Planning a summer trip? These MO parks ranked among the best places to camp in the Midwest

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read

Two Missouri parks have been named among the best places to camp in the Midwest.

The Dyrt, a camping platform that lists campgrounds, reviews and tips, released its Best Places to Camp Regional Awards this week. The platform divides winners into six regions of the country: Pacific, Mountain, Central, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. For the Midwest region, B Berry Farms & Co. in Elkland ranked No. 5 and Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park in Middle Brook rounded out the list at No. 10.

B Berry Farms & Co.

Located off 96 Dusty Drive in Elkland, B Berry Farms & Co. is a 40-acre family-owned farm that offers indoor and outdoor camping experiences, in addition to independent berry picking. Seven of the farm's acres are covered in more than 4,000 you-pick berry bushes.

B Berry Farms & Co. also offers color-coded hiking trails, two horseshoe pitching areas, pool and darts, ax throwing, adult swings, adult and children's suspension bridges, a 12-foot climbing wall, sandboxes, volleyball and badminton courts, a waterpark play area, playground, showers, restrooms and hand laundry tube. Eggs, vegetables and baked goods like bread, cinnamon rolls, cookies and muffins are also available for purchase at the farm.

“Even if you aren’t going to see the lakes around (we didn’t) there is plenty to entertain you right on the farm," The Dyrt users Abe and Makayla wrote about B Berry Farms & Co. "There is an abundance of wildflowers, walking trails, chill zones, a water park, outdoor solar shower, bugs, a friggin' berry field. WITH PINK BLUEBERRIES!!!! They taste like cotton candy — you have to ask about them.”

Campsites can be booked on The Dyrt or the B Berry Farms & Co. website at bberryfarms.com/. Outdoor campsites range between $7-24 per 24-hour stay. The farm's Barn Bunkhouse is available for $40 per 24 hours.

Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

A Missouri state park, Johnson's Shut-Ins is located in Middle Brook, surrounded by the St. Francois Mountains. The park offers swimming, several hiking, cycling and horseback riding trails, and fishing. A campground store is also open at the state park, offering basic camping supplies, snacks, nature guides, souvenirs and games.

“This place has what you need for a good camping trip," The Dyrt user Dave wrote about Johnson's Shut-Ins. "The general store has the essentials, the campground is clean, sites are decently spaced with enough privacy. Thumbs up.”

Campsites can be booked on The Dyrt or the Missouri State Parks website at mostateparks.com/park/johnsons-shut-ins-state-park. Campsites range between $15-30 April through October and $14-27 November through March. These price ranges are dependent on the RV hook-ups available.

What other Midwest parks made the cut?

The remaining Midwest winners were:

  • No. 1: Sandy Springs Campground in Ohio

  • No. 2: Hitchcock County Nature Center in Iowa

  • No. 3: Mouth of Two Hearted River State Forest Campground in Michigan

  • No. 4: Voyageurs National Park Backcountry Camping in Minnesota

  • No. 6: Sangchris Lake State Park in Illinois

  • No. 7: Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin

  • No. 8: Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana

  • No. 9: Lamb's Resort in Minnesota

The Dyrt's Best Places to Camp Regional Awards are dependent on reviews and ratings from platform users.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: These 2 MO parks are ranked the best places to camp in the Midwest