Markham Springs

Rt 1 Box 144B
Williamsville, MO 63967

Overview

Markham Springs Campground is set on the Black River in a scenic and historic recreation area in the southwestern corner of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest. The area provides access to multiple trails and recreational opportunities.

Markham Springs Recreation Area gets its name from former owner, M. J. Markham, who acquired the property in 1901 and operated a lumber mill at the site until the 1930s.

The Fuchs House, a five-bedroom concrete and native stone home, also sits on the property, along with a neighboring mill. At times, it is also available for rent.

Recreation

River and stream fishing are popular activities near the campground. The Black River boasts bass, sunfish, walleye and catfish. Many anglers fish from boats, but others fish from the riverbanks. Canoeing and kayaking is also possible on the river.

Various day hikes within the Markham Springs Trail System are accessible from the campground. Eagle Bluff Trail is a 1.5-mile loop along the river, where birding and wildlife viewing are favorite pastimes.

Facilities

The campground offers single and double sites for tent and RV camping. Some rather primitive sites are located in a wooded setting near the river.

Electric hookups are provided, as well as tables and campfire rings with grills. Lantern posts are also available. Accessible vault toilets, drinking water, showers and trash collection are provided.

Natural Features

Located adjacent to the Black River, the recreation area contains a small pond that dates back to the 1800s. The area is covered by a dense forest of colorful trees, including ash, elm, maple and poplar.

Nearby Attractions

The small town of Williamsville is just 3 miles from the campground, offering a general store and fuel station.

Camp site features

Across 32 camp sites:

Electric hookups: 11 of 32 sites
Picnic table: all 32 sites
Pets allowed: all 32 sites
ADA accessible: 11 of 32 sites
Largest party: 16 people
Power up to 50 amps
Equipment: RV, Tent, Trailer

Directions

From Poplar Bluff, take Highway 67 north for 14 miles, then drive west on Highway 49 for 9 miles (about 3 miles past the town of Williamsville). Take the first right after crossing the Black River to enter Markham Springs Recreation Area.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

22 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Janet K

Loop:Birch

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

I’ve been going to this park every year for 45+years and have seen it steadily go downhill due to a lack of care. There used to be great flushing toilets and shower houses in every loop. Those are all gone and there are two showers (no hot water anymore). A sink in each. Toilets have been replaced with Donnickers. They are fine, if kept clean. This year they took excellent care of them. There is a beautiful bubbling Spring along with a spring fed lake in front of the original house. It has suffered -used to be full and Chrystal clear blue water. Occasionally water would be let out to go to feed the cypress-the cypress are dying now and the lake is probably down 10 feet. The sides of the lake were compromised years ago by muskrats. The damage has never been fixed. The water wheel used to be opened every now and then-this can’t happen anymore. The trails aren’t kept up as well either. It’s hard to go from a full crew to using mostly campground hosts to do the work. It’s sad to see. The river is beautiful and we still enjoy coming. They put RV sites in the circle but have never repaired the dump so anyone with an RV has to drive awhile to find a dump site when they leave. These are all things that visitors look for and Markham Springs is failing. It retains its beauty in spite of the neglect. Fuchs house(on the lake)can be rented too.

Denia T

Loop:Birch

Site:

Reviewed 3 months ago

Camp host was awesome. Showers didn’t have hot water. No dump station

mercedes o

Loop:Birch

Site:

Reviewed 3 months ago

We stayed at site 28 in the Birch loop. We had plenty of space for our extra large tent, and shade to buffer the full heat from the historical heat wave. We noticed that most sites in the other loops would not have had room for a tent our size. The vault toilets were very clean and well stocked with toilet paper, but the shower facilities were unbearably hot inside and the water pressure was pathetic. This is a beautiful area but probably best for those with a camper.

Linda W

Site:

Reviewed 3 months ago

We had planned to float the river, but it was too high. I'm glad I reserved the pavilion for our friends to gather and grill. It was nice to have electricity for our fans!

Tommy A

Loop:Birch

Site:

Reviewed 4 months ago

We have camped there for years and enjoy it. Had a set back this particular time but we still enjoyed it!

Janet C

Site:

Reviewed 5 months ago

Very pretty there.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve