Tarkio Prairie Conservation Area
Missouri Dept. of Conservation area — 640 acres, Atchison 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.
Everything you need — measured from camp
- @Mail4 mi
- GGrocery10 mi
- FFuel10 mi
- RxPharmacy17 mi
- HHardware17 mi
- MMechanic17 mi
- WWater21 mi
- AAir-up22 mi
- +Urgent care22 mi
- OOutfitter23 mi
- ShShower30 mi
- LLaundry50 mi
The read: water is a real 21-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 10 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Dump, 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
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureLong Branch (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townLondon · ~4.4 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelPhillips 66 · ~11.1 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesHy-Vee · ~9.6 mi
- PharmacyHy-Vee Pharmacy · ~17.8 mi
- Hospital / clinicCommunity Hospital - Fairfax · ~14.4 mi
- HardwareEaster's True Value · ~18.5 mi
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Highway rest areaRockport SB Welcome Center (WC) · ~19.2 mi SW
- Highway rest areaWatson NB (TPF) · ~21.8 mi W
- Highway rest areaMound City SB (TPF) · ~27.9 mi S
- Highway rest areaMound City NB (TPF) · ~28.1 mi S
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Possum Walk Access~7.7 mi
- Bilby Ranch Lake Conservation Area~11.8 mi
- Brickyard Hill Conservation Area~19.4 mi
- Nodaway County Community Lake~19.8 mi
How we know this
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.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up