Cedargrove Campground

[SamC489]

My gf and I were thinking about going camping this saturday night and I wanted to try out fishing the upper current. i have fished at Montauk and don't really like to fish the trout parks, so that is pretty much out of the question. I have been to both baptist camp and Tan Vat in he past, but these are day use areas. I would really like to park at one of these access point and hike a few miles downstream with our camping gear and set up camp in a more remote area, but I am unsure if you are supposed to do this or not.

So what I think we are going to do is camp at cedargrove campground 9 miles downriver of Montauk. I noticed that the low water bridge is the cut-off for the blue ribbon trout area, so I was thinking we could fly fish (rooster tails for the lady) upstream from the bridge during the day to avoid people canoeing out from cedargrove, and fish with worms, crawfish, etc. downstream toward Big Creek (?) in the white ribbon area closer to dusk when there are fewer canoes in the water.

If anyone has any tips or pertinent info about the campground, it would be very much appreciated. We usually hike in to our camping spots, so "roughing it" is no problem. Also, if anyone knows of a place to hike-in and trout fish around this area, that info would also be great. Thanks in advance.

Sam

[ColdWaterFshr]

My gf and I were thinking about going camping this saturday night and I wanted to try out fishing the upper current. i have fished at Montauk and don't really like to fish the trout parks, so that is pretty much out of the question. I have been to both baptist camp and Tan Vat in he past, but these are day use areas. I would really like to park at one of these access point and hike a few miles downstream with our camping gear and set up camp in a more remote area, but I am unsure if you are supposed to do this or not.

So what I think we are going to do is camp at cedargrove campground 9 miles downriver of Montauk. I noticed that the low water bridge is the cut-off for the blue ribbon trout area, so I was thinking we could fly fish (rooster tails for the lady) upstream from the bridge during the day to avoid people canoeing out from cedargrove, and fish with worms, crawfish, etc. downstream toward Big Creek (?) in the white ribbon area closer to dusk when there are fewer canoes in the water.

If anyone has any tips or pertinent info about the campground, it would be very much appreciated. We usually hike in to our camping spots, so "roughing it" is no problem. Also, if anyone knows of a place to hike-in and trout fish around this area, that info would also be great. Thanks in advance.

Sam

You can camp anywhere along the river, its all National Scenic Riverway. The day-use areas at Baptist and Tan Vat, there probably is a requirement that you be x # of feet outside those boundaries for camping, but its probably not more than couple hundred feet or so.

Cedargrove wouldn't be a very good place to camp. Attracts too many partiers and idiots on ATVs. I would park at Baptist and hop on the trail going downstream. The only problem is the trail crosses the river in a couple places, so just wet-wade it being careful not to trip w/ your back-packs on. Its pretty shallow wading at those crossings so it shouldn't be a problem. Theres a nice gravel bar at Ashley Creek about a mile and half down from Baptist, but on a weekend, chances are good that someone beats you to it, AND to get there you're going to walk through more than one spiderweb, and at times you'll feel like you're bushwacking through the jungle and if you're not familiar with where the trail is, you could easily lose it. Not the best way to impress a date! Really, its just not the best time of year for hiking in Missouri in my opinion. Save that for mid-late October and into winter. Also - this is the blue-ribbon section, so no bait or plastics. Enjoy!

[Gene K]

If anyone has any tips or pertinent info about the campground, it would be very much appreciated. We usually hike in to our camping spots, so "roughing it" is no problem. Also, if anyone knows of a place to hike-in and trout fish around this area, that info would also be great. Thanks in advance.

Plenty of spots at the Cedar Grove area to camp, and no hiking necessary to get to them. If you are looking for a hike-in camp area, you can get to just about any sand/gravel bar on the upper Current via trails or an old county road that run along side the river. Some could be a short hike, while others could be a few miles.

[Gene K]

day-use areas at Baptist and Tan Vat, there probably is a requirement that you be x # of feet outside those boundaries for camping, but its probably not more than couple hundred feet or so.

Baptist is marked "no camping," but I have routinely seen people camp in the upper lot. Legal? I don't really know.

[SamC489]

Thanks guys, what do you think about camping at cedargrove and hiking upstream to camp? i kind of wanted to be able to access the white ribbon area in case the gf gets shut out on artificials we could go downstream and bait fish, or is it just party central there this time of year?

[Gene K]

Sure, if that's where you want to fish in the morning. If you walk accross the low water bridge and up the road (ZZ) about 3/10 of a mile, there will be an old road on your left. You can walk that all the way to Parker Ford (~2.5 miles) or just head down the hill at almost any point in between to access the river. There are a few decent spot to camp in between.

[edit]: I might have misread what you posted? If you don't need facilities, which I assume you don't because you ask about camping upstream from Cedar, then I would simply camp at Parker (drive there on YY>6520). Some nice places to put a tent up. [/edit]

As to the question about it being party central, it can be, but it's better than some years ago. Sundays are better than Saturdays in terms of fewer party folks.

If you have time Sunday, go to Jadwin Canoe and rent a canoe from Baptist to Cedar. The stretch from Baptist to Parker is far better than from Parker to Cedar IMO. Last Sunday I only saw two other canoes on that stretch, and they were fishing. The weekend before I floated the same stretch on Saturday, and spent most of my time picking up beer cans from a group I ran into later, and they were no fun to be around!

[jdmidwest]

Just before you reach the first lot at Baptist is a road to the left that goes down river about a quarter to a nice place to camp. Across the river is a great gravel bar that used to be the old channel that works also. Parker would be good to, several places there too. Welch Spring would be a good spot below Cedar Grove. I have camped at Tan Vat in the off season also.

[hank franklin]

A couple years ago I hiked in at Cedargrove and went downstream, past Medlock Cave. Camped a couple bends above Welch Spring and walked back the next morning. This was in winter however so you might have to bushwack a few sections. However, you can find horse paths, ATV trails or other paths all throughout the upper stretch. Shouldn't be a problem finding your way.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Just before you reach the first lot at Baptist is a road to the left that goes down river about a quarter to a nice place to camp. Across the river is a great gravel bar that used to be the old channel that works also. Parker would be good to, several places there too. Welch Spring would be a good spot below Cedar Grove. I have camped at Tan Vat in the off season also.

Please don't camp at Tan Vat offseason or not, or Baptist or Parker. I believe it is posted, and if you camp there, well, you're a hoosier. Sleeping in your car is one thing, but throwing down a tent and building a fire in the middle of what amounts to a parking lot/access, I'm sorry, thats lame.

[Gene K]

Please don't camp at Tan Vat offseason or not, or Baptist or Parker.

There is no camping restriction at Parker. It would be nice if people didn't throw down a tent in what amounts to the turn-around area or the ford area, but they do - and it's quite legal. Heck, better spots to toss a tent down just a few hundered yards down stream, and easy access there as well...