Agency-listedMDCFree

Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

Drive-up · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO · 36.94393, -92.32667
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Missouri Dept. of Conservation lists this site. Someone from the agency inventoried it, so it is a real camp — not a spot we guessed at. What changes is conditions — roads, gates, closures, fire rules. Check those with the unit before you commit to the drive.

Missouri Dept. of Conservation area — 1,565 acres, Douglas 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 Shannon Ranch Conservation Area
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Aerial image of Shannon Ranch Conservation Area
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Weather outlook — at Shannon Ranch Conservation Area
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 1,237 ft.
Fire & smoke — around Shannon Ranch Conservation AreaNIFC · 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 Shannon Ranch Conservation Area · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO

15 MI30 MI60 MIYOUR CAMPN ↑Water · 30 miWDump · 50 miDFuel · 13 miFTA · Grocery · 13 miGFamily Pharmacy · Pharmacy · 14 miRxAce Hardware · Hardware · 15 miHR&R Truck Repair · Mechanic · 13 miMMountain Grove Laundry · Laundry · 13 miLShower · 9 miShAir-up · 30 miAMercy Clinic · Urgent care · 14 mi+Monty's Outdoors · Outfitter · 30 miOMountain Grove Post Office · Mail · 13 mi@Casey's Gas Station · EV fast charger · 18 miEV
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
  • ShShower9 mi
  • MMechanic13 mi
  • FFuel13 mi
  • GGrocery13 mi
  • LLaundry13 mi
  • @Mail13 mi
  • +Urgent care14 mi
  • RxPharmacy14 mi
  • HHardware15 mi
  • EVEV fast charger18 mi
  • OOutfitter30 mi
  • WWater30 mi
  • AAir-up30 mi
  • DDump50 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water

The read: water is a real 30-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 13 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); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗

The site — Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

Access
Drive-up
Land
Missouri Dept. of Conservation
Elevation
1,237 ft
State
MO
Coordinates
36.94393, -92.32667
Cost
Free

Nearby & resupply — around Shannon Ranch Conservation Area · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO (OpenStreetMap)

  • Water featureGreasy Creek (stream) · nearby
  • Nearest townDrury · ~1.0 mi
  • Drinking waternone within 10 mi
  • FuelFuel · ~13.0 mi
  • Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
  • GroceriesTA · ~13.0 mi
  • PharmacyGood Graces Pharmacy · ~20.6 mi
  • Hospital / clinicOzarks Healthcare · ~20.5 mi
  • HardwareAce Hardware · ~29.5 mi

EV charging — from Shannon Ranch Conservation Area · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

Nearby restrooms — around Shannon Ranch Conservation Area · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

Open Shannon Ranch Conservation Area elsewhere

Other camps near Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

How we know this — Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

Fee note
Currently free; $5/night fee proposed (~Sept 2026)
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); 1 camp point(s), types=['Primitive Camping Area']. Currently free; $5/night fee proposed (~Sept 2026). Broad-scope ingest 2026-07-19 14:49:09.
EV chargers
US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.
Field check
On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.

What we don’t know about Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

A land record can put you within a few meters 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 — Shannon Ranch Conservation Area

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 →