Ballard’s Campground Review: Quiet RV Camping Near Joplin, Missouri & Route 66
While traveling through southwest Missouri, we stayed at Ballard’s Campground in Fidelity, Missouri, just a short drive from Joplin and Carthage.
Sometimes you don’t need a fancy RV resort with a mile-long list of amenities. You just want a pretty, quiet campground, a comfortable campsite, clean facilities, and friendly people.
That’s pretty much what we found at Ballard’s.
At the time of our stay, we paid just $23 per night for water and electric, making this an especially affordable stop on our travels. Add in the convenient location near Joplin and Historic Route 66, and we were very happy with our choice.
A Small, Shady Missouri Campground
Ballard’s isn’t a huge campground.
We estimated there were somewhere around 30 campsites, perhaps a few more. That smaller size helped give it a relaxed atmosphere that we really enjoyed.
One of the first things we noticed was the number of mature trees throughout the campground.
After staying at plenty of RV parks where you’re sitting out in the middle of the sun, having trees and shade around the campsites is always appreciated.
There was also a small pond down the hill from the camping area, adding to the pretty setting.
Our Campsite at Ballard’s Campground
Our campsite had water and electric hookups, which was all we needed for our stay.
There were a few full-time residents in the campground when we visited, but most of the campers appeared to be travelers passing through the area.
Our site gave us plenty of room for our trailer and truck, and we had no complaints about our setup.
For the $23 nightly rate we paid at the time, we thought it was a great value.
As always, campground rates and amenities can change, so check current information with the campground when planning your own stay.
A Little Road Noise — But Quiet at Night
Ballard’s Campground is conveniently located near the road, which means you will hear some traffic during the day.
We noticed it, but it wasn’t enough to bother us.
More importantly, the traffic noise died down at night.
Once evening arrived, we found the campground very quiet and peaceful.
For us, that’s a pretty good tradeoff. We’d rather have convenient access to the highway during a travel stop and a little daytime road noise than drive miles out of our way to reach a campground.
Bathhouse and Showers
The campground had a bathhouse with restrooms and showers.
The facilities were a little dated during our visit, but they were perfectly usable.
When we’re traveling, I actually enjoy using campground showers when they’re available. RV showers aren’t exactly known for their abundance of elbow room, so having a little extra space in a campground bathhouse can be nice.
The facilities at Ballard’s did the job just fine for us.
Laundry Facilities
Ballard’s also had an on-site laundry area with two washers and two dryers.
We found the laundry room very clean.
That’s a big plus for full-time RV travelers. When your RV is your home, being able to catch up on laundry without leaving the campground makes life considerably easier.
It’s one of those amenities that may not sound terribly exciting until you’re traveling full-time and discover you’re almost out of clean clothes!
Dump Station
Since our campsite had water and electric rather than a full sewer hookup, we used the campground’s dump station.
The dump station was conveniently located beside the bathhouse area, making it easy to take care of everything before getting back on the road.
A Very Friendly Campground Owner
One of the things we remember most about Ballard’s wasn’t an amenity at all.
It was the owner, Wanda.
She was incredibly friendly and made us feel welcome during our stay.
A campground can have beautiful sites and every amenity imaginable, but the people running it can make an enormous difference in your experience.
Ballard’s had that friendly, small-campground feeling that we always appreciate.
Camping Near Joplin and Carthage, Missouri
Another big advantage of Ballard’s Campground was the location.
Although the campground is technically in Fidelity, Missouri, Joplin was less than 10 miles away, making it easy for us to run into town when we needed groceries or supplies.
We made use of the Walmart in Joplin during our stay.
Carthage, Missouri, was also nearby to the north.
That puts Ballard’s in a convenient location for travelers who want to explore southwest Missouri without camping directly in a busier city.
A Convenient Campground Near Route 66
One of the reasons the location worked particularly well for us was its proximity to Historic Route 66.
We were getting ready to travel Route 66 when we left the campground, so Ballard’s made a convenient stopping point before continuing our adventure.
If you’re planning your own Route 66 road trip through Missouri, the Joplin and Carthage area has plenty of history to explore.
And having a quiet campground nearby gives you a place to come back to after a day of sightseeing.
What We Liked About Ballard’s Campground
There was a lot to like about this little campground:
- Affordable camping during our stay
- Water and electric hookups
- Mature shade trees
- Quiet nights
- Clean laundry facilities
- Bathhouse and showers
- Convenient dump station
- Friendly owner
- Close to Joplin
- Close to Carthage
- Convenient to Historic Route 66
There wasn’t any one spectacular resort-style feature that made Ballard’s stand out.
Instead, it was the combination of affordability, convenience, friendliness and a pleasant campground setting that made it work so well for us.
Would We Stay at Ballard’s Campground Again?
Yes.
We thought Ballard’s was an awesome little campground.
It was pretty, quiet at night, reasonably priced, and run by nice people. We had the services we needed, could easily get into Joplin for supplies, and were conveniently positioned for our next adventure along Route 66.
For RV travelers passing through southwest Missouri, we’d definitely consider it a good option.
Sometimes those smaller, unassuming campgrounds end up being some of the places we enjoy the most.
They don’t have to be fancy.
Give us a comfortable campsite, some shade trees, clean facilities, friendly people and a good price, and we’re pretty happy campers.
And Ballard’s checked all of those boxes for us.
We’ll see you down the road…and Over The Hills!
Continue the Journey
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