Cooper's Landing

Stayed here May 9, 2024. Let's get one thing clear: There are no flush toilets or showers. There are about 8 port-a-potties and potable water is available, along with power outlets to charge devices or e-bike batteries. You can buy bottles or cans of beer and wine, and a few snacks and some sandwiches, but it is not a place to expect to restock your pantry or have a full dinner. That said, this place is pretty darned cool. We camped, and made reservations, since it was filling up fast for Mother's Day Weekend. We got lucky, as there was a band scheduled to play that Thursday night, along with a food truck. So we rolled in around 3 p.m. and set up and enjoyed the view of the river. The young woman who checked us in mentioned the concert and food truck, and warned us to eat early since the food truck always sold old. The band was Todd Day Wait, the food truck Stuffed Potatoes. So for $30 we got a riverfront campsite and three-hour concert, along with the opportunity to buy dinner and beverages. I say it was a great deal, as Todd Day Wait and his band, which plays western swing, was top shelf. He sounds like a young Willie Nelson, and I can see why more than 100 people showed up. I did pick up a tick, so beware of that. But overall, one of best nights on the trail.

Cooper's Landing has THE most scenic views of the river. It sits on a long riverbend. Sunsets are incredable. I met people from Columbia, MO and other locals that go there for a 'date night' and/or just to see the sunset.

Best place to camp at. Mariah is awesome mgr.

Cooper's landing is a cool place and the views are amazing but it ain't cheap. A tent site was $30 last year with no showers or real toilets. Get something to eat and drink on top of that and you're looking at 50 bucks.

No showers, laundry, or flush toilets. $30 to camp. Microwave sandwiches, beer, and assorted regular beverages available.

Yeah, I've never understood the attraction to this place.

Oh, I don’t know, could be because it’s a nice place to pull over and take a break, sit down and watch the river flow by, hydrate with your favorite beverage, fill up with body fuel, meet others with like minds, and listen to the occasional live music. It’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey.

True dear brother but I miss the days of hydrating with $1 Stags and eating some of the best (and cheapest) Thai food in mid-Missouri…….

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing:

And there were old men, with beer-guts and dominoes
Lying about their lives while they play

Like desperados waiting for a train
Like desperados waiting for a train

LOL……yeah, maybe. But if you enjoy the new environment more than you did when Cooper owed the place we have wildly different tastes. Still, there are enough places around for old farts like me to spend their money. ??

Oh, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past

Oh, no, no, we won't give in
Let's go living in the past

I’m curious…….are there just one of you Anonymouses on this forum or is it like a gang or something?

Good question.

How many people post here as Jim from St. Thomas?

Just one I think. Ray would sure know if somebody from a different IP address tried to imitate him. Besides, his style stands out some. I'm guessing you have never had the pleasure of meeting him. Pity.

I have known Jim from St. Thomas all my life and can verify that fortunately there is only one.

$30 to camp with no showers or flush toilets? No thanks. I’ve camped for as little as $5 and had both.

While I have not known Gary from near Tebbetts all of my life, I have known him for all of his life……..

I haven't been there since 2017. But back in the day it was a great place. As others mentioned, the Thai food from the food truck was exceptional, the fibe of the place was laid back, hippyish, whateverwillbewillbe, the music was special, and there were showers. Wasn't that where Boathenge was? You had all that and could watch the Mighty Missouri River.

Had a somewhat short ride to CL on Mon Oct. 10th. This IS a pretty cool place to stop off for a night. We had campsite North #7, right on the river. Well, UP the drop off from the river. It was pretty darn cool site. We had a nearby electric pole. I had toted along a 25' cord and a power strip for charging our istuff. There was also a long water hose. Warning here - if you use the hose, let the water run for a bit to clear the hose. My first cup of coffee was terrible!

If you're watching for the "Boathenge", it'll be on your left and BOOM the trail opens up to Cooper's on your left.

The dudes in the little snack bar area were pretty cool and the beer was cold! It was a monday and there were no food trucks or no live music.

On to another much anticipated joint - the Turner Katy Shelter Hostel!

Camped at Coopers Landing recently on a Katy ride and had a good experience. First the bad - Tent sites are $30+ no shower or flush toilet. Website is difficult to navigate and figure out what site you want to reserve. Paid $8 for a can of beer. Now te good. Very good live music and food vendor the Thursday I was there. Campsite had a river view. Staff was great. Overall I would recommend if you know that it is pricy.

Stayed here one day, Sunday, during Memorial Day weekend. Was really nice, nice view of the river from our tent site. We had fantastic neighbors, music was good and the food trucks had some really good food.

The only thing I would say to improve was on their webpage, it said they had wifi and electrical hookups at every site. They did not. But that was minor compared to the wonderful time we had there and our last night on the Katy trail.

Stopped in for breakfast as I came from the East where nothing was open Sunday morning! was glad to get a granola bar, some peanuts, and Dunkin Coffee! Its the little things that lift your spirit when you've been traveling. Gorgeous view of the river!

Okay, should say "rode" through.

Road through on our way from New Franklin to Tebbetts on 7/14/21. Place wasn't open yet but a gentleman working on his computer sold us a couple of cold Cokes and gave us some info about the upcoming trail. He also said the business was working on getting the permits they needed to install a shower building and restrooms for the campground, and talked about other upgrades that were in the works.

Would have been nice to have gotten there a little later and had some food, but it was a good stop.

Road through on our way from New Franklin to Tebbetts on 7/14/21. Place wasn't open yet but a gentleman working on his computer sold us a couple of cold Cokes and gave us some info about the upcoming trail. He also said the business was working on getting the permits they needed to install a shower building and restrooms for the campground, and talked about other upgrades that were in the works.

Would have been nice to have gotten there a little later and had some food, but it was a good stop.

I see a lot of negative comments about Coppers Landing. I have been stopping there for the last 7 years .Under the new ownership there have been new changes but everything I saw have been for the good yes it used to be $6 instead of $30 to camp. A shower house would be good. Hopefully that in the future. I have been on the whole trail and there are a lot of nice places but none that have the river view with some of the best music around. It’s a 70 mile ride there but it’s worth it every time

I was talking to them one day and they mentioned the things they would like to do to the place. A shower house and real bathrooms were mentioned. Woo hoo!

I have not camped there yet but I stop regularly and purchase something to enjoy while watching the river. My observation the last few months is to make sure you know the price of what you are buying. The first time it happened I thought there were price increases but the next couple times with a different person behind the window, it was the price I had been paying every weekend for the same thing (pre-tip). When I mentioned it this last time I was charged double for two items the kid said not to worry about it and took what I had ready. Soooo...just be aware. Which we should anyways, right? :-)

I stopped by there for a snack last month. Other than being out of Snickers, it was great. Whoever waited on me (originally from PA) was very polite and helpful. He made sure I had an outlet to charge some electronics, and even apologized for not realizing he was out of Snickers lol.

Costanza from WV, that is a bummer they were out of Snickers! They refrigerate them so they are extra good! I am excited to meet your PA person that is working there. It really is a neat place and they have great plans!
But this darn weather...the rain keeps slowing things down...but not the music! :-)

Stopped at Coopers Landing after a long day of riding the Katy Trail. It was a Friday night and we did have reservations but the tent camping area is not nice at all and the manager Mike is rude and does not take criticism or complaints well and is quick to give you a refund and tells you to move on but there are not many camping choices on this section of the trail. Next time thru I will definitely change my days routes so I do not have to stop here.

So...what was there to criticize and complain about?

Anonymous. Requiring 4 people and two small tents to each buy a tent site and not be able to share only one site and the resulting high cost is one complaint. Every other place we camped along the KT was five bucks or less per person. The sites are not marked or discernible and they describe your site with imaginary lines, uh “your site is from that tree to that dumpster to this imaginary dirt/sand road and yeah sorry your site has all those tire marks and ruts in it”. Then to be told if we weren’t happy we could get a refund and move on or go sleep on the sandbar in the river. All the RV and tent sites are so crammed together and nothing marked. This is by far the crappiest so called campground that I have ever seen in my 60 years of life. I would suggest you visit a MO State Park to learn how to lay out basic/primitive campsites. Very little grass, nothing but dirt and sand but I guess that is expected along the river. Management should also take a class in customer service. Reading old posts this place seemed really nice so not sure what happened. NEVER stopping here again. Of the entire KT experience, which was fabulous, this was the only bad experience. And it wasn’t just our group, we watched you treat other cyclists with the same attitude when they questioned the tenting location they were expected to utilize.

I'm not Coopers Landing. No need for me to visit a MO State Park again. Why do I need to learn how to lay out campsites??

No, you did not watch me treat any cyclist with an attitude about their tent location. Haven't been through Coopers Landing for several years.

I did ask what there was to criticize and complain about. When I enter a place of business I understand it is my choice to be there and is usually in my best interest to go with their flow instead of being critical or complaining. I know I can leave if its unbearable. One night in conditions that I don't think meet best business practices, isn't a deal breaker in my life.

OMG - they were going to charge you for two tent sites so you could put up TWO TENTS?

And when you weren't happy they offered to refund your money and then gave you suggestions about other camping options?

OH THE HUMANITY.

:)

I hope everyone survived.

I've camped at Cooper's and it is very basic and not terribly well laid out or organized. But I found it part of the charm and just another interesting experience. I agree that paying two fees for two tents is to be expected. I was with another rider and we both picked spots and paid separate fees to camp.

On a recent ride on the C & O Tow Path I stayed in hiker/biker NPS campsites for free, but no water and only a port-a-potty that was literally overflowing and had no TP. Later on the same trip I had to pay $35 to set up my ultralight backpacking tent at a SP in Ohio. The site was no bigger or nicer than Cooper's but had electric and a nice shower house. Also paid $54 to camp 1 night at a KOA. After a long day's ride when it's your only option you take what you can get, appreciate the experience and move on. Gotta admit though, after paying $54 to camp cheap motels became a reasonable option for the rest of the trip.

Roger Miller sang a song about Buffalo Herds years ago and when I go someplace with great reviews and all around me enjoying themselves while I'm not, I begin to wonder about me; not the place.

You can camp in Hartsburg for free. Either at Volunteer Park or the Lions ballpark.

Ok.....I’m going to defend CyclingDan here a little bit. If some of you are thinking about Coopers as it was a year ago this is not the same place under the new owners. I pulled in along Smith Hatchery Rd a couple of weeks ago with the sag trailer for our annual 4-day whole trail ride just as I’ve done for last 13 years or so. Don’t know what the manager’s name was but he comes running out saying I can’t park there because they have live music that night and I’m taking up too many spaces. Now - you need to understand that the right of way along Smith Hatchery is not dedicated parking for Coopers Landing parking. It’s county road right of way. Since we had been having an enjoyable day of riding I resisted the urge to tell him to go screw himself and backed the trailer as far out of the way as I could. We also like to buy a few beers while we’re at Cooper’s even though the sag trailer always has a well stocked cooler. In previous years buying beers there meant going inside, grabbing them out of the cooler and finding someone to pay for them. With that in mind we walked through the open door to the cooler and grabbed a couple of Modelos. This time the same young man comes running in to tell us we can’t be in there and we have to order from the window outside. Ok, fine but since we already had the beers in hand we thought we would would walk outside around to the window and pay for them. Nope.....that would be too simple. He had us put the beer back in the cooler, walk outside to the window and order them from him. By the way he grabbed two different bottles from the ones I had my sweaty hands on. As this was transpiring I to my wife that these weren’t going to be the old Cooper’s prices and I was correct. $5 a piece for Modelos but while we waiting I watched a guy pay $8 for a can of beer. Of course it subtle notes of something with some type of amazing finish. If we would have coughed up another $2 he could have had an even better can of beer. Now having said all of this I fully acknowledge the new owners can run the business as they choose and the manager can treat people as wants but I hate to see the end of what was such an unique experience on the trail.

Another bastion of freedom bites the dust.

I had no idea it had changed so drastically. My experience was a few years ago. Sounds like a loss of a real treasure and something I'll ride past in the future.

Wow! No more self-serve beer...that is a game changer!

Soon our freedoms will be nothing but a distant memory.

Yep......no more self serve beer. That was my whole point. The fact that you could pick that out of everything I said is very impressive.

I think a lot of times the actual complaint gets lost in the weeds, and needs to be summed up.

1- "I had to buy two tent sites for two tents, and was offered a full refund when I was unhappy. The site layout was somewhat unclear as well."

2- "Beer was too expensive, rona protocols were unclear and arbitrary, and owner was rude."

This is good info for people who will pass through. It will be helpful for those who consider stopping in the future. A few years back I had heard it was a cool place, but we passed through too early in the morning to judge for ourselves.

We have done the trail for the past 4 years and have stopped at Coopers each time. It has been a nice place to stop for the views and a beverage and snack. I wonder if some cleanup and general site improvements would more than pay for itself with increased sales and campsite reservations? Also better customer service by staff would be nice. We enjoyed some good food last fall that was prepared by a group from Columbia. I want to thank them for the nice lunch served with a smile.

I did stop at Coopers Landing in the first week of May. I paid $20 for a one-man tent. A $20 per night isn't really bad but in one other campsites I paid $10, and another $7. But this site has the least to offer for your money - no shower, just port-o-lets. I got drinking water from other mobile camper because I didn't know if the water on the premise is drinkable.

This brings up a question. I was cycling from Sedalia to St.Charles. When I got to Marthasville, I met another biker who was heading west. He told me that we could camp in the area between the station and the Community Park for free. Maybe that's because we were technically off the state park property? We could stay in the community park for $5 a night but why pay? The station has clean toilet and sink where you can wash and get drinking water. The only thing missing is the shower. So the question is: instead of finding a campground, why not camp one of those stations for free? Honestly I was impressed how clean those toilets were for non-attended public restrooms. Kudos to the state park. Marthasville is the best place to camp because there are restaurants and convenient store all within one mile. And it's free and safe. I understand the local police patrol the area in the night.

I'm going to stick up for Cycling Dan too.

We have been planning our Memorial Day trip for months. Much of our trip was planned around wanting to camp ON THE RIVER at Cooper's Landing. We based mileage around that. Once I had the itinerary nailed down I made a reservation for a campsite on the river for Friday, May 28. Then I made our train reservations - well, couldn't get our bikes back on the train on Sunday so we had to push our itinerary back a day.

I called immediately after getting the reservation confirmation to see if I could change my camp reservation to Saturday night. The guy I talked to was in a big hurry, said it was no problem to change the reservation and he would send me a new confirmation. When I didn't get a new confirmation the next day I sent an e-mail to confirm. I received a response saying the reservation had been changed, but still never received a new confirmation.

Fast forward to today - after reading all of the comments about the new ownership, I got worried so I called and talked to Michael - guess what - NO RESERVATION CHANGE. I was willing to pay $40 to camp right on the river on a holiday weekend. I'm not willing to pay $30 to camp in a field next to a bunch of RVs w/no other amenities. So even though I have an e-mail saying that my reservation was changed, it's the other people who get to keep the waterfront site. Oh, of course Michael is willing to refund my money - how nice, since he knows there is no other option!


***UPDATE*** I want to say that Michael just called me back and they are taking responsibility for the mix-up. He is going to make it right by us, and even though it's not exactly what he had planned, I think it will be quite the experience. I will update when we return. This goes to show, a little bit of customer service and gratitude for the customer's business goes a long way. In today's economy, I doubt there are many small businesses who can afford to turn business away.

I wouldn’t worry about being very far from the river at Cooper’s. The whole place between the river and the trail is maybe 150 ft or so. Take a look at Google maps and you’ll get a good idea of the layout. Let us know how it works out for you.

Is Cooper Landing in Easley open for campers?

Hello, yes, Cooper's Landing is open. We stopped by last weekend. Check Cooper's Landing FB page to see what they have going on. They have food trucks each weekend, live music, primitive camping, hook-up camping, and lots of ice cold beer! Unfortunately, the shower was flooded last year so they no longer offer showers. We didn't stay long when we stopped by. Some folks were wearing masks, some not. Cooper's Landing is one of my favorite stops when riding across MO.

A warm, welcome shelter on a winter tour. I appreciate them being open year-round, where one can get food, a shower, and pitch a tent. We had warm shepherd's pie with good craft beer. Nothing fancy, but nice people who take good care of their guests. I will keep coming back here, as I appreciate their kindness.

stayed here in November of 2017 and did not know what to expect. we had a group of 6 adults, 6 kids, 4 tents. the only spot available for our group was the north side which is surrounded by RV's that obstructed any view of the river. it was almost like we were invading someones personal space as it seemed we were in "their" backyard. the only other camping spot is on the south end which appears to have a better view of the river and is a little more secluded but again all these campsites are very close to one another. the live music and view of the river from the deck was the best part about coopers landing. you can tell very quickly that this place is more of a long term RV site and not the most friendly to weekend campers. there is a bathroom and shower inside the store but personal toiletries of the long term guests were everywhere so again you feel like you are in someone else's house. the port o potty was very clean. the location to the trail can't be beat (5 steps) and the 9 mile bike ride to the station house in Huntsdale was a perfect stop for lunch and a beer before returning to camp. their is a very strict no noise policy at 10pm. not even quiet conversation outside of your tent by the fire was acceptable. we were yelled at from one of the long term residents. the only reason you would come here is because there is no other campgrounds close by.

We stopped by on a very hot day. They have a tiny store with some cold drinks and snacks and we loved the slices of watermelon. The Thai food wasn't quite open yet so we didn't wait. But it was a nice spot to rest and sit by the river in the shade of the trees or umbrellas.

Was expecting something nice after reading the comments, but what a dump! I didn't even realize the people who were sitting outside worked there. $10 per person for what? Trashy bathroom and disgusting inside. Wasn't told about any food or cooking. Maybe because we came in the off season. I was exhausted, but not enough to stay here. We headed to Hartsburg instead.

Right on the trail, a welcome oasis on Jan 23rd. Hot chili, craft beer, and friendly conversation. Cool hangout for locals and tourists alike. I hope to return for Thai food.

This place is great, an oasis on a dusty part of the Trail. Ice cream bars, cold beverages, live Music, lots of locals, and cyclists. Laundry, super hot showers, $20 for 2 of us to tent camp. As one local man told me, "It's a pretty cool place, for the middle of nowhere." Thai food available eves, also lunch, and breakfast, "camp eggs", coffee. Locals hanging out on the patio to chat, and arriving via boat, too. Very cozy, unassuming. lots of dry driftwood on the river bank to make a fire. super clean johns. Recommended, My GF, and I stayed here Sept. 2017 If you have a support vehicle, they will sell you enough gas to make it the 16 miles to a gas station (It's a Marina, too).

I biked in from Sedalia last fri night (09/15) and tent camped at Coopers. Could not agree more. Great live music by the Kay Brothers, fried chicken dinner, relatively quite campsite (on the west side), great pancake and eggs breakfast and awesome conversation with anyone you meet! Will be back many times.