Campgrounds and RV parks near Orrick, MO

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site is the marquee attraction in the area. The park centers on a 100-acre lake with a paved bicycle path around it and is adjacent to Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark. The mill is the only 19th-century woolen mill to have its original machinery intact, and the adjacent historic site adds guided tours and live farm animals including chickens and sheep that appeal to kids. Fishing, swimming beach access, and hardwood-forest hiking round out the state park visit. Closer to Kansas City, families based at Kansas City East / Oak Grove KOA Holiday or Trailside RV Park and Propane are within easy reach of the zoo, Union Station, Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, and the Legends shopping and entertainment district in Kansas City, Kansas.

The on-season at Missouri State Parks, including Watkins Woolen Mill, runs mid-April through October, when showers, laundry, and the dump station are fully operational. A two-night minimum stay applies to weekend reservations at Watkins Mill and must be Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday, and holiday weekends fill early. Late spring and early summer bring the wettest weather to the Kansas City region, with thunderstorms and occasional severe weather common from April through June. Summer is hot and humid, and shaded sites at wooded parks like Watkins are worth booking well ahead. Fall delivers the most stable camping weather, with cooler nights, lower humidity, and hardwood color usually peaking in mid to late October. Winter camping is limited but possible. Some campsites are available year-round, but reservations are only accepted during the on-season, so off-season stays are first-come, first-served, and during the off-season from November through mid-April water is available only from a hydrant at the dump station.

Private RV parks near Orrick generally offer level gravel or paved pads, 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer, along with Wi-Fi and laundry. Pull-throughs are common at the I-70 properties, which is helpful for larger rigs and travel trailers arriving after dark. At Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site, expect a wooded campground with 96 campsites, 74 with electric hookups but no individual water or sewer connections, and a central dump station for tanks. Parking pads vary in length from 38 feet to 80 feet, with the electric sites having the longer pads. Cell service reaches most areas of the campground, each site is equipped with a fire ring and a picnic table, and a woodlot is open in the evening during the on-season for campers to purchase wood.