0
Pull-thru
USACEMark Twain Lake · Missouri
John Spalding Rec AR
Overview Visitors at John Spalding are in the perfect location for recreation on Mark Twain Lake.
Sites3all reservable
Elev.728ft
Comf.Mar-Nov9 months
Max rigtents
Electric3sites
From St. Louis2h47real 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 728 ft, John Spalding Rec AR has a 9-month comfortable window (Mar-Nov). Winter nights average around 23°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 3 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 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 · Nov
Mar-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
76%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 9
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 29.
70°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
St. Louis
129 mi
2h47
02
Kansas City
202 mi
4h01
03
Springfield
226 mi
4h38
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 5.5 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 3 SITES
Color byShow only
3 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
3
Accessible
0
Prime
3
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
98
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
5.5 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.