Where to camp in Missouri?

JuliaAnne2018 · Nov 21, 2024

Where could I park or camp in Missouri? I am seeking year round camping preferably near Ava or Holt Summit. I am hoping to bring my homemade camper, which is basically an insulated four walls and a roof on a 4 x 8 trailer.

bullfrog ! · Nov 21, 2024

Welcome! Are you looking for just a place to park and sleep overnight or set up a permanent residence? Do you require any access to utilities? The more we know about your situation the better our recommendations will be. Are you working or planning to? Have you spent winter in those parts of Missouri?

maki2 · Nov 21, 2024

Start your search for “free camping” in Missouri by reading the article in this link from Campendium. That is a well known and trusted website.
https://www.campendium.com/missouri/free-camping

twomountainlions · Nov 30, 2024

All these free places have camping limits, might be 7 days in conservation areas, while MO does not have a lot of free camping or public lands. Anyone overstaying the limits will draw attention pretty quick out there, people watch out for outsiders. It can get real cold down to -20F, snow too, muddy, I used to own a rural place down there in the Ozarks, then tornados and strong winds, so wide open sites are undesirable, then also don't want big trees up close. Missouri is not the best place for free camping year round, imho. Best bet is to find cheap RV park by just calling lical parks in that area of interest or a farmer who can let camp on their land fir a fee, can put up an ad in a hardware store. Things are old school in rural Southern MO so not all is in camping apps and lots of meth so people are careful if they rent their land out.

bullfrog ! · Nov 30, 2024

Workamper.com used to be headquartered in Heber Springs Arkansas you might try finding or researching them. Many older farmers have a hard time keeping taxes paid on poor producing ground in the mountains. You might find one willing to rent a section cheaply if you can make friends and are like minded.

maki2 · Dec 2, 2024

In rural areas there are farms and where there are farms there are feed stores and those stores pretty much always have bulletin boards. The clerks also tend to know their customers and if anyone might be needing live-in security/helpers.

Another place to ask is at the local cafes. The ones my friend from Idaho calls “tractor cap cafes”. Because at breakfast the local farmers gather and chat while wearing “gimme caps”. Often with tractor company logos on them. Those folks talk a lot and know who might be willing to have someone stay on the land. Zoning codes in farm country sometimes allow for a farm worker to park an RV on the land and live in it.
I have one of those memories that just files years worth of this kind of resourcing stuff into my brain. But do not ask me to remember your face and name