MDC Campers Near Rocheport Will Need a $5 Permit

Camping on Missouri Department of Conservation land will cost $5 starting in March 2027, including at three Howard County areas near Rocheport and Boonville: Franklin Island, Diana Bend and Davisdale conservation areas.

The Conservation Commission gave final approval to the permit rule at its Oct. 23 meeting in Cape Girardeau, according to MDC’s announcement. Until now, campers on MDC areas have not needed a permit, paid a fee or registered.

What the permit covers

The “$5-for-5-for-10” permit covers up to five days of camping for up to 10 people, even if fewer days or people are used. Camping stays first-come, first-served. Groups larger than 10 need a Special Use Permit as well. Each person is limited to three consecutive permits and six a year.

Every tent or camper must carry a durable label, visible from outside, with the permit holder’s full name and address or conservation number. Permits go on sale in March online, by phone or through a permit vendor, and can be shown in the MO Hunting and MO Fishing apps.

MDC says the goal is to give conservation agents a way to identify campers and deal with vandalism, illegal stays and other problems on the roughly 1,000 areas it manages. About 320 of them offer free camping today.

Near Rocheport

MDC’s own area pages list camping at all three Howard County areas. Franklin Island lies two miles north of Boonville on Highway 40, and Diana Bend is about five miles east of Boonville. Davisdale is seven miles east of Boonville on Highway 40. Diana Bend is the one that sits against the Katy Trail, and we wrote about its fall shorebirds last month.

The commission also approved a change letting campers gather dead and downed wood for personal fires, as long as it stays on the area. Nothing changes before March.