Consider a different way to stay when you visit Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. From primitive pioneer cabins to full-hookup RV sites, The Wilderness campground has everything that you could need, especially when you'll be spending your days at one of the parks.
In Branson, Missouri, you'll find no shortage of immersive experiences. As far as I'm concerned, the Silver Dollar City campground is another way to indulge in the experience of 1800s-era pioneer life with a theme park twist.
Heads Up: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn More >>
What Is the SDC Campground?
Silver Dollar City is Branson, Missouri's iconic theme park. And the SDC campground is an extension of that theme park, offering patrons an inviting place to stay. The campground offers a variety of accommodations, including themed pioneer cabins, RV hookups, and tent sites.
Amenities
The campground at Silver Dollar City offers most of the amenities that you might expect from any campground, including a convenience store, a swimming pool, shower facilities, and an air-conditioned clubhouse.
You'll also find:
Free Silver Dollar City Shuttle (Runs on a Schedule)
SDC Ticket Counter
Free Wi-Fi (speed & signal strength was excellent during our stay)
Campfire Rings with Cooking Grates at Each Site
Site Options
The SDC campground offers a variety of campsites to meet different needs including primitive tent sites, electric-only sites, full hookups for 30/50 amp service, cabins, and more.
30 Amp (Electric Only) Sites: Skip #52-59, especially if you are looking for tent camping with electricity. These sites are right on a busy highway with virtually no tree cover. Even in an RV, you'll still hear traffic until at least midnight.
50 Amp Full Hookup Pull-Through Sites: Very Limited, there's only one option (#2) that is comfortably near the clubhouse/pool. There is a handful of these sites on the other end of the campground, but trust me when I say there's not a lot of room.
30 Amp Full Hookup Sites: Skip #048 and #050, which are crammed between a busy highway and the main entrance sitting right next to the dumpster. #38, 40, 42 and 44 are also a little less than ideal because of traffic at the main entrance. Sites 19-30 seem like the best bet (both close enough to the clubhouse and back off the highway with at least the illusion of a little more space.
50 Amp Full Hookup Sites: Odd-numbered sites #1-17 are on the highway. If road noise bothers you inside your RV, avoid this area.
Cabins: There are a variety of options, including lofted cabins, premium cabins, and traditional cabins. Most of these are located in a little cove in the back corner of the campground with a playground nearby. While they're a little hike to the clubhouse and pool, they're comfortably back off the road. For accessibility and space, I would prefer cabins 37 and 38, which are not part of the cabin cove. They are across from sites most likely to be empty.
Tent Sites: There are numerous dedicated tent sites both with and without electricity, but they're a haul from the main entrance and pool/clubhouse. Still, if you are in a tent, this is BETTER than trying to make do with an electric-only RV spot due to the proximity of those spots to the highway.
For a different perspective, here is a lovely post from Stacy Billingsley about her family's stay in one of the quaint SDC campground cabins.
What to Expect
First and foremost, the SDC campground is a tourist destination. As such, you won't find the spacious campsites designed to provide each family a bit of privacy from their neighbors. In fact, privacy isn't much of a priority here at all. Pretty much all the sites and cabins sit on minimally-sized lots.
Our (tent) spot was just 15 feet off of a major highway with no tree cover between where we slept and where cars zoomed by at 70+ mph. It was a bit terrifying and would have been an absolute NOPE if my kids were still itty bitty.
Still, despite my initial displeasure with the layout, we had a good experience at the Silver Dollar City campground.
Another bummer we encountered was the terrain. Between the natural rocky nature in the area, the pea gravel cover and the not-so-gentle slopes, it's pretty challenging to get comfortable in a tent at the Silver Dollar City campground.
We had no choice but to put our tent on a slope. The site didn't even have an inkling of a flat spot to place the tent so we rolled with it (literally 🤣). We also bent several tent stakes trying to drive them into the ground (eh, it's rocky).
Luckily, I'm not really one to sacrifice comfort so we showed up with an air mattress that added plenty of cushion. With a generous 20 inches between me and the ground, we never felt a single rock.
>> I personally recommend THIS air mattress. It's comfortable, durable (no leaks in 3+ years, and offers plenty of cushion for camping on less-than-ideal terrain).
Part of our party also prefers to car camp, folding down the seats in an SUV and placing an air mattress in the car. I find this configuration easier and more comfortable than tent camping.
Reservations
I would recommend making reservations well in advance of your trip. While we were able to snag a spot on short notice, it wasn't exactly a desirable site. All the cabins and most of the decent spots were booked weeks or months in advance.
You can book online (which is super convenient).👍
Silver Dollar City charges a $5 fee to book online, plus a deposit typically equal to the first night's stay.
Check In
When we arrived, we headed straight to the General Store for check-in. We arrived between 2pm and 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon so it wasn't particularly busy. The gentleman working in the store was friendly, and the process was simple.
We got some literature which included car tags, a site marker, and a map of the campground, along with our receipts. From there, our site was easy to find and relatively quick to set up. However, the high on this particular day was hovering somewhere around the triple-digit mark so it wasn't super pleasant.
Facilities
Once camp was set up, we headed to the main building where we found restrooms and showers and the swimming pool. The restrooms were old but clean (for camp). We rinsed off and put on swimsuits to head over to the pool.
The pool was exceptionally clean and moderately busy (remember it was around 99 degrees with off-the-charts humidity at the time). Pool water has literally never felt more amazing!
Here are a few more things you'll need to know:
The use of golf carts or ATVs is PROHIBITED (odd, but there's really not a lot of room)
Laundry facilities accept credit/debit ONLY (No Credit Cards...which is also sort of odd)
While not prohibited, this isn't the kind of campground where kids can ride bikes around. It's narrow, hilly, busy, and just plain not compatible with many iconic camping activities.
Local Area
The Silver Dollar City campground is located on a strip of highway that contains several other campgrounds. It's also directly next door to the locally-famous Billy Gail's diner. And, most importantly, it's about 2 miles to the Silver Dollar City theme park. However, it's a bit of a drive to just about everything else.
Keep in mind that Branson, Missouri, is a tourist town, and if you venture out to a grocery store, you'll be paying tourist town prices (even at Walmart). I wandered around the grocery store aimlessly trying (and failing) to not pay $7 for a bag of Doritos. Lesson Learned: Stock your cooler BEFORE you get to Branson.
SDC Shuttle Services
We planned a full day at the theme park during our visit and utilized the free SDC shuttle both ways. We took the first ride out to the park at opening (9:00 am) and returned with the evening shuttle around 5:45 pm. Part of our group took the next return shuttle at 7:20 pm.
The shuttle was a full-size school bus that filled quickly. The final passengers boarding the bus were remitted to standing room only. Luckily, it was only about a 5 minute ride from the campground to the theme park entrance. It took much longer to load and unload the bus than it did to make the drive.
However, having previously driven and parked in the SDC lots, you tend to end up on a shuttle anyways. This one was convenient for us.
Bottom Line–Is It Worth It?
It's a solid...maybe. The Silver Dollar City Campground CAN be worthwhile IF you are an avid RVer looking for a convenient place to set up your rig for a couple of days. It might even be a little more worthwhile if you're already an SDC season pass holder and can take advantage of the discounts. And if you're looking to indulge in the full pioneer experience or visiting during the holidays, the Cabins can provide a unique opportunity to be in the moment.
However, if you are a leisure camper (especially a tent camper) and you're hoping to use the SDC campground to save on accommodations, you'll probably be a little happier somewhere else (including at the campground directly across the street).