Free camping near Van Buren, MO
Within 25 straight-line miles of Van Buren, MO there are 29 camps: 12 free, 16 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Watercress, 1.1 miles south-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Peck Ranch Conservation Area, 10 miles out.
Who manages them: 13 on the Forest Service; 13 on the Park Service; 3 on MDC.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watercress | 1.1 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Big Spring Campground | 3.8 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Big Tree Campground | 8.4 | Fee | Current River (river) | 1.1 mi to Chilton | — |
| Clubhouse Campground | 8.8 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Hunter | — |
| Log Yard Campground | 9.6 | Fee | — | 9.6 mi to Van Buren | — |
| Peck Ranch Conservation Area | 10 | Free | — | 5.2 mi to Low Wassie | — |
| Roberts Field Primitive Campground | 12 | Free | — | 10 mi to Eminence | — |
| Cedar Spring Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Hunter | — |
| Grubb Hollow Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Hunter | — |
| Rocky Creek Conservation Area | 14 | Free | Blue Spring (water) | 1.8 mi to Owls Bend | — |
| Gooseneck Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to Hunter | — |
| Pinewoods Lake | 14 | Fee | — | 1.6 mi to Ellsinore | — |
| Powder Mill Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Eminence | — |
| Two Rivers Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Eminence | — |
| Shawnee Creek Campground | 20 | Fee | Shawnee Creek (river) | 3.5 mi to Eminence | — |
| Broadfoot Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 4.7 mi to Eminence | — |
| Thaxton Camp | 21 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Bennett | — |
| Lazy C Trailhead | 22 | Free | McCormack Lake (water) | 3.6 mi to New Liberty | — |
| Stinking Pond Float Camp | 22 | Free | Hurricane Creek (river) | 0.5 mi to McFry Ford | — |
| Jerktail Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Eminence | — |
| Markham Springs Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Markham Spring Pond (water) | 0.8 mi to Browns Crossing | — |
| Horseshoe Bend Float Camp | 22 | Free | Eleven Point River (river) | 1.1 mi to McFry Ford | — |
| Barn Hollow Float Camp | 23 | Free | Eleven Point (water) | 1.8 mi to McFry Ford | — |
| Buffalo Creek | 23 | Free | — | 3.6 mi to Bardley | — |
| Whites Creek Float Camp | 23 | Free | Eleven Point (water) | 3.4 mi to McFry Ford | — |
| Greer Crossing | 23 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Alton | — |
| Flatwoods Conservation Area | 23 | Free | — | 2.5 mi to Damon | — |
| Deer Leap | 24 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Doniphan | — |
| Greenbriar Float Camp | 25 | Free | Eleven Point River (river) | 1.8 mi to Boze Mill | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Van Buren, 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.