Frequently Asked Questions

No. We do not have any spots that can reserved or rented. We are a deeded campground meaning only our lot owners and their guests have access to our park.  

We are in the Show Me State of Missouri! There are several campgrounds across the country that share our name so be sure you are looking for the one in Missouri. We are approximately halfway between the cities of St. Louis and Columbia, three miles south of Interstate 70 on State Highway 47.  

The Lots For Sale section of our website may provide some help.  

Prices to purchase will vary quite a bit from lot to lot. This depends entirely on how much work has been done to the lot, what the lot includes as far as campers or outbuildings, and location in the park. All pricing is set by individual lot owners and all sales are private.

Our park does have annual assessment that go towards our park maintenance and improvements.  The current annual assessment is $375 per lot for 2024 nd will be $425 per lot in 2025. They may increase based on park needs and Association approval.   

Once you become an owner, you become a member of the Dogwood Lake Lot Owners Association. As a member, you are a voice and a vote for the direction of the park. A seven member Board of Directors is elected from existing lot owners and this Board guides our park and projects throughout the year. Each position holds specific responsibilities and terms are for 3 years. Monthly Board meetings are held where any owners may attend and hear about current projects or issues. These meetings are also live streamed on our closed Facebook page. 

We also have wonderful on-site caretakers who take care of the day to day operation of our park. They are our emergency contacts for any troubles throughout the park and keep things running smoothly.

We also frequently rely on our owners for various volunteer projects throughout the year. With almost 400 lots covering 54 acres to maintain, one of the ways we build community and help the park is participating in volunteer efforts. Sometimes it's spring or storm clean up, wood cutting days, fresh coats of paint, or other projects that benefit from a large number of hands that can accomplish things in a short amount of time.   

No. The current park rules do not allow for permanent residency. As a lot owner, you may always access your camper and lot during the off season. You may leave your camper in place throughout the year. If you do come into the park in the off season, you may or may not have water available, depending on your location in the park. Roads are not plowed during the winter and no other services or facilities are available.  Access and use is entirely at your own risk.  

We have a typical camping season that begins in April and goes through October. During that time, all park amenities are available, all facilities are open, and we have a schedule of activities and events throughout the season.  We have three functioning bathhouses with full facilities, as well as our lodge bathrooms that are open during pool hours or during normal operating hours. 

We have two dumpsters on site that provide disposal options, one for regular trash and the other for larger items that can't be disposed of in the regular dumpster. Trash from outside the park is prohibited. 

Because our park was developed in stages over several decades, not all services are the same throughout the park. The majority of our lots have water on the lots or access to water nearby. Water is covered in the annual assessment. There are still a small number of raw lots that are undeveloped and services must be installed by the new lot owner. 

Electric connections are on each lot and service is provided by Ameren Electric. If there is no meter on the lot, you will need to contact Ameren to arrange a meter installation. Ameren will require a permit from Warren County Planning and Zoning and a working sewer connection or approved holding tank must be on the lot before they will install your meter. 

A large portion of the front of our park (before you cross the lake dam) is on a campground sewer system with connections on the lot. This is not true of all lots and should be verified before purchase. It is the responsibility of every buyer to verify available services and availability is not guaranteed to be the same throughout the park. 

The back side of the park was developed at a later time and those lots each have individual holding tanks. These tanks must be emptied periodically and must be annually inspected by Warren County. An approved holding tank is required to be installed and the appropriate Warren County permit obtained, before Ameren will install a meter if one is not currently on the lot.  

Congratulations and welcome to the family!! One of the first things you need to do is register your signed and notarized deed with Warren County Recorder of Deeds. Once that has been completed, you will need to provide copies of those documents to our caretakers. These documents will confirm your access to the park, get you registered for use of gate devices, and provide you membership in our closed Facebook group where regular information is shared along with our monthly Board meetings. Current contact information should always be provided so you are included in all mailings and critical information.  

Bringing a new (or new to the park) camper into the campground requires a permit that must be obtained from Dogwood and from Warren County. The Warren County Administration Building is just a mile and a half down State Highway 47 from the park. Dogwood permits and directions can be obtained under our Policies and Forms section or from the campground lodge. They must be completely filled out and turned in for approval prior to bringing in a camper. Once you have the Dogwood permit in hand, you can take that permit to Warren County and obtain I wantthe county permit.  

All projects require permits either from Dogwood Lake or Warren County and most will require both. These can include connecting to the waterlines, installing a water spigot, build a deck, a retaining wall, a sun room, installing a holding tank, putting in a fence, taking down some trees, or other various forms of construction.  Warren County will always require a signed Dogwood permit first. Please refer to our policies in the Dogwood Lake Lot Owners Hand Out.  The holding tank requires the most steps and approvals with Warren County needing a permit to begin and then also a time arranged to inspect and approve any new installations BEFORE the tank is covered. Failure to follow these procedures can result in fines or forced removal of unapproved projects. Our caretakers can guide you to the right person if you have specific questions, so don't be afraid to ask for help!