Hello all,

I’m looking for some ideas of good places to camp in the heartland area.

Eventually I’ll hit all the big stops in the US (Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Caynyon, Red Wood forest, Valley of the gods ect…) :D

For now though I need to keep it within 6 – 8 hours of home.

Here is where I have camped any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Table Rock State Park – Branson
Thibaut Point Park – Warsaw MO
Truman Lake State Park – Warsaw MO
Mark Twain Lake State Park – Quincy MO
Johnson’s Shut-Ins – Middlebrook MO
Blue Spring Lake Park – Blue Springs MO
NRO – Lebanon MO

I realized that while I have been camping a lot, I don’t have much variety in where I go.

(Mods: If this needs to be moved to the camping/ hiking section please do :))

Having formerly worked for a couple of outfitters here in KC, if you can swing it, go for here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ouachita+mountain+park+oklahoma&ie=UTF8&ll=34.768127,-98.714905&spn=0.324896,0.752563&t=h&z=11

I've heard it is probably one of the best in the midwest!

Any specific parks or sites I should look for?

If you're into the longer haul, check out Yellow River State Forest up in the Iowa Driftless. It should be about 6 or 7 hours from KC. Beautiful scenery and great logging roads that are doable, but fun in the E.

Depending on what kind of activities your looking for the Eminence MO area is small, but nice. It has a lot of camp grounds, two rivers to float and a number of natual springs and a few caves as well. NW/NC Arkansas is nice too. Neither are over run with tourists either.:cool:

The Sand Hills and Niobrara River valley (national scenic river) of north central Nebraska provide a beautiful and unique setting cross country travellers would never guess existed while driving across Nebraska on I-80. While you're at it... try the Nebraska Star Party ( http://www.nebraskastarparty.org ) in the same region south of Valentine, Nebraska at the end of July. Camp at Merritt Reservoir or any number of other locations along the Niobrara... which is a top 10 ranked canoe river, with many outfitters in Valentine (we like to take innertubes down it).

I'll be taking my new Scamp out there at that time myself (I'm something of an astronomy nut).

Merritt Reservoir
http://www.hustonfamily.com/stella/nsp7.jpg

Expansive natural sand beaches
http://www.hustonfamily.com/stella/nsp4.jpg

Incredible water falls along the Niobrara
http://www.hustonfamily.com/stella/nsp18.jpg

http://www.hustonfamily.com/stella/nsp24.jpg

And my favorite... a Milky Way so bright (no light pollution for many miles around) that it casts your shadow on the ground
http://www.hustonfamily.com/stella/nsp12.jpg