Mark Twain National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 4,797 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 40
- Longest rig
- 76 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 40 campgrounds shown
- Bar-K Wrangler CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Barn Hollow Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Berryman CampgroundJanuary – December
- Big Piney equestrian campJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Boze Mill Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Brazil Creek TrailheadJanuary – December
- Camp Ridge TrailheadJanuary – December
- Cobb Ridge Recreation Area49 sites · Electric · Pull-throughJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Council Bluff Recreation Areato 40 ft · 57 sitesApril 24, 2025 · Reservations accepted
- Deer Leap Recreation AreaApril 1 – October 1
- Dry Fork Recreation AreaSeason not published
- Float Camp Recreation AreaApril 1 – October 1 · Reservations accepted
- Fourche Lake Recreation AreaJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Greenbriar Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Greer Crossing Recreation AreaJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Hazel Creek CampgroundJanuary – December
- Horseshoe Bend Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- KC Pavilion TrailheadJanuary – December
- Lane Spring Recreation Area25 sites · ElectricMarch 1 – October 31 · First-come, first-served
- Loggers Lake Recreation Areato 40 ft · 11 sitesApril 10, 2025 · Reservations accepted
- Marble Creek Recreation AreaApril 2, 2025 · First-come, first-served
- Markham Springs Recreation Area33 sites · Electric · Pull-throughApril 1, 2025 · First-come, first-served
- McCormack Lake Recreation AreaJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Morgan Spring Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- North Fork Recreation AreaMay – November · First-come, first-served
- Oak Camp TrailheadJanuary – December
- Paddy Creek CampgroundSeason not published
- Pine Ridge Recreation AreaFirst-come, first-served
- Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area16 sitesJanuary – December · Reservations accepted
- Red Bluff Recreation Areato 60 ft · 85 sites · Electric · Pull-throughMay 2
- Silver Mines Recreation Areato 60 ft · 76 sites · ElectricMarch 6, 2025 · First-come, first-served
- Slabtown Recreation AreaJanuary – December
- Stinking Pond Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Sutton Bluff ATV 11 TrailheadSeason not published
- Sutton Bluff ATV 4 & 14 TrailheadJanuary – December
- Sutton Bluff ATV 8 TrailheadSeason not published
- Sutton Bluff Recreation Areato 76 ft · 34 sites · Electric · Pull-throughMarch 27, 2025 · First-come, first-served
- Watercress Recreation Areato 40 ft · 19 sites · ElectricMay 1 – October 1 · First-come, first-served
- Whites Creek Float CampJanuary – December · First-come, first-served
- Wolf Junction (GTT Stop 7)January – December
Mark Twain National Forest
Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The MTNF covers 3,068,800 acres (4,795 sq mi) of which 1,506,100 acres (2,353.3 sq mi) is public owned, 78,000 acres (122 sq mi) of which are Wilderness, and National Scenic River area. MTNF spans 29 counties and represents 11% of all forested land in Missouri. MTNF's nine tracts are divided into six distinct ranger districts: Ava-Cassville-Willow Springs, Eleven Point, Houston-Rolla, Cedar Creek, Poplar Bluff, Potosi-Fredericktown, and the Salem. Its headquarters are in Rolla, Missouri.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Irish Wilderness16,509 acres
- Hercules-Glades Wilderness12,425 acres
- Bell Mountain Wilderness9,183 acres
- Piney Creek Wilderness8,184 acres
- Paddy Creek Wilderness7,080 acres
- Devils Backbone Wilderness6,691 acres
- Rockpile Mountain Wilderness4,281 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
Drive to Mark Twain the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.