$10
Big Spring
Total sites: 132
Available Tonight: 54
Available this Weekend: 55
Booking Window: 6 months
Available Tonight: 54
Available this Weekend: 55
Booking Window: 6 months
453 ft
50°F
33°F
33°F
weak
Big Spring Campground, MO - Latest Reviews, Photos & Campground Map
Big Spring Campground in Carter County is located 1 hr 44 min southwest of Farmington, MO with an elevation of 453 feet. There are a total of 132 campsites including 3 tent-only sites. The campground is open all year. 119 sites can accommodate RVs and trailers between 25 and 76 feet. All sites are currently reservable. Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance. Each site includes a picnic table and fire ring. 29 sites have electric hookups. Fees range from $20.00 to $140.00. Some amenities include shower, dump station, swimming, restroom, amphitheater, ramada, pay telephone, flush toilets. Activities include biking, fishing, horseback riding, hiking trails, floating sports.
Campground Capacity (Next 30 Days)
Campsite Reviews (179)
4.1 out of 5
| 5 star | 55% | |
| 4 star | 21% | |
| 3 star | 8% | |
| 2 star | 8% | |
| 1 star | 7% |
@ElenaN08826483 · Camped on Nov 26, 2025 at Campsite #212
Great spot for late fall visit. Trees super pretty. Spot 212 perfect for a walk down to the river. Bathrooms close by and shower house a quick drive over.
@SharonW8755039 · Camped on Nov 26, 2025 at Campsite #210
Nice, clean, and spacious campground. Right by the rivers edge and plenty of trails to follow. Less than five minutes away from the big Spring. This was a great campsite and Im sure Ill visit it again.
@Christina18556 · Camped on Nov 26, 2025 at Campsite #112
The campsite was amazing and weather was great for being late November! Freshly paved roads helped the drive through the winding roads and the views are amazing! The hot showers were a delight to come back to after a short hike to the springs even though you did have to share them with some ladybugs ( but that's camping.) If you have to go to town for something they are all so helpful and nice. Definitely making this a summer destination. Van Buren/ Big Springs my family and I will be back soon.
@ThomasP9156982 · Camped on Nov 9, 2025 at Campsite #218
Really enjoyed this gem of a park up in the Ozarks.
@KathleenW46740 · Camped on Nov 2, 2025 at Campsite #205
We came in early November. only a few campers around, beautiful weather, warm days, cool nights. Since we were in an RV, and self-contained, the lack of shower and toilet was not a problem. We enjoyed the colrs and full moon. I love Autumn, and this was a chance to see a part of Missouri I'd never seen before.
@JamesD3491200 · Camped on Nov 1, 2025 at Campsite #207
Big Spring is one of Missouris most beautiful natural wonders a must-see if youre anywhere near the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The sheer power and clarity of the water are breathtaking; its amazing to stand by the spring and watch gallons rush out of the rock every second.The park area is peaceful and well-kept, perfect for families, photographers, or anyone who just wants to unplug for a while. There are picnic tables, short walking trails, and a scenic overlook along the river thats great for pictures.If you enjoy the outdoors, bring sturdy shoes for the trails and a camera for the blue-green water near the mouth of the spring its stunning in early morning light. Canoeing, kayaking, and tubing are also popular nearby on the Current River, and Van Buren has small local diners worth checking out after a day on the water.
@BrandyH3435734 · Camped on Oct 28, 2025 at Campsite #216
Definitely a place I would love to come back to. It was the end of October so it was empty. Freshly paved roads and pads. The only thing was the picnic table and firepit are on the driverside when backed in, so kinda awkward.
@JesseO05234A38 · Camped on Oct 20, 2025 at Campsite #225
Peaceful setting. Note that Campground is being renovated - re-leveling campsites and resurfacing roads
@JeffJB6D8A874D · Camped on Oct 17, 2025 at Campsite #103
Big Spring Campground had a great dark sky festival, the newly paved campground loop was nice, the bathrooms were clean despite the USG shutdown, and the hot showers were nice!
@AndyW4975919 · Camped on Oct 16, 2025 at Campsite #210
Spring is easy to access and awe-inspiring. CCC lodge is pretty awesome also. Campground was nice.
@MarkH6047851 · Camped on Oct 15, 2025 at Campsite #G1
The park maintenance employee made sure to have the hot showers turned on, as it was close to the end of the season
@DaveW2940105 · Camped on Oct 8, 2025 at Campsite #307
Our visit occurred during shutdown. We saw very little official presence. The bathrooms were clean but the campground was unmowed. The spring itself was very impressive. We didn't stop at the entrance station since it was closed. It would have been nice to have had trail maps posted. Most of the campsites could not accommodate larger RVs or trailers. The sites were wide enough so that the trailer could be dropped and the tow vehicle park next.
@pieterl25B6830 · Camped on Oct 1, 2025 at Campsite #212
Staff was very helpful.
@DouglasS589227 · Camped on Sep 29, 2025 at Campsite #216
We were unable to get to the campground due to road paving. After 3 miles of hills and curvers we found the road blocked with no warning.After calling the office, we were advised to turn around and recover the 3 rugged miles and find a church on the corner of the new road to take 3 more miles to the campground.We never saw the church or road, we headed for home.I believe that staff should have notified us by email as to the closure, nothing was sent or received by us.Very bad experience.
@MattO7B0E949AB · Camped on Sep 26, 2025 at Campsite #420
We had an amazing time staying at Big spring. Very well maintained.
@BrendanK942111 · Camped on Sep 22, 2025 at Campsite #212
Very nice. Peaceful.
@WallacePC0FD5F · Camped on Sep 18, 2025 at Campsite #211
We love the Ozark National Riverway area. Big Springs Campground is our favorite! So peaceful and has been maintained nicely even after this spring flooding. We stayed in early spring before flood and again this fall. Great stop over for us. Excited to see what they do when the cabins and dining hall opens up next year, we hope.
@MarkC3752964 · Camped on Sep 17, 2025 at Campsite #218
As with many national parks, there are no sites with water hook ups. Its odd that a place built around a water feature and a river has no access to water for campers. So fill your tanks and adjust accordingly. And there was only one fairly small loop of about 20 spaces that had electricity. Mind knew there were six camping areas, but only one with electrical hook up. So if thats important, no before you go. The listing for this site showed it to be shady. It wasnt. It said it was a waterfront site. It wasnt. It said it was a concrete site which was half right. Half was concrete and half was dirt that had washed in making it less than level. The general consensus after four years of travel is that state parks are run far better than national. The amenities are better. There needs to be more information about where you can swim at Big spring. And this is no fault of the park, but the gnats and flies around anytime you were near the water were almost unbearable. Might have been the time of year, but it made being near the water less than enjoyable.
@RoseH4479749 · Camped on Sep 14, 2025 at Campsite #309
We were on a cross-country driving trip recently, arrived at Big Spring to camp in the HUGE campground (100+ spaces), and every site was marked "reservation only" through recreation.gov. There were a grand total of 3 other campers there that night! And not an official park person to be found!! We had already encountered the system at Great Sand Dunes, where we pulled in and were also told all sites were by reservation ONLY--tho there were still some empty ones. The website is difficult, if in remote area often don't have connectivity, and when on the road can't always reliably know where we will end up for the night. This reservation-only system does NOT work and we do NOT want it. It deprives the parks of income (could certainly have sold empty sites on first-come, first-serve basis). More important, it deprives visitors of the unique chance to camp under the stars in our amazing national parks. Ditch it and go back to hiring more NPS rangers!! Rose Houk
@EricaL19718AFE · Camped on Sep 13, 2025 at Campsite #407
We love camping at Big Spring. The gravel bars are wonderful. Great place for swimming! The hot showers are a great amenity to have while camping. We will return!
@DavidR6871281 · Camped on Sep 12, 2025 at Campsite #224
Campsite was clean and the amenities were in good order. This was an incredible location. The springs are beautiful and the river is crystal clear. We will definitely be back!
@HeatherM776338 · Camped on Sep 11, 2025 at Campsite #214
We moved our spot three times since after arriving we realized we would be in full sun. Then we found a better spot with partial day shade, but moved again to help accommodate another camper who needed a larger spot. We ended up closer to the river and it was a great location with lots of shade. The bathrooms were clean. I regretted not bringing the e bikes to ride to the showers and to Big Spring. The trails to the river cut through peoples camp sites and that felt a little awkward. There were little gnats on the first day and tons of flies on another, but the area was so pretty and conveniently located to the nearest town for groceries and river float activities.
@SM91455BEA9FB2 · Camped on Sep 11, 2025 at Campsite #202
a geologic marvel. staff helped me do my first online booking at recreation.gov. they were very helpful. what a neat area.
@NancyM7309003 · Camped on Sep 7, 2025 at Campsite #208
Chiggers but so beautiful
@Christoph82403 · Camped on Sep 4, 2025 at Campsite #212
Our trip was after Labor Day so the campground was not very populated. I like camping in the trees and grass so close to the river. Lots of trails to and from the river. The Spring itself is impressive. Bathroom facilities were clean and functional. Van Buren is a neat little town that can be explored in a couple hours.
Other Campgrounds Nearby
We track all the sites so you don't have to.
Reservation Systems
Campsites Tracking
Campsite Reviews
Available Tonight
Available this Weekend
Cancellations Today
PRO $2.50/month
You're in Control. We never save credit card information or auto-renew subscriptions.
- Availability Map Search
- 3000+ Interactive Campground Maps
- Campground Virtual Tours
- Save Your Favorite Campsites
- Favorite Campsites Availability
- Campground Mobile Speed Test Maps
- National Parks, Forests & Ranger District Layers
- Wildfires & Air Quality Map Layer
- Satellite View Map Layer
- Campsite SMS Cancellation Alerts
- Rent your Property & Cabins
- Love's & Super Walmart Map Layers
- Cracker Barrel & Bass Pro Shop Map Layers
- Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) Layer
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Map Layer
- RV Propane, Parking, Dump, Water Map Layer
Pro is FREE for 7 days. (No credit card information required!)
Thanks to all our Supporting Members
@ChazInSoCal - CA
I just used PerfectCamp.com to book six consecutive August nights at the most popular campsite in one of the most popular campgrounds in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in California. That is not anything I could have accomplished anywhere else with the ease I did here! Thank you, PerfectCamp! I LOVE this site! You will find me on several other camping sites but the design, format, functionality, and personality of this the best. It’s fresh and clean.
@Wondering - Oregon
Wow! Woke up this morning to a notification that a favorite had opened at Paulina, and when I went to check, it was there. This membership just paid for itself in the first 24 hours I owned it. Couldn't take the site it conflicted with a trip already set, but it truly was there. Thanks Tons.
map icon in the lower right corner.
Map Settings
Reset
 Satellite |
 Wildfires |
 National Forests |
 National Parks |
 Air Quality |
 BLM |
 OHV MVUM |
 Love's |
|
Dump Stations
|
Water
|
Propane
|
RV Parking
|
 Super Walmart |
 Cracker Barrel |
 Bass Pro Shops |
| Price*: |
| Length: |
| Amps: |
| Elev: | feet |
| Temp: | °F |
| Down: |
| Up: |
*Earn our Leave No Trace badge to see our free camping sites.
🎉 Earn +5 marshmallows for adding your first favorite.
Use your earned marshmallows to enter our monthly giveaways or to get a Pro Subscription.
Show your commitment in keeping our forests healthy and protecting our public lands by earning the Leave No Trace badge.