a cabin, and our friends stayed in the lodge. Both rooms are basic but clean, functional, and affordable. It was wonderful to sleep in air conditioning during the summer. The river access is great here. They have charcoal grills, a covered pavilion, and a restaurant nearby.
