0
Pull-thru
USFSMark Twain National Forest · Missouri
Council Bluff Recreation Area
Overview The Council Bluff Recreation Area is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors.
Sites5737 reservable
Elev.1,345ft
Comf.Mar-Nov9 months
Max rig40 ft
Electricnonesites
From St. Louis2h18real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 1,345 ft, Council Bluff Recreation Area has a 9-month comfortable window (Mar-Nov). Winter nights average around 27°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 57 sites total: 37 reservable and 20 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 8 walk-in, and the longest takes a 40-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Sep
Mar-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
73%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 12
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 31.
69°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
St. Louis
102 mi
2h18
02
Springfield
176 mi
3h40
03
Kansas City
284 mi
5h51
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 1.5 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 57 SITES
Color byShow only
54 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
8
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
1
Prime
57
Sites
★ The standout
Site 032D
L2SG · shaded.
To neighbor
279 ft
Max rig
40 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
14
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
1.5 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.