About us
A camping group for those who enjoy quieter campouts. A place to meet fellow campers but still have some alone time. Just quiet time outside with a good book or a little walk in the woods.
If you want to get rowdy, party and make a lot of noise, this is not the group for you.
Most campouts will be reasonably close to St Louis area, 1-3 hour drives.
DOGS: Well behaved dogs welcome. I have a 60 lb very friendly dog.
CHILDREN: Probably not the best group for young kids, since it's about quiet times.
Size of group limited to 10 campers. Couples will be counted as 1 attendee, so feel free to bring your +1.
WINTER: we'll do short hikes. I like to camp in winter sometimes, you can get into almost any campground on late notice or on a first come/first serve drive up basis.
SUMMER: we can kayak or find a campground with a nice river bank to hang out. There might be outfitters available for kayaking, but I have my own kayaks that work well for my dog.
RSVPs: Please, take your RSVP seriously. Most events will have attendance limit. If you say you're going, you're responsible for reserving your own campsite. A link will almost always be provided. We expect you to reserve a site and then COMMENT on the event to say where you'll be. It's really important, please respect this.
SAFETY: You are, of course, responsible for your own safety. None of us are professionals at rescue or emergency care, so just make safety a priority. Many campgrounds have no cell reception, so be mindful of that.
A startup group in April 2026
Upcoming events
2
SILVER MINES CAMPING and being lazy by the river.
SILVER MINES RECREATION AREA CAMPGROUND, Hwy D, Fredericktown, MO, USGreat campground, but the "RIVERSIDE LOOP" is the only one with electric hookup. Only 11-12 sites here, one is for host. Plenty of other primitive sights, non electric, but they're not walking distance from the Riverside Loop.
Campsites 2, 3, 8 and 10 on inside of loop are best for tents, but no shade. Others are a little less level.
Be sure to reserve early and post your campsite below in comments.
Recreation.gov - Camping, Cabins, RVs, Permits, Passes & MoreThere are toilets in the campground, and electric. There's a great little river access right by the campground where we can hang out and play in the water.
We will NOT be kayaking. But hiking trail is fabulous, so bring your gear. Plenty of bugs, so come prepared.
HIKING BOOTS REQUIRED for safety. Trail is really rough in spots.
HIKING POLES STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.DRIVING: Maybe best to use your GPS. Meetup mapping worked well last time too. About 85 to 90 miles from 44/141 area. Not a bad drive down Hwy 55 to 61/67 just beyond Farmington. About 1.5 hours.
ZERO CELL RECEPTION after you leave the highway at Fredericktown, so know before you go on directions.
Expect TICKS and bugs. This is not one of our civilized campgrounds and the trails are rough. Frontline your dogs and spray your clothes/tents/etc with Permethrin.
If you sign up, include your campsite, your gear (tent/camper) and your arrival/departure date.
Here is the link that appears to give accurate directions:
Silver Mine Trailhead - Google Maps
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
From Fredericktown:
- From the intersection of MO Hwy 72 and US Hwy 67, head West on Hwy 72 approx. 4.3 miles to State Hwy D, near the small community of Oak Grove.
- Turn Left onto Hwy D, and travel approx. 2.9 miles to the entrance on your right.
2 attendees
ROBERTSVILLE STATE PARK camping and kayaking
Robertsville State Park, 902 State Park Drive, Robertsville, MO, USThis might be our group's favorite little campground close to STL. Only about 25 miles from Valley Park area, down Hwy 44.
THIS IS A JOINT EVENT WITH TAILS ON THE TRAILS (meetup). There will be dogs at campsites and on kayaks.
Only 27 sites, spaced away from each other for privacy. Some are tricky to back into with a trailer, but if I can do it...anybody can do it. Just be careful. Not all have electricity, so be sure to check that before you book. There are several electric sites currently available (as of 4/1/26), but they do fill up. So, book soon.
KAYAKING is great here. THIS IS B.Y.O.BOAT, no rentals available. You need a high end inflatable or a hardshell at least 10' long. We are "challenged" on shuttling hardshells, so communicate if you have one of those.
We can do the 9 mile run from Choteau Claim, or a 5 mile run from River Round. Both come back to Robertsville State Park.
Plan is to kayak on Saturday. No other real plans. Trails are great here also, but the ticks are probably pretty bad. It's not a well-used park.
CELL SERVICE is good here.
Here is link for park. You can see map of campground and trails.
PARK MAPHERE IS A LINK FOR RESERVATIONS
Missouri State Parks - Missouri State Parks Reservation SystemPlease comment below when you have reserved a campsite. Your rsvp here does not get you a site, you need to reserve one well in advance,
BRING PLENTY OF WOOD FOR 2 NIGHTS AND 2 MORNINGS! Camp host has firewood, and there's a Quick Trip type store on the road, right by the entrance.
2 attendees
Group links
Organizers
Members
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