Free camping near Ellington, MO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Ellington, MO there are 21 camps: 7 free, 14 fee. The closest is Powder Mill Campground, 12 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Rocky Creek Conservation Area, 12 miles out.
Who manages them: 12 on the Park Service; 6 on the Forest Service; 3 on MDC.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder Mill Campground | 12 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Eminence | — |
| Rocky Creek Conservation Area | 12 | Free | Blue Spring (water) | 1.8 mi to Owls Bend | — |
| Log Yard Campground | 12 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Roberts Field Primitive Campground | 13 | Free | — | 10 mi to Eminence | — |
| Watercress | 16 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Sutton Bluff | 17 | Free | Bee Fork (stream) | 3.9 mi to Centerville | — |
| Two Rivers Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Eminence | — |
| Broadfoot Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Eminence | — |
| Peck Ranch Conservation Area | 18 | Free | — | 5.2 mi to Low Wassie | — |
| Cook Spring | 18 | Free | Cooks Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to West Fork | — |
| Jerktail Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Eminence | — |
| Shawnee Creek Campground | 19 | Fee | Shawnee Creek (river) | 3.5 mi to Eminence | — |
| Loggers Lake | 19 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Bunker | — |
| Big Spring Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Oak Knoll | 19 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Rat | — |
| Flatwoods Conservation Area | 21 | Free | — | 2.5 mi to Damon | — |
| Big Tree Campground | 22 | Fee | Current River (river) | 1.1 mi to Chilton | — |
| Clubhouse Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Hunter | — |
| Round Spring Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 9.3 mi to Eminence | — |
| Pinewoods Lake | 24 | Fee | — | 1.6 mi to Ellsinore | — |
| Sinking Creek Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Eminence | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Ellington, MO, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.