Montauk State Park Campground

We are trout fishers. This place is perfect for easy stream and running water fishing. We stayed in loop 3, site 325. We walked over to the "river" about 75 yards from our campsite. The water is shallow and clear. it was perfect. You are off grid in this park with Verizon (our service) or T-Mobile (another guest looking for connection). The lodge has Wi-Fi and I was able to pick up signal to text and call when standing outside. No connection for any data at our camp site. No Over air TV stations. One FM radio station. I you want to have any entertainment, BRING DVDs.

This place is quiet and family oriented. Showers are full of hot water and very clean. Staff is friendly. Whole facility is clean and well maintained. Firewood for sale at the front. River is ice cold.

My daughter and I wanted to try Montauk state park and went in March on a Wednesday and left Friday. When booking the site, I was surprised how full it was going to be. Our site in loop 4 was level, clean, and easy to get the 28' trailer back in to. The water right next to the site was taped up, probably turned off for winter, but we were able to fill our fresh tank at the campground entrance before parking. There was a dump station in loop 4 and another one near the entrance. We used loop 4 dump station and the black tank flush water valve wasn't working. The river is full of fish and people fishing for them. Swimming was probably allowed, but I'm sure the people fishing wouldn't have tolerated it. If it was warmer I'm sure we could have found a spot in the river without people fishing to relax. Instead, we hiked the pine ridge trail which was nice and easy for us. At night, we could hear the owls and frogs, which is a highlight for me. The store was a highlight for my daughter and they really have some great fishing gear and supplies. We didn't eat at the lodge. It looked decent and there were people filling up the tables. For me, my favorite part of camping is cooking and eating at the site. We didn't use the campground's shower or toilet. I took a look and they seemed like a typical state park bathroom, clean until someone ruins it. We're fortunate and grateful to have the trailer's bathroom.

We paid $10 for a bundle of wood at the campground, which was for sale just before dark (check the sign for times). The attendant was nice, but he didn't provide any split wood and it was wet. I'm guessing they collect wood from the local bottom lands and sell it. I don't know, there was split wood in the barn, just not in the pile we could pick from. I have a hatchet and was splitting it myself, but wished it wasn't wet. We did see a place selling wood on VV towards Licking also for $10 a bundle. We passed on it and chose poorly.

Google took us from St. Louis through Salem and then down to YY, which was a dirt road and crossed a shallow creek. I wasn't confident it was the correct path, the road got very narrow, had lots of potholes, and worried we wouldn't be able to turn around. Unexpectedly, I put my new suspension to a test. Fortunately, we ended up at the campground without needing to turn around. We left the campground via VV through Licking on a proper road and was able to get gas too.

Though opening weekend weekend is crowded, best trout fishing in the state

Love the area. Tent sites are close to water, great fishing. Clean facilities and friendly staff!

It was great. Fishing was really good. Staff was very nice and helpful.

We requested a handicapped tent site near the restroom. Large site but not marked and the other campers kept walking through our site to use the wheelchair ramp for the restrooms The toilets were basically not handicapped accessible but the showers were not at all. I have 1 arm and 1 leg there were no shower seats. No place for a family member to assist me.

Gift shop was averagely priced but we found the food a tad expensive and bland.

The people were friendly but could not help much (staff) with directions to handicapped accessible fishing areas.

We enjoyed our trip but did not catch anything.

Also the daily fishing passes were a bit pricy but ok. No choice but to purchase them because you can't fish without one.

My husband has been going to Montauk for over 40 years. He taught me to trout fish here. We both love to come back year after year. This is not only one of the most beautiful RV parks I’ve ever been to, but one of the friendliest all around !

Have been coming to Montauk for nearly 30 years. Besides the excellent trout fishing, there are hiking trails, playgrounds for kids, a lodge with well-stocked store, tours of the fishery and old mill can be arranged, a naturalist’s cabin and an number of events are held there during the camping season. Four campground loops along the Current River, plus cabins and a motel at the lodge. Reservations are recommended, especially for weekends, but a number of tent and RV sites are non-reservable. Fall is our favorite time of year and includes annual Rose Holland Trout Derby.

Great place for camping and fishing, the lodge has great food if you don't feel like cooking

Montauk State Park is at the headwaters of the Current River, and is a State Park the northern end of the National Scenic River. It is just South of Salem, MO. The park has a fish hatchery and is noted for trout fishing! The campground is very large, with 3 or 4 loops. The sites are mostly level but close together. They have water and electric. With this many people it can get noisy. There are clean showers/bathrooms and a dump station. There is a lodge with rooms and a restaurant with limited menu, and cabins. WiFi is available at the lodge, but cell service is spotty in the park. This is a trout fishing park. Almost everything is focused on fishing! You can get fishing equipment, tackle, fishing license and trout tags in the store.

My family has been going every year for over 40 years. An amazing place full of memories, right next to Current River and the Baptist Camp launch site.

I have been camping at Montauk since the mid 1960's. We spent many family vacations camping and trout fishing the head waters of the Current River in Montauk. The staff are all really friendly and the lodge has good food with a nice buffet on the weekends. It's a busy park so it's best to make reservations unless you are arriving during the week but that can still be an issue some weeks. During the fall you can get some good colors.

Very quiet and clean. Bathroom/ shower houses are clean and well stocked. Campground host take job very serious, 1 time had noisy Neighbors, host had them removed immediately after they refused to quiet down. Lits of hiking and biking areas, multiple playgrounds with good equipment for the kids. Largest fishing area i have personally been to in a state park. Lodge has good food at good prices. Been going to montauk all my life never had a bad experience.

We have been camping at Montauk since the mid 1960's. The campground isn't the best place since it floods so the sites can take a beating. The staff are friendly. Bring plenty of garden hose some sites have a 150' reach to a faucet. Summertime is always busy so reservations are a good idea. The lodge has good home cooked meals and they have a ice cream bar. You can get some camping supplies at the store and they have a full line of fishing supplies since Montauk is a put-n-take trout river.

The water is beautiful and the fishing is great. Getting up early to watch the mist on the water is a must. Tranquil and fun!

Pros: Great trout fishing opportunities. State park has basic necessities (groceries, bait & tackle, fishing licenses, gift shop, firewood, etc.)

Cons: Nearest gas station is about 20 miles away. No phone service around Current River drop offs or pick locations if you float the river.

This is where my love of camping started. I spent many summers as a child camping at Montauk State Park with my grandparents. After those early years of riding my bike as a child around the campground loops, I now take my child there every year with the hope that he appreciates it as much as I do.

Montauk State Park is one of the Missouri Conservations four trout parks, and is located at the headwaters of the beautiful Current River. The Current along with the Jack’s Fork River make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways National Park. Since it is one of Missouri’s trout parks you will find a majority of campers are there to fish. You can purchase a trout tag at the lodge for $3.00, and it will allow you to keep 4 trout per day with a possession limit of 8. The conservation will stock the Current on a nightly basis, based on number of tags sold the day before. The stretch of river from spring to the falls are some of my favorite fishing anywhere. I have a group of guys that get together every spring and fall for a trout fishing trip.

As the Current River winds its way through the valley, it creates one of the campground boundaries. This allows you to be near the river at all times, or even next to it, if you grab one of the spots on its banks. The campground is broken down into 4 separate loops, with loop 1 being the only basic section, all the others have electricity. I have spent more time recently camping in the basic section with the guys. We have used sites 115 for the space and 119 for the seclusion. Our family did camp on Mother’s Day on site 418, in loop 4. I would not recommend this site because you only have a small space between you and your neighbors.

There are two bathroom/shower houses with laundry facilities located in the campground, along with three campground host. You are able to purchase firewood and ice in the campground as well. Sites do go quickly so you will need to book months in advance.

The lodge has a full restaurant, as well as a diner style counter. My son love’s to go and sit at the counter to get ice cream. You will find menu item such as burgers, sandwiches, and salads, as well as a buffet on certain days. You can even order a sack lunch to take out to the river bank. The lodge also has a store stocked with camp essentials, souvenir items, and fishing supplies. If you do not have your own fishing poles, they have some for rent. You will also find the lunker board located here, so if you are lucky enough to catch a three pound trout bring it to have it weighed for your lunker patch.

If you decide not to fish, there are things to do such as take a tour of the mill when the naturalist does one of their demonstrations, hike the quarter mile trial to the springs (one of my son’s favorites, he likes to search for the water bubbling out of the ground), hike the longer 1.5 mile pine ridge trail, feed the fish at the hatchery, or take in one of the nature programs at the amphitheater. Also if you head out of the park on YY you will find Tan Vat Access located right outside the park on the Current. This is a great place to take young ones for a dip in its cool waters. Also you can take a gravel road out of the park to a funky little place called Bo’s Hollow. A family has built a small town in a field, where you can buy a bbq sandwich lunch, and take a model A ride to Ashley creek for swimming and a picnic.

I hope you get a chance to check out Montauk State Park. It is one of our family favorite destinations.

Has the same feel as Bennett Springs. I would say it is worth the trip if you want to do some trout fishing and spend some quality time with your family. The water is chilly, but even going and not fishing is great as it is a beautiful area.

We've made the three hour drive to Montauk State Park a couple of times in the last year. We just love it there! It's especially wonderful if you can make it in November when the crowd has left and you can really enjoy the crisp, cool fall and have so much of the campground to yourself. Just beware, they lock the bathrooms and shower houses down during the off season! We, of course, love to trout fish and have always had fishing luck in our favor there. We also love to eat a meal at the little on site restaurant and enjoy the convenience store when we've forgotten things. Try the ice cream at the restaurant! Delish! We've only located one trail in the park: Pine Ridge Trail. It's a nicely maintained trail. We went at sunset and the view from the top was gorgeous. One of the conveniences of Montauk is cell service! You can actually use your phones here, unlike many Missouri State Parks. If you're looking to take your family swimming- I don't think this is a great park for this. There are literally people fishing everywhere and there isn't really a great place to swim. Campground does have a nice play area for the kiddos. Camp sites are generously spaced. We did have some nightly skunk visitors circle our camper, but they were so fat and cute and thankfully kept their stinky spray to themselves.

We go here for our annual fishing trip. And also floating! A lot of nice stuff is provided to do and keep you entertained. Very beautiful scenery.

This spot is mostly focused on trout fishing. The campground is large, 3 loops, but spots are close together and can be noisy during prime fishing season. Nice camp store, restaurant, ice cream parlor. They also have motel style lodging and cabin available. Nice, somewhat challenging due to hills, hiking trails. Trout hatchery available to walk through and feed the fish. I'm a repeat visitor for fishing purposes. Camping spots available along stream.

Great trout fishing with rustic views and great naturalist programs for the kids

Excellent park for trout fishing in Missouri. Camping available from March through October, when trout are stocked daily and available to keep a limit of four per person per day. Well-maintained sites are subject to flash-flooding during heavy rain. Shower and bath houses are decent. Park has privately owned lodge with store, restaurant and motel rooms and free Wifi. Beautiful scenery along spring-fed river.

The campgrounds and cabins can be a bit difficult to book, if visiting on a Friday or Saturday, but the park is worth it. Cold spring fed, stocked stream, which is the start of the current river. If you're trout fishing, you'll need your MO state fishing license, as well as a daily trout tag within the park. Below the park at Tan Vat landing, you'll need your MO state fishing license and a trout license. Areas on the Current River, directly below Montauk are "Blue Ribbon" areas, so be sure to read the restrictions on trout fishing.

This park offers some excellent trout fishing in MO. The camp site we stayed in was for tents only. It was right on the stream. My son and I was able to buy our trout tags the night before fishing and then get up early in the next morning and walk 50 feet to go fishing. The shower house has the hottest water I've ever had at a state park. It made for a steamy shower on the cold nights.

Another great trout park on Missouri

Driving into the park you pass all the great landmarks of this park, the mill, the pavilion, the hatchery, the lodge. Then you pull up to the campgrounds, and the shaded lots. Very easy to pull into and get setup. The grpunds a very well maintained and kept. The fishing is phenominal for all types. The lodge provides all you could possibly need and more.

This is a great area to fish for trout. The river is beautiful and offers a place to relax. The campground offers several different options depending on your set up. The on site restaurant is good and worth a try. Such a beautiful state park.

If you’re not out on the water here, you’re going to be missing out.

Yay: large private wooded campsites, modern and clean facilities. They also have cabins and a hotel. Couldn’t believe they had a restaurant on site but we only got ice cream there since we had a cooler of food to use up. Kids loved making crafts and even learning some history with the rangers (all free). We rented large canoes on site for a very modest fee.

Nay: very bustling, but not overly noisy or crowded.

Surprise: loved exploring the area by boat, we saw tons of water fowl.