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Average nightly rates132 total sites
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126 sites
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6 sites
About Big Spring
Number of accommodations: 132
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2026 Season availability
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- Showers
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Reviews (302)
What Guests Are Saying
Big Spring State Park offers a beautiful and well-maintained campground with excellent access to the Current River and nearby attractions like Blue Spring and Rocky Falls. Many visitors appreciate the cleanliness of the facilities and the friendly staff, highlighting the park's peaceful atmosphere and various recreational opportunities, including hiking and swimming. However, some guests noted issues with restroom cleanliness and limited electric sites, as well as occasional disturbances from wildlife, particularly raccoons. Overall, it is a cherished spot for camping and outdoor activities.
What Guests Are Saying
Big Spring State Park offers a beautiful and well-maintained campground with excellent access to the Current River and nearby attractions like Blue Spring and Rocky Falls. Many visitors appreciate the cleanliness of the facilities and the friendly staff, highlighting the park's peaceful atmosphere and various recreational opportunities, including hiking and swimming. However, some guests noted issues with restroom cleanliness and limited electric sites, as well as occasional disturbances from wildlife, particularly raccoons. Overall, it is a cherished spot for camping and outdoor activities.
Review Summary
mary j
August 19, 2026
Always have a great time at the park.
Charles T
VerifiedAugust 18, 2026 • Stayed at: 229, Loop: Loop 200
Got lost.
Melanie R
VerifiedAugust 14, 2026 • Stayed at: 210, Loop: Loop 200
Well maintained campground. We would return!
Aaron P
VerifiedAugust 11, 2026 • Stayed at: 124, Loop: Loop 100
Really nice campground, close to a really cool spring, and had a nice shower house.
Michael P
VerifiedAugust 8, 2026 • Stayed at: 124, Loop: Loop 100
Big Spring State Park is amazing. I've camped there twice. Although the majority of campsites are non-electric, they do offer 1 loop with electricity. There is a centralized shower house with about 8 private showers for all the campgrounds and flush-toilets in each campground.
Several hiking trails are available within the park, and many more are within a short drive. I highly recommend the short drive to Eminence to experience Alley Mill and Spring and Blue Spring. Also check out Rocky Falls and Klepzig Mill. For water-lovers, the Current River runs through the park and is definitely worth visiting in summer months for a nice cool-off, whether just swimming, lounging or floating. And let's not forget the amazingly beautiful spring where the park gets its name.
The quaint downtown of Van Buren is only 4 miles away with a number of restaurants and a super nice, well-stocked grocery store. The Landing, also located in Van Buren alongside the Current River, offers shuttle services if you own your own gear (kayaks, etc.) They are also equipped to provide you with their gear (kayaks, rafts, tubes) and offer 2 different length trips at the time of this review; a 4-mile and a 9-mile.
Be aware that cell phone coverage is spotty. You will be located down on a valley. A cell phone signal booster is recommended if you really need to stay in touch with the outside world.
James L
VerifiedAugust 7, 2026 • Stayed at: 607, Loop: Loop 600
Racoons ran us off I'm talking like 12 racoons just took over
Douglas B
VerifiedAugust 6, 2026 • Stayed at: 216, Loop: Loop 200
Arrived at campground (very hot). 30amp breaker not functional. No staff or host available to repair. Thank goodness I was able to find a 50amp adapter in my gear. After day 2, dump station was posted as out of order and stayed that way during the remainder of our stay. Restrooms were poorly maintained and dirty.
A beautiful park and location.
Glenn B
VerifiedAugust 4, 2026 • Stayed at: 206, Loop: Loop 200
When we are traveling, it is always nice to find a rec.gov park for an overnight stay. Big Spring CG was quiet, clean and nicely maintained. We did not use the restrooms. We were able to fill our fresh tank and dump on the way out. Our site was 206 and we were able to get leveled up without dropping out travel trailer. This section was very busy because it has electric and it was very hot on July 27. Many people seemed to be enjoying the river. We like to hike but it was really too hot for us. We wanted to see the spring and we were able to do that in the morning by driving to it with our camper. The spring is an unforgettable experience-gushing out 288 million gallons a day. This made our stop here even more worthwhile. We were traveling on US 60 and our GPS had us turn on 102 I think to enter the park. There is a church there. When we left we went out on 103 which is a better and faster route. Trust the reviews that say don't turn at the church!
Kathy C
VerifiedAugust 3, 2026 • Stayed at: 207, Loop: Loop 200
The shower houses were very nasty. They have mold in them!! We have been coming there for 23yrs and you have finally built showers and bath rooms and are very nice compared to what they used to be but there is mold in the showers already and no garbage cans to throw stuff away in showers except the bathrooms. Also in the primitive site why didn't they rebuild the toilet house? The one that is close to the electric site. Also we did not have a camp host this year only part of our stay just wondering what was going there?
Marco B
VerifiedAugust 2, 2026 • Stayed at: 315, Loop: Loop 300
Very nice quiet spot next to the river which is perfect for a swim. Though the bathrooms are not cleaned the two nights we were staying there.
Location Big Spring
Address:
Po Box 490
Van Buren, MO, 63965
United States
Big Spring Campground is located four miles (6.4 km) south of Van Buren, Missouri. Turn south on Missouri Highway 103 and continue south for four miles (6.4 km) to the Big Spring Unit of the park.
Big Spring Campground is accessible via Missouri Highway 103, which connects to the nearby town of Van Buren.
Elevation: 138 feet
4.7 mi drive to downtown Van Buren (about 11 min)
Policies & Rules
General
- If you arrive and another party is occupying your reserved campsite, please call Arrowhead Dispatch at 1-844-460-3604 for a Law Enforcement officer to be dispersed to your location for removal of the unauthorized party.
- 50-amp electric hookups are now available in the 200 loop only (bring converters if necessary).
- There is no direct water hook up at the campsites. You may fill your tanks at the station near the front entrance.
- There are no sewer hookups. A dump station is available at the campground entrance.
- Two tents or 1 RV and 1 tent per site only on Standard Family sites
- Modern restrooms are open April 15-Oct. 15. During other times visitors will be directed to an alternative, which may be a short distance from their campsite.
- No glass bottled beverages are allowed in tubes or non-motorized vessels
- All reservations and reservation changes MUST be completed through the Recreation.gov user profile or by calling toll free 1+877-444-6777.
- For more information about the campground, please call (573) 323-4236 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30pm weekdays, or e-mail OZAR_Campground_Operations@nps.gov.
- Free standing Hammocks only. NO hammocks are allowed to be tied to trees.
- Water systems shut off Oct. 15-April 14. (Water off means most bathrooms and faucets in campgrounds will be closed and facilities winterized, including picnic pavilions. The exception are the heated shower houses/flush restrooms at Round Spring, Big Spring and Alley Spring campgrounds.)
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Last updated: September 2, 2026
