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Markham Springs Recreation Area
Located adjacent to the Black River, the Markham Springs Recreation Area contains bubbly springs and a small 2-acre pond that dates back to the 1800s. The area is covered by a dense forest of colorful trees, including ash, elm, maple and poplar. Six springs pour almost 5 million gallons of water a day into the pond, from there the water eventually makes it's way to the Black River. The bubble spring, a smaller outlet of Markham Spring outside of the pond area, has air with it, rises in soft sand forming the unique “air bubbles”.
This area gets its name from former owner, M. J. Markham, who acquired the property in 1901 and operated a lumber mill at the site until the 1930s.
The Fuchs House, a five-bedroom concrete and native stone home, also sits on the property, along with a neighboring mill. The historic Fuchs house was restored by a group of craftsmen under permit from the National Forest.
In the late 1930’s, Rudolph Fuchs built a 5-bedroom concrete and native stone house for his family, and also built the present wheel house to produce electricity for his needs. Power was obtained by building a dam in a semi-circle below a large spring forming a small pond. The water was to pour through a chute on the wheel to produce electricity; however electricity arrived to the site before the wheel ever needed to do its job. The area had an undershot wheel providing power to a grist mill in the late 19th century.
River and stream fishing are popular activities near the campground. The Black River boasts bass, sunfish, walleye and catfish. Many anglers fish from boats, but others fish from the riverbanks. Canoeing and kayaking is also possible on the river.
Markham Springs Recreation Area provides opportunities for camping, hiking, and day use.
Various day hikes within the Markham Springs Trail System are accessible from the campground. Eagle Bluff Trail is a 1.5-mile loop along the river, where birding and wildlife viewing are favorite pastimes.
Markham Springs Campground is set on the Black River in a scenic and historic recreation area in the southwestern corner of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest. The campground offers single and double sites for tent and RV camping. Some rather primitive sites are located in a wooded setting near the river. Electric hookups are provided, as well as tables and campfire rings with grills. Lantern posts are also available. Accessible vault toilets, drinking water, showers and trash collection are provided.
Primitive camping is also available in a wooded setting near the Black River.
The day use area has a 2-acre, 20 foot deep mill pond that dates back to the 1800s, several picnic sites, open fields; river access for boating, fishing and float tubes and canoes; and short hiking trails that provide views of the river, the pond, the springs and the uplands.
At a Glance
| Current Conditions: | Day-use activities open year round, campground closes seasonally. Pavilion - Temporarily Closed until Further Notice |
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| Operational Hours: | Quiet Hourse: Only campers are allowed in the campground from 10 pm to 6 am |
| Reservations: | Some campground sites are first come, first served. Reservation needed Campground and Picnic Shelter -
Fuchs House Rental |
| Area Amenities: |
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| Fees: | Campsites:
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| Open Season: | April 1, 2025 |
| Usage: | Light |
| Restrictions: |
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| Closest Towns: | Williamsville, MO |
| Water: | Drinking Water and Showers |
| Restroom: | Vault |
| Passes: | Pass information can be found on the Passes and Permits page of the website. |
| Operated By: | USDA Forest Service |
| Information Center: | Poplar Bluff Email | Phone and Address |
General Information
Accessibility:Day Use - 2 covered picnic tables that are accessible
Campground - every site has accessible picnic tables, fire rings and lantern posts.
Directions:
From Poplar Bluff
- take Highway 67 north for 14 miles
- then turn left and drive west on Highway 49 for 9 miles, about 3 miles past the town of Williamsville.
- Take the first right after crossing the Black River to enter Markham Springs Recreation Area.
Activities
Campground Camping
Recreation areas with activity Campground Camping:One loop has sites with electric hook-ups for RVs and accessible tables, firering, and lantern post. This loop has a concrete vault toilet, water faucet, and hot showers.
The three primitive camping loops feature individual sites in a wooded setting along the Black River. Each site has a latern post, campfire ring and a picnic table. Sites in this loop do not have RV hook-ups, but pop-up campers fit nicely at sites on these loops.
| No. of Sites |
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RV Camping
Recreation areas with activity RV Camping:One loop has sites with electric hook-ups for RVs and accessible tables, firering, and lantern post. This loop has a concrete vault toilet, water faucet, and hot showers for campers. No water or sewer hookups available, no dump stations available.
| No. of Sites |
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| Size Restrictions | Maximum recommended size is 34 feet. |
| Vehicle Clearance | No restrictions |
| Pavement Type of Parking | Gravel |
| No. of Accessible sites | picnic tables, lantern posts and fire rings are accessible |
Cabin Rentals
Recreation areas with activity Cabin Rentals:In the late 1930’s, Rudolph Fuchs built a 5-bedroom concrete and native stone house for his family, and also built the present wheel house to produce electricity for his needs. Power was obtained by building a dam in a semi-circle below a large spring forming a small pond. The water was to pour through a chute on the wheel to produce electricity; however electricity arrived to the site before the wheel ever needed to do its job. The area had an undershot wheel providing power to a grist mill in the late 19th century.
The historic Fuchs house was restored by a group of craftsmen under permit from the National Forest. Used primarily by these individuals and their families, it is also available for rent by the day, weekend, or week.
River and Stream Fishing
Recreation areas with activity River and Stream Fishing:The Black River has bass, sunfish, walleye and catfish. Many anglers fish with boats, but some fish successfully from the bank.
Day Hiking
Recreation areas with activity Day Hiking:Markham Springs Trail System, within the Markham Springs Recreation Area, consists of Bubble Springs Trail, Canebrake Trail and Eagle Bluff Trail.
Bubble Springs Trail is a 1/4 mile walk in the day use area. This is a small, flat, and wide path that goes to Bubble Springs. There are a series of small springs and creeks with foot bridges that ends at a wooden observation deck where you can see Bubble Springs. This is a family friendly trail.
Eagle Bluff Trail is a 1.7 mile trail accessed in the Electric Loop of the campground. Portions of this trail is very steep. If combined with Canebreak this is about a 2-mile walk. This winds up to Eagle Bluff and provides sweeping views of the valley below. This can be a moderately challenging hike.
The Canebreak Trail is a 1/3 mile trail that connects the campground to the Fuchs House. It goes by an old cyprus swamp area.
Viewing Scenery
Recreation areas with activity Viewing Scenery:The Markham Springs Recreation Area features beautiful views of the mill pond, the historic house, a wide variety of trees including flowering dogwoods and redbuds and an abundance of wildflowers, as well as views of the springs and the Black River. Eagle Bluff has been known as a natural vantage point since Civil War Days. In parts of the spring you can see the sand bubbling up from the ground.
Picnicking
Recreation areas with activity Picnicking:Two individual picnic sites are available near the mill pond and two individual picnic sites are under a wooden shelter near the boat launch. Spring and fall are popular times for picnicking. All picnic sites include a pedestal grill and a picnic table.
| No. of Sites | Four individual picnic tables, two of those are sheltered by wood |
| No. of Accessible Sites | tables and grills are accessible. |
Group Picnicking
Recreation areas with activity Group Picnicking:The pavilion is located up a set of stone stairs, at the top of a slight slope, near a pond next to Fuchs House.
The pavilion can accommodate up to 30 people and electric is available.
| No. of Sites | One pavilion that accommodates up to 30 people |
| No. of Accessible Sites | There are stairs leading to the pavilion, so there is no wheelchair access to the pavlion. |
Boating - Motorized
Recreation areas with activity Boating - Motorized:The flow of this part of the Black River is managed by actions of the US Army Corps of Engineers through operation of the Clearwater Dam. Water levels are normally high enough for motorized boating almost any time of year.
There is a single-lane concrete boat launch that is typically busy year-round.
Boating - Non-Motorized
Recreation areas with activity Boating - Non-Motorized:While the Black River is still popular with some local canoeists, the higher water levels and the popularity among fast motor-boaters has made it less popular than in the past. It still provides opportunities for a slower float trip and for float-fishing. It is a little over 10 miles from the river access at Markham Springs to the USDA Forest Service river access at Hendrickson.
The flow of this part of the Black River is managed by actions of the US Army Corps of Engineers through operation of the Clearwater Dam. Water levels are normally high enough for motorized boating almost any time of year.
There is a single-lane concrete boat launch that is typically busy with motorized users year-round.
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