*Please pardon the sheer length of this post. It has a lot in it that is shared from my life history as well as our current travel life. I have broken out the MO campgrounds we stayed at so you can just jump to them for camping research and links if desired.
During this spring of 2025 we are spending quite a lot of time in the state of Missouri. It is our first time visiting the state and specifically the Ozark Mountain region. We honestly did not know what to expect from the Ozarks but what we found were undulating hills (not mountains like what we are used to), very odd state highway markers (see below) a plethora of Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds and a lot of nice folks.
Route RA!??
After the tumult of torrential rains and a NPS campground EVAC in Hot Springs (AR) National Park we ventured northward on I-57 (in Arkansas) which in some places was still suffering from the recent rains and high winds. In some places, 2 of the 3 lanes of the interstate were still submerged under water- causing traffic delays and slow downs. We have NEVER seen such flooding on interstate highways before!
Once we hit the Missouri line things started to dry out more, but still the evidence of the recent rains were very visible as we got to our first campground, Piedmont Park which is an Army Corp of Engineers campground in Piedmont, MO on Clearwater Lake (reservoir). It is a fabulous campground- but many of the ends of the loops were submerged under water and daily we could see the ebb and flow as the COE was doing their best to accept new water flow coming in from the rivers and streams to its north. We also had a laugh one night (glad it was not us) when a 5th Wheel started down the loop road “A” behind us only to find out that the end where the turn around was still was under over 2 ft of water. He had to BACK all the way up the hill to high ground to find a site. I am sure they were not laughing- more the case to NOT come into a campground after hours in the dark and without the camp host at the booth to direct you. * we do think if would have been best if the campground put up a sign and barriers pre-emptively.
More about PIEDMONT PARK COE CAMPGROUND:
This is a beautiful park with 3 loops, boat ramp and docking facilities. Clearly it is ideal for fishing too (when not disturbed by severe flooding). Their shower building had lockable separate shower rooms- which we love. The bathroom buildings were clean and well stocked. The camp host we met has been there for over 5 years and was very friendly. Her Pomeranian dog, “Sugar Baby” was adorable too! Rangers do drive through a few times a day and overnight. While we were there in late May the park was still very empty and quiet. The town of Piedmont was about a 15 minute drive and had all the basics including a TC Tractor Supply, Dollar Stores, Town & Country Market (quite decent!!), some thrift shops, a McD’s, Sonic and a Mexican restaurant. We did the Mexican and it was good and prices very reasonable! Their handcut waffle fries with Kevin’s burger were substantial in portion and very good. We cut up the leftovers for home fries for 2 days afterwards!
Piedmont, MO is also “renowned” as the UFO CAPITAL of Missouri! Wow, quite the claim to fame based on stories of sightings beginning in the 1970s. WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR THE HISTORY! There is even a (very tiny and unimpressive, see slidewho below) UFO Park in the center of town one block off the main drag. Yes, there are even special directional road signs for it. But do not get your hopes up. It is basically a flat block of grass with a few human sized green plastic aliens standing in the grass and two handmade UFO silver space ships- and a marker telling the local story. I think the town does do some sort of UFO festival one time a year which may draw more fun- but honest- please do not simply come to Piedmont for this reason as you will be as disappointed as many of the Google reviewers have been. Come for the beautiful COE campground, the small town vibe and friendly folks- then look to the dark skies at night at see if you see a UFO!
We originally had booked site C12 on the peninsula closest to the boat dock area based on photos posted online by previous campers. It was a long site, sitting broadside/parallel to the lake but the type of site which sits along a bump out on the loop road- so not much safety , security or privacy from passing vehicles, etc.
As nature would have it, the lake was so high, all the pontoon boats and dock roof totally blocked our nice view of the lake. We also suspect in summer that C loop would be very busy with boat launch and boater traffic– so we would avoid that one.
B loop, the host told us is the nicest and quietest even in season. We moved to site B16 for the rest of our stay and that site is highly recommended. It was 100 ft x 40ft wide, paved, electric and water only, a beautiful terraced patio area which was huge with fire pit, picnic table and lantern hook.
All the sites in the park are paved, but some of the older sites are narrow and their pavement is a bit crusty on the edges. There are several kids playgrounds and some day use picnic and tenting areas too.
We ended up having to EXTEND our stay at Piedmont Park because our future reservations at Big Springs COE was cancelled by NPS due to the entire campground being under water. So our original 4 night stay at Piedmont, turned into a 8 night stay. Here is a photo slideshow of that campground. Don’t miss the photo that shows a “no camping ” sign sitting in 4 ft of water and the picnic table covered roofs at water level! The Canada geese were in their glory!
Visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead Museum, Mansfield, MO
From Piedmont we headed north and westward to Mansfield, MO for an intended stay at the Laura Ingalls Wilder RV Park. This was chosen as the museum (not same ownership) was located right across the street. We arrived somewhat late in the afternoon, check in being at 2 PM and once settled quickly hopped over to tour the museum building and the 2 different houses on the property of the Ingalls museum complex.
Laura Ingalls Wilder RV Park: We would probably not recommend this for more than a 1 night stay, and only to visit the museum which is across the street. The owners were super sweet and nice but the campground is really filled with long term residents, it sits perched on a fairly steep hill. And while we did have site #2 which was a long pull through FHU site, the spacing is close to other sites and the one way loop requires you to do some logistics if you want to take just your vehicle out and then pulling out when hooked up ready to go. We did not use their bath house or laundry as it just looked a little too run down and out of the way for us to do laundry there. Plus there was at the time a large church group of tenters and even the campground owner said she thought I may have competition for the laundry usage. We would rate this campground at a 2 out of 5. We did use our Passport America for the 1 night they allow so our rate was only $17.50 (half price off their rack rate of $35).
VISITING THE LAURA INGALLS WILDER HOMESTEAD MUSEUM COMPLEX:
This was a treat especially for me (Luise) since I simply have adored the “Little House” series for half my life!
FIRST A LITTLE BACKSTORY…..When a young bride and mother, my first husband and I bought a very remote 19th century, very run down, deep in the woods 3 room 1800s cabin (yes, with 2 hole outhouse and no hot water in the “modern” inside bathroom). But, it was on 20 acres and backed up to forest preserve. The road in was a one way dirt path, muddy all of the spring and undrivable through snow in the winters. We only had an old wood stove in the dirt floored basement, a 1920s Glenwood wood stove in the kitchen and tin can jar lids served as patches of holes in the wood floor. The children’s rooms where in the attic, heated primarily from the heat radiating from the exposed chimney up through the middle and with sheets stapled on the eaves for “wallpaper” accessed only by a wood ladder-style staircase from our living room. BUT…it was home (the former owner was an elderly female homesteader of the 10th degree), with a ready made asparagus patch, blackberry and raspberry bush rows, places for our horses, pigs, chickens, goats and sheep. It was truly my “little house in the woods” . We raised our children there from age 18 months to 12 years old. I felt like Laura, or Caroline nearly every day there on our “Hidden Creek Farm”. It was also during these years that we must have watched every episode of the TV series “Little House on the Prairie” with Michael Landon multiple times. I was indeed living their life and I made sure my children were raised on this wholesome goodness and ingrained those basic values of honesty, treating everyone with kindness, support, and doing hard work to make a household run. Looking back I also realize now how the show so beautifully well many of the stories on the show handled racism, diversity, people with physical challenges, and those simply down on their luck.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and homestead complex is quite vast. We did visit it all in about 2 hours, but you could spend a lot more time if you walk the grounds and take more time in the museum. We arrived late in the day and only had this time to visit. There are two homes on the acreage, the Rock Cottage and the main, white clapboard style house. Laura and Almanzo lived in both at different times. The main museum building is chocked full of personal items, memorabilia and collections from both Charles & Caroline Ingalls (Laura’s parents) as well as Laura, Almanzo and their one daughter, Rose. Laura clearly made a huge impression on the local community and served it well beside being their claim to fame notable authoress. The tour guides in each of the respective houses on property clearly revere the Wilder family. The houses remain in situ and as if Laura and Almanzo just left for a cup of tea in town. The museum has a short 8 minute film which gives a good overview, and their gift shop is well stocked…including FRESH EGGS from the chicken coop they now maintain (as Laura did during her life here) on property. We bought a dozen fresh farm eggs for $4 which was less than generics at the local supermarket! They told us they have plans to rekindle the apple orchard that was near the white main house as it was when the Wilders lived here.
If you are as much a lover of the “little house” series and Laura Ingalls Wilder books this stop should definitely be on your list of places to visit. The cost of the museum is a little steep, they do offer a Veteran’s discount –but maintaining a complex like this as a private museum is expensive so we were glad to support it. Please refer to the link above for current pricing, hours of operations and any special event listings.
Traveling further down the road……our next stop was at the Cedar Ridge COE Campground on Stockton Lake northwest of Springfield, MO. It was about a 1 hour ride over undulating hills, past farms, Amish buggy signs and even a herd of American bison!
This campground is about 21 miles from the city of Stockton where most retail and service needs can be found, albeit in a small town. This COE (Army Corps of Engineers) campground has two loops. We stayed in Loop B which is the one with 8 lakefront sites. We had site B5- which in our opinion is the best in the park! The sites are hard-pack stone dust, wide, and have a fire ring, large picnic table, lantern post and have 50/30/20 electricity in the B loop. 30 amp only in the A loop which is more wooded and sits higher above the lake and on the east side of the peninsula we are on. There is a boat ramp launch and vault toilets near the loops and a shower house and dump station closer to the main gatehouse. There are 12 really nice tent sites on the end of the peninsula as well with the one vault toilet (could have been a tad cleaner considering the early season, but was well stocked, it had no hand sanitizer dispenser like some parks have).
Our site #5 was, we think the best in the loop. Site spacing is very decent as we have found with most COE campgrounds. Online it states only for max 20 foot RVs but it seems they say this for every site and that is NOT the case, go ahead and book anyway. Our site was 50 ft long (we could over hang if we had needed to) and at least 30 ft wide. We parked on a little of an angle to get the best views of the western side of the lake and sunset. This lake is also known for good fishing, bald eagles and other wildlife. The Canada geese were plentiful but due to the sites being higher than waters edge, little to no goose poop (which can be a real issue!). The electrical hookup is quite new, worked well. There is a community water spigot right across the street so it was very easy once we parked at our site to just add one hose extension and fill our water tank there. There were spigots on both ends of the loop too. With some lengths of hose probably all of the B loop sites could fill from their sites if needed. Site 1 is a handicap site with a cement pad. Here are photos of our site #5.
Moving on to our next COE Campground: Sparrowfoot COE in Clinton, MO
ENROUTE—-AN NOT TO MISS!
If you are coming from the south HEADED NORTH and can pass through Highway 123 in Dunnegan, MO then plan to make a definite stop at the OZARK COUNTRY KITCHEN which is an Amish run grocery, bakery and bulk food store. Their parking area is fairly RV friendly (unless it is shopping day for the area Amish and there are buggies lined up) and their baked goods are SUPER and affordable. We picked up homemade jams in a mason jar size for $5 each which is a steal! Also their homemade breads, still warm and their fresh pies, still sitting out on cooling racks were amazing. We stocked up on carrot cake and zucchini breads, peanutbutter cookies, still warm sourdough bread, an apple pie and pecan sticky buns. They had a large selection of all sorts of berry pies. Most went into our freezer for a later date. Free Range, farm fresh eggs for $3.50 a doz was another great buy! This place is a treasure and super great pricing! the women can be seen in the back doing all the preparing and baking. BTW- cash or check only- as expected!
NOW ABOUT THE SPARROWFOOT CAMPGROUND: It is super unusual, but check in/out at this campground is 6 PM. When you see this, don’t hesitate to call the phone # listed for the camp hosts and ask or leave them a message to see if you can come in earlier. We did leave a message and they called back within a couple hours to very nicely say “come on in!” anytime. The 6 PM when you think about it is quite late, but then again you sure do get your money’s worth out of your last paid night! Another way to check is to go online to Recreation.gov and look at your site’s reservations a few days in advance of your arrival date. if that site is marked as “available” then you have a 97% chance of being able to come in earlier than the stated check in time. Just call or show up.
Along the way there are beautiful rolling hills, large well kept farms–be careful for Amish & Mennonite Buggies though as they are allowed to share even 2 lane highways (RT 13) out here!
ARRIVING AT SPARROWFOOT COE CAMPGROUND, CLINTON, MO:
The campground it divided into two loops. “A” loop is first on the left and features 50/30/20 amps with water at each site, or most of the sites anyway. This was our loop. The campground roadways are paved but somewhat narrow, the sites are all packed gravel with no real patio areas. Our site A6 was a nice wide site and on a bend in the road which is why we chose it as that normally gives you more privacy and distance on your patio side which it did. We also backed up to woods and a farmer field behind us so there was additional privacy there. This is another one of these campgrounds on a huge fishing lake (Harry S. Truman Lake) and so many of the campers had fishing boats in tow as well.
This is not one of the nicest of COEs we have stayed in but its proximity to major retailers, hospital and other services makes it a winner and worth a few nights at least. We stayed 5 nights which was plenty. If you are not into fishing (really no way to do from shore and no docks that we could see) there is not much at all in the area to site see either.
It is obvious to us that this area must have gotten some pretty bad storms lately as there is evidence of a lot of washout gullies in some of the sites and tons of small and not so small branches down all over the roads and sites themselves. Evidently the camp hosts are not responsible for site clean up. The place would have really made much more of a positive impression on us if a crew had come in to clean up. We are also assuming that the federal cuts to the departments have something to do with this lack of maintenance.
There are two camp hosts, one out at the main gate and one in loop B. Loop B is a little more close to the lake itself and those sites are 30 amp or no hookups at all. We preferred our location better. That loop however is much closer to the large modern bath house with the showers and laundry. Having a laundry in a COE campground is VERY unusual! Our loop B has only 1 vault toilet (excellently clean and with a large hand sanitizer dispenser that was topped off full!) up on the top road and it is set up for 1 woman and 1 man’s facility. One of the major pitfalls we see here in this campground loop is NO dumpster at all and honestly the one vault toilet set up away from 85% of the other campsites in this Loop A is crazy. Garbage needs to be brought to the dumpster that is located by the dump station. That dump station BTW is excellent and one of the nicest designs–so that is a PLUS for this campground. We were here during spring break so there were a lot of families with kids as well as fisher-folk.
While here we were able to refill Kevin’s RX at Walmart, also to get fly and ant traps at the very large ACE hardware in town and oh….yeah- have Kevin be seen at the local hospital’s walk in clinic as we saw he had gotten a tick bite last week that now was showing the classic “bullseye” red ring swelling and we wanted to get him on some antibiotics quickly. (He had a diagnosis of Lyme Disease about 6 years ago- work related from a tick bite and we did not want to go there again!). After a 2 1/2 hr wait on a Saturday afternoon he finally was seen. In Clinton is also a full sized Walgreens (up to now all we had seen in MO were tiny ones inside grocery stores), a TC Tractor Supply, there is a Verizon and ATT stores, fast food chains, a Beals dept. store and several car washes too. So this is a great campground with that shopping and services literally less than 7 miles north on RT 13.
This stay at Sparrowfoot completes our time in Missouri. We are glad we got the chance to visit, and check off yet another state off our USA Travel Map. Will we plan to come again? Honestly, probably not for any lengthy stays again- but certainly with the plethora of very affordable COE campgrounds it is a state to keep in mind for cheap camping if rest, relaxation and fishing are on your mind.
We will be on to just over the border into Kansas for a one night stay (about 1hr 15 min due west of Sparrowfoot) this trip at the Louisburg Cider Mill– a Harvest Host location. This will give us Kansas on our state map of overnights as well. Then on to Nebraska where we will be visiting several historic monuments along the venerable Oregon Trail and other historically famous trails, some amazing museums and more! It will also be our first time in the state of Nebraska! Fingers crossed for better weather (a.k.a no tornados!)
If you have gotten all the way to the end of this very long post, God bless you and thank you! As we have mentioned in the past, our posts are really for us to archive and create a diary of sorts of our travels, things we do to maintain, repair and upgrade our RV and the trials and tribulations and perks of full time life on the road in an RV.
We sincerely hope you continue to follow us, subscribe to our blog and our YouTube channel and ultimately we hope to meet you on the road!
All the best!
Kevin, Luise and Nutmeg
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