American Adventurer
Found · unverifiedMDCFree

Gist Ranch Conservation Area

Drive-up · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO · 37.16967, -91.76910
We haven't personally camped here. Everything below is pulled from public land data, USGS maps and OpenStreetMap — a real place on Missouri Dept. of Conservation land, but not field-checked by us. Confirm road conditions, current access, stay limits and fire restrictions before you go.

Missouri Dept. of Conservation area — 11,240 acres, Texas County. Primitive camping is currently FREE (no camping fee), limited to 14 days in any 30 and 30 camping-days per year. IMPORTANT: MDC has PROPOSED a $5/night camping fee at some conservation areas (decision expected around September 2026) — verify current fees before you rely on 'free.' Camping is allowed only where posted; some areas require a free special-use permit, and dispersed sites must be 100+ yards from roads/parking. Confirm this area's regulations before you go.

Missouri wants to charge for this. The Missouri Dept. of Conservation has proposed a $5/night camping permit at its conservation areas, with a final vote set for Sept. 11, 2026. We believe camping on public land should stay free — it keeps people healthy and the outdoors within everyone's reach. Public comment is open through Aug. 14, 2026: tell the Missouri Conservation Commission you oppose it →
USGS topo — contours & terrain
USGS topographic map of Gist Ranch Conservation Area
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Aerial image of Gist Ranch Conservation Area
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Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 1,421 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.

Everything you need — measured from camp

15 MI30 MI60 MIYOUR CAMPN ↑Water · 31 miWDump · 18 miDSignal · Fuel · 12 miFApple Market · Grocery · 12 miGLakeland Pharmacy · Pharmacy · 16 miRxAce Hardware · Hardware · 27 miHRandy's Autobody & Repair · Mechanic · 16 miMMountain Grove Laundry · Laundry · 27 miLShower · 18 miShAir-up · 31 miAOzarks Healthcare · Urgent care · 16 mi+Alley Spring Store · Outfitter · 18 miONagle Post Office · Mail · 3 mi@
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
  • @Mail3 mi
  • GGrocery12 mi
  • FFuel12 mi
  • RxPharmacy16 mi
  • MMechanic16 mi
  • +Urgent care16 mi
  • ShShower18 mi
  • DDump18 mi
  • OOutfitter18 mi
  • HHardware27 mi
  • LLaundry27 mi
  • AAir-up31 mi
  • WWater31 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water

The read: water is a real 31-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 12 mi out.

Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.

One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗

The site

Access
Drive-up
Land
Missouri Dept. of Conservation
Elevation
1,421 ft
State
MO
Coordinates
37.16967, -91.76910
Cost
Free

Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)

  • Water featurePeters Creek (stream) · nearby
  • Nearest townNagle · ~2.8 mi
  • Drinking waternone within 10 mi
  • FuelAnchor Gas Station · ~12.6 mi
  • Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
  • Dump stationDump station · ~17.9 mi
  • GroceriesApple Market · ~12.0 mi
  • PharmacyGood Graces Pharmacy · ~16.4 mi
  • Hospital / clinicMercy Saint Francis Hospital · ~12.1 mi

Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

Open this spot elsewhere

Google satellite →Gaia GPS →CalTopo →Back to the map →

Other camps nearby

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

How we know this

Source
Missouri Dept. of Conservation (conservation areas)
Confidence
Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.
How it was placed
MDC Discover_Nature camping-point layer joined by Area_ID to the area layer (county/acreage/official name); 3 camp point(s), types=['Primitive Camping Area']. Currently free; $5/night fee proposed (~Sept 2026). Broad-scope ingest 2026-07-19 14:49:09.
Field check
Not verified on the ground. Nobody from here has camped it. It stays at Likely until someone does.

What we don’t know

A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.

Before you go

Your first dispersed night →Fire rules & restrictions →Getting unstuck →Power off-grid →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →