At its simplest, camping is sleeping on blankets under the stars. At most it’s a fully decked out RV. For the sake of definition, we’re not focusing on RV camping or backpacking in this section. Below you’ll find an (evolving) list of public places in the Ozarks where you can pull up your car, pitch a tent, and have a fire.
- Stockton Lake
- Bull Shoals Lake
- Truman Lake
- Lake Pomme de Terre
- Table Rock Lake
- Clearwater Lake
- Lake Wappapello
- Beaver Lake
- Norfork Lake
- Arkansas State Parks
- Missouri State Parks
- Mark Twain National Forest
Camping at Stockton Lake
Camping at Bull Shoals Lake
Reservations can be made and information for each of these campgrounds (except Bull Shoals-White River State Park) can be found at Recreation.gov.
- Beaver Creek
- Buck Creek
- Highway 125
- Lakeview
- Lead Hill
- Oakland/Ozark
- River Run
- Theodosia
- Tucker Hollow
- Bull Shoals-White River State Park
Camping at Truman Lake
Camping at Table Rock Lake
- Aunt’s Creek
- Baxter
- Big M
- Campbell Point
- Cape Fair
- Cricket Creek
- Eagle Rock
- Indian Point
- Long Creek
- Mill Creek
- Old Hwy 86
- Viney Creek
- Viola
See also Mark Twain National Forest for Big Bay Recreation Area and Piney Creek Wilderness.
Camping at Clearwater Lake
Reservations can be made and information for each of these campgrounds can be found at Recreation.gov.
- Bluff View
- Highway K
- Piedmont Park
- River Road
- Webb Creek
Camping at Lake Wappapello
- Redman Creek
- People’s Creek
- Greenville Campground
- Chaonia Campground (primitive campground)
- Island Camping (on islands in the lake)
- Primitive Camping in specific zones
Camping at Beaver Lake
Reservations can be made and information for each of these campgrounds can be found at Recreation.gov.
- Dam Site Lake
- Dam Site River
- Hickory Creek
- Horseshoe Bend East
- Horseshoe Bend West
- Indian Creek
- Lost Bridge North
- Lost Bridge South
- Prairie Creek
- Rocky Branch
- Starkey
- War Eagle
Camping at Norfork Lake
Reservations can be made and information for each of these campgrounds can be found at Recreation.gov.
- Bidwell Point
- Cranfield
- Dam-Quarry Campground
- Gamaliel
- Robinson Point
Camping in Arkansas State Parks
Camping in Missouri State Parks
Camping in Mark Twain National Forest
- Bar-K Wrangler Camp
Big Bay Recreation Area– Closed 2013.- Cobb Ridge Recreation Area
- North Fork Recreation Area
- Deer Leap Recreation Area
- Float Camp Recreation Area
- Fourche Lake Recreation Area
- Greer Crossing Recreation Area
- McCormack Lake Recreation Area
- Watercress Recreation Area
- Dry Fork Recreation Area
- Lane Spring Recreation Area
- Paddy Creek Recreation Area
- Pine Ridge Recreation Area
- Markham Springs Recreation Area
- Berryman Trail & Campground
- Council Bluff Recreation Area
- Marble Creek Recreation Area
- Red Bluff Recreation Area
- Silver Mines Recreation Area
- Loggers Lake Recreation Area
- Sutton Bluff Recreation Area