Free camping near Houston, MO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Houston, MO there are 20 camps: 16 free, 4 fee. The closest is Gist Ranch Conservation Area, 15 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Gist Ranch Conservation Area, 15 miles out.
Who manages them: 11 on the Forest Service; 4 on MDC; 3 on the Park Service; 2 spread across 1 other manager.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gist Ranch Conservation Area | 15 | Free | Peters Creek (stream) | 2.8 mi to Nagle | — |
| Established Primitive Campsite | 16 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Roby | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #2 — Texas County, MO | 16 | Free | — | — | — |
| Dispersed camp — Texas County, MO | 16 | Free | — | — | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Texas County, MO | 17 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Roby | — |
| Paddy Creek | 17 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Plato | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #3 — Texas County, MO | 17 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Slabtown | — |
| Forest Service | 17 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 3.3 mi to Ladd | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #5 — Texas County, MO | 17 | Free | Slabtown Spring (water) | 1.2 mi to Slabtown | — |
| Big Piney trail primitive | 17 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Roby | — |
| Big Piney trail primitive | 17 | Free | Little Paddy Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Slabtown | — |
| Slabtown | 17 | Free | — | — | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #4 — Texas County, MO | 17 | Free | Slabtown Lake (water) | 1.3 mi to Slabtown | — |
| Big Piney Equestrian Camp | 18 | Free | Slabtown Lake (water) | 1.4 mi to Slabtown | — |
| Cedar Grove Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Raymondville | — |
| Dee Murray Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Raymondville | — |
| Akers Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 15 mi to Summersville | — |
| Buzzard Bluff Access | 24 | Free | Dove Creek (river) | 0.7 mi to Grimes Mill | — |
| White River Trace Conservation Area | 25 | Free | — | 1.9 mi to Smoky Hollow | — |
| Wilbur Allen Memorial Conservation Area | 25 | Free | — | 11 mi to Grovespring | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Houston, 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.