Hiking and Camping the Ozark National Scenic Riverway

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Kicking Off Our Ozark Adventure

As soon as we got the call that our RV was ready for pickup (our slide-outs were not working properly you can read about that here: Summer Camping Ideas in Missouri for your RV), we planned a weekend trip to one of Missouri’s finest natural gems: the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and making our camping reservation at Reservation.gov!. This place has spring-fed rivers, scenic overlooks, and miles of trails perfect for dog-friendly hiking. But let’s just say, the journey wasn’t without a few bumps along the way...

RV Camping and Set-Up Experience

As soon as we started the engine though we heard the stabilizing jack alarm which happens when you still have the stabilizing jacks down or your battery is dead, we didn't have it down so we figured the battery was drained. We were told that as we drove the battery would be charged.... ummmm no... this did not happen. We had to listen to this constant long beep for 30 minutes. We started to look for a spot to charge the battery. We looked in a gas station, no luck, and a park still no luck. Then we pulled into a Philips 66 gas station in De Soto, Missouri that was shady looking but had a spot where could park to figure WTH to do. We tried priming the generator, again no luck, called the Midwest RV, but still no luck. Finally, Kevin found a plug that we could use. After asking the gas cashier if we could plug our RV we started charging.

We've been charging our RV for about 30 minutes and I started thinking... is this the spot of our camping now?! Is this the best we can hope for?

Moment of truth, hoping that the warning sound would turn off when we unplugged and drive off. It did, we were given an option of Midwest RV to go back to the dealer to have someone look at it but now that it is off, we decided to continue with our adventure. 1 hour away from our campsite though the smoke detector started beeping... WTH! Georgia is not impressed

Arriving at Big Spring Campground

As soon as we pulled up, Big Spring Campground won us over. Nestled in a wooded area near the Current River, the campground offers the perfect blend of nature and comfort. We set up our RV quickly—slide-outs, electric hookups, and all—and relaxed after the eventful start.

Big Spring Campground has basic but well-maintained amenities and is dog-friendly. Georgia had plenty of space to roam (on a leash, of course), and we enjoyed the peace that only an Ozark sunset can bring.

Alternative Stays for Non-Campers

Not everyone camps in an RV, so here are a few nearby dog-friendly options if you’re coming by car. Consider Current River Inn in Van Buren or Echo Bluff State Park Lodge, both offering easy access to the Riverways and scenic drives. You can also check out VRBO for more cozy, pet-friendly rentals nearby. Use my VRBO link at no additional cost to you—it may even help me earn a small commission that supports creating more travel guides like this one. Happy exploring!

Gearing up for our hike here is what we usually take on our hike:

1. North Face Backpack - Similar (Kevin). Ours is no longer for sale but a good backpack last a good long time. We've had ours for 13 years and not a seam ripped. It's been through multiple countries and hikes we can no longer count

2. Gregory Maya backpack - Similar (Me). I wanted a different backpack I can put my hydration bladder on and stash my camera so it is not just hanging in my neck

3. Camelback bottles. Indestructible

4. Good hiking shoes. I am currently using HOKA Anapaka

Georgia's essential gear:

1. Ruffwear Harness. It is key to have a handle in the harness because there would be instances where we need to carry G. Especially if we know she's going to hurt herself

2. Hydrapack Stow bottle. I especially like that this collapses and safely freezes so G can have cold water, especially in the summer

3. Viper Biothane 15 ft Lead. She gets kind of excited and understandably walks a little fast than us so we give her a little bit more freedom with a 15 ft lead. Also most of the time the trails are empty so we know we wouldn't be endangering other hikers, if we see someone coming we just roll it to be shorter.

4. Tractive GPS tracker for dogs. G likes to chase dear and she already got away from us one time. This safety precaution gives us a little bit more peace of mind

Big Spring Campground Trail was the perfect trail to kick off our hiking season.

You are immediately greeted by roaring spring:

Halfway through the hike, we saw one of the park buildings so we thought it would be a good spot for a break for us and Georgia because it was fairly warm and Georgia gets really hot in the summer.

Of course, after hiking, we had our breakfast croissant, which is really just hotdog and Just Egg wrapped in crescent rolls.

Of course, we napped after that and watched some TV. We've been rewatching the Walking Dead so we are trying to power through it.

Before dinner though we decided to walk around a bit to explore the campground. The Big Spring Campground was really nice. It was not a full hook-up but just electric but the campground was not overcrowded. There was shade in most of the campsites and park officials were always driving around in their golf carts making sure that everything was on the up and up.

The next day is pretty much the same program. We were going to hike the Chubb Hallow Lookout. It was a bit away from our camp so we walked about 2 miles to the trail head. The park area is so pretty that we did not mind walking to see some sights.

Unfortunately, when we got to the trail it was closed

We unfortunately didn't check to see that it was so we just walked all over the park. The park is gorgeous so we did not mind

Of course, Georgia would have to get her customary summer splashes at the end of the activity so she can cool down. We like to think she appreciated it

We were supposed to stay at the park for 3 nights but we since the trails are all closed we decided to go home that Sunday so we can just chill at home that Memorial Day. So we packed up which didn't take that much time with the RV and drove home.

Georgia is of course the co-pilot during the entire drive home

Hope you enjoyed our hiking and camping adventure for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Have you been to the park? Do you plan to go soon? Let me know how your experience was.

TTYL