Outdoors

Parks and trails lace Missouri like cracks in cobblestone, places where you can escape from urban life and commune with nature among windswept glades and shady forests. It’s a wild world from sweeping vistas atop Bell Mountain to waters of the Eleven Point River flowing into the early morning mist. As inviting as the whip-poor-will’s call in the dark, Missouri’s wilderness beckons exploration.

Join us on a journey through the backcountry of Shannon County as we search for the most remote location in the state.

Camp Long Creek at Big Cedar sits on the lakeshore, next to Bass Pro Shops Long Creek Marina, and features 64 units that include shepherd’s huts, luxury “glamping” tents, and couples’ and family cottages. The campground is set to open in May.

An improbable team of Siberian sled dogs finds love, fun, and new purpose with their Hillsboro musher

Amateur photographers, including youth, are encouraged to submit their favorite wild bird photographs for the contest that offers cash prizes for winners. The contest is a fundraiser for MRBO, which is devoted to the conservation of Missouri’s migratory and resident birds.

For most of the year, life in small-town rural Missouri moves at a quiet pace, but come November these peaceful hamlets transform into prime destinations for those on the hunt for deer.

You can get away without going far when you explore the trails of Columbia.

Join us for a 6 day ride along the nation's premier rails-to-trails park, the Katy Trail. August 26-31

“Everything is recovered from last year,” says Pat Behle, an administrative specialist at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. “We’re in very good shape.”

Bunker Hill Retreat has been around for more than 70 years, but few people know about it. Hiding in plain sight, the resort on the Jacks Fork River is one of those places you hesitate to tell others about because you want to keep it for yourself.