Dispersed Camping in Missouri

  • HTML tutorial

Jon Tyler

Rank I
Launch Member

Traveler I

233
Kansas City, Mo
First Name
Tyler
Last Name
Jacobson
Member #

16328

I am trying to find some good free camping here in Missouri. I used to live in Colorado so I dont know the good spots yet. Any ideas?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ZombieGTA

Natenite

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Missouri
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
knight
Member #

24532

Man I was hoping you would get some hits on this. I’m looking at taking the kids out this weekend for their first camping trip and was hoping to try some dispersed car camping. I live is the SW part of the state so I will probably just end up in Arkansas for the weekend but I have heard any of the Mark Twain forest areas have potential. There is also some “overland trail” in Missouri. I think some guys from Tacoma world forums are going to drive part of it this weekend. I don’t know squat about it though. Completely new to all of this.
 

ShyTRex

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Moscow Mills
First Name
Greg
Last Name
Rice
Member #

9837

Man I was hoping you would get some hits on this. I’m looking at taking the kids out this weekend for their first camping trip and was hoping to try some dispersed car camping. I live is the SW part of the state so I will probably just end up in Arkansas for the weekend but I have heard any of the Mark Twain forest areas have potential. There is also some “overland trail” in Missouri. I think some guys from Tacoma world forums are going to drive part of it this weekend. I don’t know squat about it though. Completely new to all of this.
Ditto.
 

ShyTRex

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Moscow Mills
First Name
Greg
Last Name
Rice
Member #

9837

Man I was hoping you would get some hits on this. I’m looking at taking the kids out this weekend for their first camping trip and was hoping to try some dispersed car camping. I live is the SW part of the state so I will probably just end up in Arkansas for the weekend but I have heard any of the Mark Twain forest areas have potential. There is also some “overland trail” in Missouri. I think some guys from Tacoma world forums are going to drive part of it this weekend. I don’t know squat about it though. Completely new to all of this.
Do you know if that ever happened? I can find the thread on TW.
 

Natenite

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Missouri
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
knight
Member #

24532

Do you know if that ever happened? I can find the thread on TW.

Yeah in the Midwest bs thread there are some active guys. They drove part of it a while back.

My wife and I have started running parts of it as short day trips as we learn our vehicle and what not. If you good Missouri overland trail or something like that you will find a site called basherdesigns with a map and some extra roads to connect the route to Arkansas.

We have done some of the new connector trail and have not hit the “official” overland route yet. It will make sense when you see the map. Found some really awesome stuff on the connector route that was completely unexpected.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UploadAdventure

OzarkNewb

Rank I
Launch Member

Contributor I

233
Joplin MO
First Name
Dustin
Last Name
Nash
Member #

11913

Man I was hoping you would get some hits on this. I’m looking at taking the kids out this weekend for their first camping trip and was hoping to try some dispersed car camping. I live is the SW part of the state so I will probably just end up in Arkansas for the weekend but I have heard any of the Mark Twain forest areas have potential. There is also some “overland trail” in Missouri. I think some guys from Tacoma world forums are going to drive part of it this weekend. I don’t know squat about it though. Completely new to all of this.

Did you ever find anything out about overland trails in MO or NWA? I am in the SW part of MO too and would like some places to take the family.
 

hodges

Rank I
Launch Member

Contributor II

271
Sparta, MO, USA
First Name
Jess
Last Name
Hodges
Member #

18633

Did you ever find anything out about overland trails in MO or NWA? I am in the SW part of MO too and would like some places to take the family.
I also live in sw mo would love to find some trails here as well.
 

Natenite

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Missouri
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
knight
Member #

24532

My family has been knocking out bits of this route, the green portion as that is closest to us. Some of it has been awesome and some has been an epic dud. The green route is definitely outdated and needs to reworking but the parts that are still there and passable are cool. We haven’t done the southernmost part of the green yet either so might knock some of that out has been good for little day trips in the summer to see if the kids can handle long drives in the truck and also has given me a couple opportunities to test some of the capability of the truck it’s self.
 

hodges

Rank I
Launch Member

Contributor II

271
Sparta, MO, USA
First Name
Jess
Last Name
Hodges
Member #

18633

I have been doing more research! I have a couple of contacts at national forestry department. With there help I'm down loading maps and trying to put together a 60 mile track to start leave out of ozark mo. First trip should be in September. I'm going to record routes. This will be my first time overlanding I guess. Camped and hunted all my life.
 

Natenite

Rank III
Launch Member

Enthusiast II

509
Missouri
First Name
Nathan
Last Name
knight
Member #

24532

I would love to see this! Keep me informed! Wife and I are going down to Arkansas Saturday to try and drive some of the routes from the OB rally that was down there a couple months ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UploadAdventure

hodges

Rank I
Launch Member

Contributor II

271
Sparta, MO, USA
First Name
Jess
Last Name
Hodges
Member #

18633

I would love to see this! Keep me informed! Wife and I are going down to Arkansas Saturday to try and drive some of the routes from the OB rally that was down there a couple months ago.
I think they where at byrds adventures park off of pig trail out of Cass ARK pretty country been down there at a few chuckwagon races. You'll have a good time!
 
  • Like
Reactions: UploadAdventure

Broke

Rank 0
Launch Member

Contributor III

116
Blue Springs, MO, USA
First Name
Adam
Last Name
G
A friend and I did a 3 day, 2 night trip to the Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) a few months ago. We had a great time and were able to camp in some really nice areas. We used a few resources for navigation and finding spots.
First up was downloading the motor vehicle unit maps (MVUM) for where we were headed.
They can be found here:

They are downloaded as PDF files. Then I downloaded an app called Avenza which makes the pdf a navigable map, when used on a GPS enabled device. This worked very well and kept us on acceptable/established/legal trails.
We also used Gaia gps, although it showed every trail, whether or not it was a legal route according to the MVUM, easy way to get in trouble...
Attached is the map I made while planning, and we mostly stuck to the routes on it.
Screenshot_20200220-212152_Avenza Maps.jpg

We had a great time and I would not hesitate to head out that way in any vehicle with decent ground clearance and or a skilled driver.
For reference I was driving a stock 2013 JKUR and my friend was in a stock 2019 JLUR.

There is also dispersed camping at the Noblett lake area, it used to be a full on campground and as such still has flat sites and easy paved road access. There is also a vault toilet at the lake, although we stay below the dam next to the river.


One the current situation is over we will be headed back to the MTNF. Hopefully to spend at least a week exploring and camping.
 
Last edited:

UploadAdventure

Rank IV
Launch Member

Enthusiast III

1,277
Dixon, MO, USA
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Monsalvo
Member #

21122

A friend and I did a 3 day, 2 night trip to the Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) a few months ago. We had a great time and were able to camp in some really nice areas. We used a few resources for navigation and finding spots.
First up was downloading the motor vehicle unit maps (MVUM) for where we were headed.
They can be found here:

They are downloaded as PDF files. Then I downloaded an app called Avenca which makes the pdf a navigable map, when used on a GPS enabled device. This worked very well and kept us on acceptable/established/legal trails.
We also used Gaia gps, although it showed every trail, whether or not it was a legal route according to the MVUM, easy way to get in trouble...
Attached is the map I made while planning, and we mostly stuck to the routes on it.
View attachment 148813

We had a great time and I would not hesitate to head out that way in any vehicle with decent ground clearance and or a skilled driver.
For reference I was driving a stock 2013 JKUR and my friend was in a stock 2019 JLUR.

There is also dispersed camping at the Noblett lake area, it used to be a full on campground and as such still has flat sites and easy paved road access. There is also a vault toilet at the lake, although we stay below the dam next to the river.


One the current situation is over we will be headed back to the MTNF. Hopefully to spend at least a week exploring and camping.
Great to share these kinds of details!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Broke

Broke

Rank 0
Launch Member

Contributor III

116
Blue Springs, MO, USA
First Name
Adam
Last Name
G
A couple more options are the baltimore bend area in Missouri, dispersed camping is allowed, but fires are restricted to established areas only.

A favorite of mine is the woodbridge primitive use area in Kansas. Free camping in established area with water, toilets and picnic tables. There is a trail that goes down to the lake, dispersed camping is allowed anywhere 100 feet off the trail or at any of the established campsites.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UploadAdventure