The Overland Directory · Midwest
Overland businesses in Missouri
Builders, mechanics, 4x4 shops, outfitters, campgrounds and guides in Missouri, and a free way to get build quotes while the list grows.
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Why Missouri is a water state that happens to have hills
Missouri is low and wet and full of holes. The U.S. Geological Survey puts the highest point at 1,772 feet on Taum Sauk Mountain in Iron County and the lowest at about 230 feet on the St. Francis River in Dunklin County, a spread of roughly 1,540 feet across the whole state. Our own reading of the elevation surface at the summit gives 1,771. Underneath all of it sits carbonate rock: the Department of Natural Resources counts approximately 7,500 recorded caves, more than 16,000 known sinkholes and more than 4,400 springs, and calls Missouri the Cave State.
- Acres in the Mark Twain National Forest 6
- 1.5M
- The Congressional Research Service puts Forest Service land in Missouri at 1,510,185 acres
- Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri 2
- 1,772 ft
- Iron County. The lowest point is about 230 feet, on the St. Francis River in Dunklin County
- Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
- 66
- 46 Army Corps of Engineers, 11 Forest Service and 9 National Park Service. 64 take reservations
- Miles of lettered state route 32
- 18,993
- Missouri’s supplemental letter routes, part of 33,805 miles of state highway
- Recorded caves, which is why the ground drains the way it does 37
- 7,500
- The state also counts more than 16,000 sinkholes and more than 4,400 springs
- Designated off-highway vehicle trail systems on the national forest 9
- 2
- Chadwick at nearly 80 miles and Sutton Bluff at about 45, both closed to vehicles wider than 50 inches
- Annual precipitation, northwest to southeast 36
- 35 to 55 in
- In much of the state more than 40 percent of it falls on the ten wettest days of the year
Sources for this page
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- Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition, Highest and Lowest Elevations table. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2020 Census Apportionment Results, Table 2. Resident Population for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. 2005 Land and Resource Management Plan, Record of Decision. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Mark Twain National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Chadwick Motorized Trails System. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Sutton Bluff Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Glade Top National Forest Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Blue Buck Knob National Forest Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Sugar Camp National Forest Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Camping and Cabins, with 2026 campground opening dates. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Wilderness. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Visitor Maps and Guides. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Forest Order 09-05-20-01: Conditions of Use Forest-wide. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Forest Order 09-05-00-26-04: All caves are closed to visitors due to white-nose syndrome. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service, Mark Twain National Forest. Ozark Trail. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Ozark National Scenic Riverways. ATVs and Off-Road Vehicles. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Superintendent’s Compendium. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Camping Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- National Park Service, Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Springs and Seeps. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations. 3 CSR 10-11.130 Vehicles, Bicycles, Horses, and Horseback Riding (Department of Conservation). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations. 3 CSR 10-11.140 Camping (Department of Conservation). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Conservation. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 304.013, All-terrain vehicles, prohibited on highways, rivers or streams of this state, exceptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 304.032, Utility vehicles, operation on highway and in streams or rivers prohibited, exceptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes. RSMo 301.707, Registration required, exceptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Revenue. Titling and Registration Requirements for All-terrain Vehicles. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Transportation. Fast Facts. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Transportation. Winter in Missouri. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Transportation. Current Flood Information. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- NOAA National Weather Service. Turn Around Don’t Drown. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Missouri State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-MO). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Geological Survey. Caves. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Geological Survey. Karst in Missouri. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. Missouri State Parks. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. Laws and Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. General Information and Camping, Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. General Information, St. Joe State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. General Information, Finger Lakes State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- Missouri State Parks, Department of Natural Resources. General Information, Katy Trail State Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Missouri. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Stockton Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Wappapello Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Table Rock Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Mark Twain Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.
What you need in Missouri
- Overland builders Shops that take a stock truck, SUV or van and turn it into a vehicle you can live out of for a week or a year. Free quotes
- Sprinter van builders Upfitters and conversion shops that turn an empty Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a van you can live and travel in. Free quotes
- Fabricators Metal shops that design, cut and weld the parts you cannot buy off a shelf: bumpers, sliders, racks, skid plates, mounts and repairs. Free quotes
- Suspension Shops that set up springs, shocks and geometry for the weight you actually carry and the roads you actually drive. Free quotes
- Tires Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires. Free quotes
- Overland mechanics Independent mechanics who know what dirt, weight and distance do to a vehicle, and who will look it over like someone about to drive it a long way from help. Free quotes
- Diesel specialists Shops that live in diesel, from Sprinter vans to heavy-duty pickups, with the diagnostic tools and the patience these engines require. Free quotes
- 4x4 shops The all-round off-road shop: lockers, gears, armor, winches, lights and the knowledge of how they work together on your platform. Free quotes
- RV and van service Service for the house as well as the vehicle: electrical systems, heaters, plumbing, appliances, roofs and seals. Free quotes
- Overland outfitters Stores where you can see the gear before you buy it, and talk to someone who has used it. Free quotes
- Recovery equipment Winches, traction boards, ropes, shackles and the mounting points that make them safe to use. Free quotes
- Roof tents Dealers and installers for rooftop tents and awnings, and the racks that have to carry them. Free quotes
- Camping equipment Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate. Free quotes
- Expedition vehicle dealers Dealers and brokers for finished vehicles: expedition trucks, truck campers, adventure vans and the used rigs that come up when someone's trip ends. Free quotes
- Campgrounds Established campgrounds that welcome vehicle-based travelers, from public campgrounds on the way to somewhere to private camps worth a stay of their own.
- Adventure lodging Lodges, cabins, motels and ranches near the dirt, for the night you want a shower, a bed and someone else's cooking.
- Guides Guided trips and local guides for the places where knowing the ground matters: remote deserts, high passes, long river corridors and borders.
- Training Driver training, recovery courses, field repair and wilderness first aid, taught by people who do it for a living.
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