Campsite Sniper
Missouri · Recreation.gov

Big Spring Campground

36.9630° N / 90.9826° W · Data Sep 18 2026, checked hourly
Next open date Sep 18Next open weekend Sep 1829 detected openings this week135 monitored sites

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Every site at Big Spring, colored by availability across the tracked window. Tap a site for its calendar.
Big Spring

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Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 29 site openings here in the last 7 days
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01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-234044

When Big Spring reopens

Big Spring's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 7 days
29
Openings · last 30 days
48
Openings · last 90 days
59

Weekday pattern

Detected openings by day of week · 90d
0246810126931210811MONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUNOPENINGS RECORDED · LAST 90 DAYS · N = 59

No strong weekday pattern is evident in the openings Campsite Sniper has detected: 59 openings spread across the week.

Hour-of-day pattern

First detected by hour · local time · last 90 days
024681096867000408121620HOUR OF DAY (24H) · CT · LAST 90 DAYS

The largest concentrations of detected openings were first detected during the 04:00 and 07:00 local-time hours. Those hours contained 17 of 59 detected openings (28.8%). Hours show when Campsite Sniper first detected each opening, in Central Time, not when the change was made upstream.

Lead-time profile

Days before stay date · percentiles
P25 · 3DMEDIAN · 12 DAYS OUTP75 · 29.5D0306090120150180DAYS BEFORE STAY DATE

Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 12 days before the stay date; the middle 50% land 3–29.5 days out. Set an alert if you want Campsite Sniper to monitor future openings.

Highest-churn sites

Most openings · 90d
SiteOpeningsShare of all openings
206  610.2%
214  610.2%
211  58.5%
212  58.5%
223  46.8%

Site 206 had the most detected openings in the last 90 days: 6. One free watch covers every site here.

02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027 · of 135 monitored sites

Of the 24,705 tracked site-dates (Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027): 11,739 open for online reservation · 454 reserved · 12,512 closed.

Where the open windows are

52.5% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation. 11,739 of 24,705 remain open; here is where they are.

Load status

Sep 18, 2026 – Mar 19, 2027
Not open online52.5%
Open site-dates11,739 / 24,705
Reserved (of online inventory)454 / 12,193
Weekday openings6,761
Weekend openings4,631

Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 6,761 fall on weekdays and 4,631 on weekends (Fri–Sun). The split covers the 11,392 open site-nights on mapped sites; 11,739 site-dates are open across all monitored inventory.

Open dates by month

Sep 2026 – Mar 2027
01,0002,0003,0004,0005,0001,5962,4591,6421,5961,7671,5961,083SEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARSOLID = OPEN SITE-DATES · DASHED OUTLINE = TOTAL BOOKABLE

October holds the most room. 2,459 of 4,185 site-dates are still open there.

Holiday windows

Sites open per night · of 133 sites
WindowNightSites openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open
ThanksgivingTHU Nov 2655Open
FRI Nov 2755Open
SAT Nov 2855Open
ChristmasTHU Dec 2455Open
FRI Dec 2555Open
New YearTHU Dec 3155Open
FRI Jan 155Open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night. Thanksgiving: 55 sites are available for the complete three-night stay. Christmas: 55 sites are available for the complete two-night stay. New Year: 55 sites are available for the complete two-night stay.

Holiday windows — day use

Units open per date · of 2 day-use units
WindowDateUnits openStatus
Labor DaySAT Sep 50None open
SUN Sep 60None open
MON Sep 70None open
ThanksgivingTHU Nov 262Open
FRI Nov 272Open
SAT Nov 282Open
ChristmasTHU Dec 242Open
FRI Dec 252Open
New YearTHU Dec 312Open
FRI Jan 12Open

Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked date. Thanksgiving: 2 day-use units are available for all three dates. Christmas: 2 day-use units are available for both dates. New Year: 2 day-use units are available for both dates.

Best-availability sites

Most open site-nights · tracked window
SiteOpen site-nights
101  177
111  177
117  177
119  177
121  177

The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.

Availability by day-use unit

Most open reservation dates · tracked window
UnitOpen reservation dates
Peavine Picnic Pavilion  175
Big Spring Picnic Pavilion  172

The 2 day-use units with the most open reservation dates in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.

Next windows

As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshot
Next open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18

The next bookable night is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.

Stays and site detail

11,392 open site-nights across 133 sites at Big Spring, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.

133 overnight sites and 2 day-use units are represented in the current inventory. Day-use units are excluded from every night-based figure on this page — site-nights, longest runs, multi-night stays, holiday stays and RV fit; their reservation dates are listed separately below.

Multi-night stays. 346 2-night, 339 3-night, 273 7-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 18 at site 101.

RV length. Longest recorded site here is 76 ft. 128 sites take 25 ft, 109 sites take 35 ft, 47 sites take 40 ft. 3 sites of 133 have no recorded maximum and are not counted.

Showing 60 of 133 sites with current availability
SiteMax RVHookupsOpen site-nightsLongest runDates
10134 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
11149 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
11752 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
11944 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
12151 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
12348 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
12450 ftNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
G01Not recordedNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
G03Not recordedNone177103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +165 more
10350 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
10445 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
10550 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
10646 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
10950 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
11850 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
12050 ftNone175103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +163 more
10232 ftNone174103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +162 more
22243 ftYes174103 nightsSep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +162 more
G02Not recordedNone174103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +162 more
11543 ftNone173103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +161 more
11650 ftNone173103 nightsSep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +161 more
12250 ftNone173103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +161 more
22737 ftYes173103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +161 more
22942 ftYes173103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +161 more
11052 ftNone172103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +160 more
20345 ftYes172103 nightsSep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +160 more
20545 ftYes172103 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +160 more
22042 ftYes172103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +160 more
10844 ftNone171103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +159 more
22137 ftYes171103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +159 more
22333 ftYes171103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +159 more
10745 ftNone170103 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +158 more
11444 ftNone170103 nightsSep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 +158 more
22546 ftYes170103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +158 more
11350 ftNone169103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +157 more
21525 ftYes168103 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +156 more
21746 ftYes168103 nightsSep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3 +156 more
21947 ftYes168103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +156 more
21338 ftYes167103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +155 more
22651 ftYes167103 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +155 more
21144 ftYes166103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 5 +154 more
11247 ftNone165103 nightsSep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +153 more
20243 ftYes165103 nightsSep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +153 more
21840 ftYes165103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7 +153 more
20745 ftYes164103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4 +152 more
20445 ftYes161103 nightsSep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15 +149 more
22450 ftYes160103 nightsSep 20, Sep 21, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 11 +148 more
20647 ftYes157103 nightsSep 21, Sep 22, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2, Oct 3, Oct 4, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 18, Oct 19 +145 more
20843 ftYes157103 nightsSep 21, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19 +145 more
21251 ftYes157103 nightsSep 19, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8 +145 more
22846 ftYes156103 nightsSep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 16, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20 +144 more
21440 ftYes155103 nightsSep 25, Oct 4, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21 +143 more
21640 ftYes152103 nightsSep 22, Sep 23, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Oct 5, Oct 6, Oct 7, Oct 8, Oct 17, Oct 19, Oct 20 +140 more
20948 ftYes151103 nightsSep 24, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 7, Oct 17, Oct 18, Oct 19, Oct 20, Oct 21, Oct 22, Oct 25 +139 more
21048 ftYes147103 nightsSep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Oct 15, Oct 18, Oct 25, Oct 26 +135 more
30125 ftNone2727 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more
30321 ftNone2727 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more
30425 ftNone2727 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more
30525 ftNone2727 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more
30625 ftNone2727 nightsSep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +15 more

Day-use inventory

347 available reservation dates across 2 day-use units. Day-use inventory is reserved by the date, so it carries no stay length.
All 2 day-use units with current availability
UnitOpen reservation datesConsecutive datesDates
Peavine Picnic Pavilion175103 datesSep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1 +163 more
Big Spring Picnic Pavilion172103 datesSep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 29, Sep 30, Oct 1, Oct 2 +160 more

About Big Spring

Overview

In the rolling, forested landscape of Big Spring, two of America's most beautiful spring-fed rivers combine to make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

As the first national park area to protect a wild river system, visitors have plenty of scenic water activities to enjoy as well as hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing.

Recreation

The Current River flows past the campground, offering excellent canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Over 130 miles (209 km) of waterways exist within the park. Canoe and kayak rentals and outfitters can be found nearby.

Several miles of hiking and horseback riding trails crisscross the region, include the Alley Overlook Trail, Chubb Hollow Trail, Ozark Trail, Cave Spring Trail and Big Springs Trail.

Facilities

This year-round campground has flush toilets and shower facilities available. Picnic tables, fire rings, and grills are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved.

Ranger-led campfire programs are offered in the campground amphitheater during summer months.

Reservations are accepted for three different group picnic areas. Be sure to specify which picnic area you desire. Big Spring Group Picnic Site is at the spring; Peavine and Chubb Hollow are along the river.

Natural Features

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams, and features over 300 identified caves within its boundaries. The caves range in size from a rock overhang to almost seven miles of identified passages. Eight caves, including an open sinkhole, have been designated as outstanding natural features.

The Ozark forest is mostly White oak and Shortleaf pine, Missouri's only native pine species. Along the rivers, Sycamore, Cottonwood, River birch and maples are common.

Redbud and dogwoods are also abundant, putting on a spectacular show during most spring months.

Nearby Attractions

Scenic Big Spring is the largest freshwater spring in North America and produces an outflow of 280 million gallons a day.

Round Spring Cave is nearby, with ranger-guided tours offered daily during summer months. Historic and picturesque Alley Mill and Alley Spring are also nearby. The mill is open daily in the summer and ranger-guided tours are available upon request.

135 monitored sitesRVs up to 76 ft28 with hookups127 shadedWaterfrontRiverfrontPets OKFire pitsMax party 45

Getting there

Big Spring Campground is located four miles (6.4 km) south of Van Buren, Missouri. Turn south on Missouri Highway 103 and continue south for four miles (6.4 km) to the Big Spring Unit of the park.

Po Box 490, Van Buren, MO 63965573-323-4236
BikingBoatingCampingDay Use AreaFishingHikingHorseback RidingHuntingInterpretive ProgramsSwimming SiteVisitor CenterWater SportsWildlife Viewing

View on Recreation.gov ↗   Get directions ↗

FAQ

How do I get a reservation at Big Spring?

Reservations for Big Spring are made through Recreation.gov. 11,739 of 24,705 tracked site-dates are currently open (47.5%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 59 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site or unit on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.

Does Campsite Sniper book this facility for me?

No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.

How current is this availability data?

Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.

How often do new openings appear at Big Spring?

Campsite Sniper detected 29 site-date openings at Big Spring in the last 7 days, 48 over 30 days and 59 over the last 90.

Can I get a multi-night stay at Big Spring?

339 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 18 at site 101. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.

Which sites at Big Spring fit a 35-foot RV?

109 of the 133 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 76 ft. 130 of those 133 sites have a recorded maximum length and 3 do not; they are not counted as fitting.

Which month has the most availability at Big Spring?

October 2026, with 2,459 open site-dates in the current snapshot of 4,185.

How far ahead of a stay do openings appear at Big Spring?

Half of the openings Campsite Sniper detected appeared at least 12 days before the stay date; the middle 50% landed 3-29.5 days out. Campsite Sniper can monitor future changes for dates you select.

When is the next open date at Big Spring?

As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.

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