In Missouri there are over nine hundred properties operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation known as Conservation Areas. These areas are used for a variety of things, such as nature preserves, some fishing, some hunting, some are mainly boat accesses and some are used in a combination of all these things. If you are wanting to make a camping trip to one of these Conservation Areas you will want to know what the area is used for and if they allow camping in the area. This means if you are wanting to visit here to camp during fall deer season and do not plan on hunting you may not enjoy your stay at that time. You will want to stay in an area that is used just for camping or during a season deer hunting is not allowed.
Peck Ranch Conservation is located in the Ozark area and offers a bit of everything. There are two areas in Peck and each offers something different. One area is for those campers who will use generators and the other is for the ones who won’t. This is great for the tent campers who just want the sounds of nature instead of the noise of a generator screeching in the background. The non generator sites also offer pit toilets. Both sites have fire rings and picnic tables. These campgrounds are often the sites where much activity associated with deer and turkey hunting take place. If you are not looking to hunt you may not want to come here during those seasons. This particular Conservation Area has over twenty five thousand acres total, but about half of this is for wildlife and is fenced off from the rest of the area. Summertime is a great time to visit this area if you are wanting to camp and enjoy yourself away from the crowds.
In northern Missouri, just west of Kirksville, you can find a similar Conservation Area called Union Ridge. Here you can camp next to parking lots and you will find similar facilities offered here as with Peck Ranch. This site can be just as crowded during deer and turkey season as Peck, so you may consider another time of year to camp here. This site is eight thousand acres with about twelve total acres of fishing lakes and ponds. Here you will catch fish like bass, crappie, sunfish and catfish.
If you camp at a Conservation Area keep in mind a lot of these offer only primitive camping facilities. Some of these areas can be quite small and have no reservation system, so you might want to also be prepared to camp outside these areas. Be sure to check to see if you are allowed to camp outside these areas, then make sure you are at least one hundred feet away from the nearest parking lot or road. If you are planning to camp near a river or stream you will want to be at least one hundred feet away from them as well.
To find out more information and the camp that best suites your needs there is a great resource to help you locate the right one. The MCD Conservation Atlas will give the area description, maps, regulations, activities allowed in that particular area and information on camping. If you want a simple campsite, with all the beauty of nature, then camping at a Missouri Conservation Area is just what you are looking for.
