Army Corps of Engineers · Wappapello Lake · Wappapello, MO

Peoples Creek

People's Creek Recreation Area, located in the southeastern Ozark foothills of Missouri, is a great launchpad for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking or simply exploring the Wappapello Lake area. Completed in 1941, Wappapello Lake provides an estimated $3.9 million in annual flood protection to agricultural lands and developed areas along the St. Francis River. A peaceful cove offers endless recreation opportunities with 57 campsites, a picnic shelter, beach, accessible fishing pier, and Lake View Trail.

More like this: electric hookups in Missouri · full hookups in Missouri · reservable in Missouri · big rigs in Missouri · pets allowed in Missouri · group sites in Missouri

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Walk-in Tent sitesPEOPLES CREEKPeoples Creek Beach Holiday WeekendPeoples Creek Campground
Photos courtesy of USACE-Facebook, USACE · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard with electric50
tent only electric3
group shelter electric1
Host/management3
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 62 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

54 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeEntrySurfaceShadePowerWater / sewerWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessibleRating
01PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2Preferred
02PCRLElectricBack-inPavedPartial50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
03PCRLElectricBack-inPavedPartial50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesYesPreferred
04PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
05PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
06PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
07PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
08PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
09PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred
10PCRLElectricBack-inPavedFull50 ampYes / –8 / 2YesPreferred

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 5:00 PM, checkout 4:00 PM.

Campground map of Peoples Creek
Campground map published by Army Corps of Engineers on Recreation.gov, credited to USACE. Open the image for full size.

Amenities & rules

HookupsElectric, water, sewer
Max vehicle length59 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Tent padsYes
FeesSite Type. Full Service (50 Amp, Water, Sewer) $28.00. Limited Service (50 Amp, Water) $24.00. Walk-in Tent Sites (50 Amp, Water) $16.00
AccessibilitySites 03, 25, 30, 41 and 1 more are listed accessible

The day-use portion of People's Creek includes a two-lane boat ramp with courtesy dock, an accessible fishing pier, swimming beach and large picnic shelter. The campground portion has an upper and lower campground. The lower area offers 38 sites with 50-amp electric and water hookups. Peoples Creek Lower section is the only campground at Wappapepello Lake with waterfront campsites. A large sandy mooring area is available for campers. The upper area has 19 full-service campsites with 50-amp electric, water and sewer hookups.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Peoples Creek30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 3.84 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.53 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.98 inches of precipitationApril: 5.38 inches of precipitationMay: 5.57 inches of precipitationJune: 3.96 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.36 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.55 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.58 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.78 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.71 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.17 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 33.3°F averageFebruary: 37.4°F averageMarch: 46.4°F averageApril: 56.8°F averageMay: 66.2°F averageJune: 74.9°F averageJuly: 78.4°F averageAugust: 77.2°F averageSeptember: 70.1°F averageOctober: 58.2°F averageNovember: 46.1°F averageDecember: 36.6°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Wappapello Dam, 2 miles from the campground at 410 feet, station USC00238700 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 51 inches a year.

Getting there

From St. Louis: take I-55 South to Highway 67. Head south to D Highway. Take D Highway South for about 15 miles and look for signs. From Poplar Bluff: Take Hwy 60 East to Highway T. Then take Highway T North and look for signs.

Nearest townWappapello, Missouri
Coordinates36.9464° N, 90.2753° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗3.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Check Out These Sites! In Depth Tour. Peoples Creek Campground.

Worth a stop

Explore the nearby Pine Ridge Nature trail, Shell Lake Archery Trail and Wappapllo Wildflower Trail and Greenhouse areas or St. Francis River. The Mingo Wildlife Refuge is approximately 11.5 miles from Peoples Creek Recreation Area. The Lake Wappapello State Park is approximately 18.2 miles away, and the Sam A. Baker State park is 33.4 miles away from Peoples Creek Recreation Area.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Mingo Wilderness begins about 2.9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Wappapello Lake stretches 8,400 acres on 45,000 acres of public land. Lightly wooded shorelines add shade to the scenic landscape.

Recreation

People's Creek is ideally suited for swimming and boating activities. The lake is home to some of Missouri's most sought after game fish, including largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass and channel catfish. Hunting, fishing and kayaking are popular activities year-round. Hiking and biking on one of the Lake's 9 trail systems provides opportunities for all ages and abilities. The new accessible Shell Lake Archery Trail is a unique destination for achery enthusiasts.

Guidebooks for Missouri

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping - Missouri and the Ozarks
    Steve Henry, 2014
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Rail-trails Iowa & Missouri
    Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • The Ozarks: 43 spectacular hikes in Arkansas and Missouri
    Jim Warnock, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Peoples Creek?

Sites at Peoples Creek are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Peoples Creek?

Site Type. Full Service (50 Amp, Water, Sewer) $28.00. Limited Service (50 Amp, Water) $24.00.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Peoples Creek?

Check-in 5:00 PM, checkout 4:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Peoples Creek have?

57 sites, including 50 standard sites with power, 3 tent only electric, and 1 group shelter electric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Peoples Creek?

The longest site here provides 59 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Does Peoples Creek have hookups?

Yes, electric, water, and sewer hookups at some sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Peoples Creek?

Yes, pets are allowed at Peoples Creek. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Peoples Creek?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Peoples Creek?

Sites 03, 25, 30, and 41 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 5 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Peoples Creek?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Peoples Creek?

People's Creek is ideally suited for swimming and boating activities. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Peoples Creek?

Wappapello, Missouri. Explore the nearby Pine Ridge Nature trail, Shell Lake Archery Trail and Wappapllo Wildflower Trail and Greenhouse areas or St.

Source: Getting there