Stayed here in early May. Nicely spaced sites and while entirely acceptable (at least for me) the pads are showing their age. Stayed in Summit campground with no hook-ups. Very peaceful, especially since two nights I was the only person in that section. Not a lot of hiking but what there is is beautiful, and a bit challenging with some rocky areas. The dam is the remains from a mining operation that ran from 1877 to 1946. I think you could walk across it in low water in the past but it has been breached (I think intentionally) to open the river up for kayaking. The only negative was no dump station, so plan accordingly.

We really enjoyed our stay here. There are 4 different loops: one right on the river with electric and water and 3 loops on the other side of the river with no hook-ups just vault toilets. We stayed at the Spring Branch loop which had large, nicely spaced sites. But only a couple of the sites where level. There are trails leading down to the river and along the river. We didn't have any cell service at the Spring Branch loop but further up the hill we could get a couple of bars of Verizon. Only a handful of other campers on a Friday in April.

Looked lovely…. Unfortunately, even though I could find no mention of a closing season on the NF page AND it said the area was open, it was closed. We were bummed to have wasted a half an hour trying to find it and then having to continue on.

Stayed three days over Labor Day weekend. We found the camp clean and well-maintained. The camp managers were attentive at all times cleaning bathrooms every morning and preparing campsites for new arrivals. Campsites are well spaced back in sites with fire rings and picnic tables in the non-electric Summit and Prospect Areas. Very shady spots. If you’re looking for a little more privacy, the overflow Spring Branch section sites had a little more distance of woods between sites but only one vault toilet and water Spicket for the whole section. There were several day use areas that are very accommodating for hiking and enjoying the river. They use comes with your overnight pass and we received a discount for being a national Park pass holder.

We stayed at Silver Mines Campground in May 2019. Our nightly rate was discounted through our National Parks Senior Pass. We had water and electric. There is not a dump station on site so you will want to plan accordingly. Silver Mines is a lovely campground that sits on the St. Francis River. From the camping area, it is a very short walk to the riverbank where you will find a wide footbridge to cross over the river. We enjoyed walking the riverbanks and enjoying the view. The campground is well cared for by the hosts/managers. They were working pretty much the whole time we were there, and it shows in the great condition of the grounds and campsites. There is a lot to do in the area, we enjoyed a visit to Elephant Rocks State Park while we were there. You are also close to the Johnson Shut-Ins. There are a number of great hiking trails and plenty of river activities as well. While we were there bad weather was expected and we had no cell service or wifi. The hosts assured us that they were monitoring things and explained their process for warning everyone and getting us all to safety. Fortunately, this was not needed, but it felt good to know that they had it planned out, just in case.

This was our first time staying at Silver Mines Recreation Area. There are three campgrounds which are part of the RA and lie within the Mark Twain National Forest. We stayed in the Riverside campground which included 30 amp electric. The other two campgrounds are primitive though there is room for small rv's. The campground is not large but has wonderful sites which are large, water is available and there is a privy. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Our site #9 was one of the largest campsites we have been on with plenty of room for a small trailer and multiple tents. There are pads available for larger trailers. Plenty of shade The Recreation Area has the St. Francois river running through it, which is beautiful as well as several hiking trails. We love this area of Missouri which is along the Madison and Iron County border with plenty of things to do within an hour drive.