Bicentennial Conservation Area: hunting and access
Bicentennial Conservation Area is 706 acres of MDC land in Newton County, next to Neosho. MDC lists deer hunting here only on managed hunts. Hunters checked 2,890 deer in Newton County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: MDC's conservation area data, read 2026-10. Harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries, 2021 to 2025.
MDC conservation areasNational wildlife refugesCounty, city and regional landBicentennial Conservation AreaCounty lineHighway
| Size | 706 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Newton County |
| Deer harvest unit | Newton County |
| MDC area number | 9731 |
| MDC region | Southwest |
| MDC managed hunts | deer |
| Camping (MDC) | open camping - walk-in/float-in/backpack |
| Nearest towns | Neosho (next to it), Granby (7 mi) and Goodman (7 mi) |
What is Bicentennial Conservation Area like?
Bicentennial Conservation Area, located in southern Newton County, was once part of the old, World War II Camp Crowder Army Base. The U.S. Army selected the Neosho site for the base because of its proximity to water, railroads, and highways. Visitors to the area can still see foundations, fruit trees, open fields and other remnants of many of the hundreds of small farms purchased by the federal government for the 60,000-acre base. Camp Crowder was named for Judge Advocate General and U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Enoch H. Crowder. Thousands of soldiers went through basic training here before the camp was decommissioned in the mid 1950s, including Mort Walker, who immortalized the Camp as Camp Swampy in his syndicated comic strip, Beetle Bailey. Bicentennial Conservation Area, encompassing 721 acres, is approximately 90 percent forested. Primary species include white, black, post, blackjack and red oaks, hackberry, elm, black cherry, black walnut, and ash. The area hosts various wildlife species including large numbers of deer and squirrels. Turkeys have been stocked here in the past. Visitors will find multiuse trails that are open to hiking, biking. and horseback riding. There is also an ADA accessible trail that starts at the southernmost parking lot off of Doniphan Road.
In MDC's words, from the Bicentennial Conservation Area page.
What are the rules on Bicentennial Conservation Area?
MDC's standard conservation area rules (Chapter 11 of the Wildlife Code) apply; the area's rules on MDC's site list any it adds.
How many deer are taken around Bicentennial Conservation Area?
Bicentennial Conservation Area lies in Newton County. Hunters checked 2,890 deer in Newton County in 2025, against 2,789 in 2024.
| County | Bicentennial Conservation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County | 706 | 2,890 | 2,789 | 3,043 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the conservation area alone: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
How do you get to Bicentennial Conservation Area?
MDC's directions: In Neosho at the junction of Business 71 and Highway 59/60, take 59/60 east to Oak Ridge Extension, then south to Burr Crossing Road, then east to Landis Road. Continue east on Landis to Doniphan Drive, then south to area parking lots.
Nearest towns: Neosho (next to it), Granby (7 miles), Goodman (7 miles) and Stark City (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 71, I-49, MO 86, US 60 and MO 59.
What other public land is near Bicentennial Conservation Area?
MDC lands within 10 miles:
- Fort Crowder Conservation Area: 2,176 acres, 0.5 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Bicentennial Conservation Area
Counting Bicentennial Conservation Area itself, 3,190 of the 28,178 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (11.3%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| MDC conservation areas | 2,891 |
| National wildlife refuges | 262 |
| County, city and regional land | 37 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Bicentennial Conservation Area?
In Newton County, next to Neosho.
Can you deer hunt on Bicentennial Conservation Area?
Only on MDC managed hunts, by MDC's page. Managed hunts are applied for through MDC.
How much public land is around Bicentennial Conservation Area?
3,190 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Bicentennial Conservation Area included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and MDC conservation area boundaries. The closest other MDC area is Fort Crowder Conservation Area (0.5 miles).
Get a Missouri hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Missouri are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Missouri included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: MDC, Bicentennial Conservation Area; MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Boundary and acres: MDC's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and MDC conservation area boundaries.
- Deer harvest: MDC deer harvest summaries (2021 to 2025 seasons).
FilledTag is not part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check MDC's rules and posted signs before you go.