Found · unverifiedMDC · dispersedFree

Vandalia Community Lake

Drive-up · Missouri Dept. of Conservation · MO · 39.23475, -91.53494

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 — 146 acres, Audrain 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 Vandalia Community Lake

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

Weather outlook

Loading the latest forecast…

Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 756 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

Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer

Nearest of each

@Mail3 mi
GGrocery5 mi
HHardware5 mi
FFuel6 mi
MMechanic6 mi
LLaundry19 mi
RxPharmacy19 mi
WWater20 mi
+Urgent care20 mi
DDump20 mi
ShShower20 mi
PPropane44 mi
OOutfitter44 mi
AAir-up54 mi

≤30 mi30–4545+water

The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 5 mi out.

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 · dispersed

Elevation

756 ft

State

Coordinates

39.23475, -91.53494

Cost

Free

Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)

Water featureVandalia Community Lake (water) · nearby
Nearest townRices Corner · ~2.8 mi
Drinking waternone within 10 mi
FuelFuel · ~5.5 mi
Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
Dump stationDump station · ~20.0 mi
GroceriesCounty Market Grocery Store · ~5.1 mi
PharmacyWalgreens · ~19.4 mi
Hospital / clinicSSM Health Saint Mary's Hospital - Audrain · ~18.9 mi
HardwareAce Hardware · ~5.1 mi

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

Highway rest areaMineola WB (TPF) · ~22.9 mi S
Highway rest areaMineola EB (TPF) · ~23.6 mi S

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.

Marshall I. Diggs Conservation Area~12.6 mi
Wellsville Lake Conservation Area~14.0 mi
Ranacker Conservation Area~17.5 mi
Robert M. White II Conservation Area~18.0 mi

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.

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

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 →