Big Sugar Creek State Park is full of nooks and crannies that are worth exploring. The rugged landscape is filled with rare plants and animals. This park is one of the only places in Missouri where the Ozark Chinquapin survives.
Missouri State Parks
A visit to Lake Wappapello should be on your must-do list. The lake is clear, the forests are diverse, the fishing is excellent, and the cabins are a great place to spend a few days relaxing. Learn the history of the dam and how the lake was created.
You have got to see these trees. Big Oak Tree State Park is home to one national champion, a pumpkin ash, and three state champion trees, overcup oak, sweetgum, and persimmon. The ancient cypress are awe inspiring. The park is also a bird watchers dream with more than 150 known species chirping from the trees.
In Missouri, the devil seems to own everything, including the kitchen and the sink. His name is associated with natural features that include names like tollgate, well, den, tea table, pan, washboard, promenade, elbow, and many others. But why are so many geologic formations property of the devil?
Spend a few days at Big lake State Park. There is so much to do from fishing to camping to boating. Big Lake is an oxbow lake and among the largest remaining natural oxbow lakes along the Missouri River. It is one of the largest natural lakes of any type in the State.
Bennett Spring State Park is lovely at any time of year, but visiting in the Fall is glorious. The lodge is a rustic yet very comfortable place to stay for a few days, so you have plenty of time to take in all this State Park has to offer.
The Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site is a place filled with history. Many battle reenactments have relived the events that took place on Sept., 27, 1864. Visit the fort, bring a picnic, and immerse yourself in Civil War history.
Visit Missouri’s “Little Grand Canyon” where you will find a true chasm, caves, a natural bridge, and picnic areas. Park managers have laid out trails and installed wheelchair-accessible boardwalks and overlooks at this 322-acre day-use park.
Thomas Hart Benton is best known for the murals in our state capitol in Jefferson City. The home and studio that Benton and his wife Rita shared in Kansas City have been left perfectly preserved. The paints, furniture, sketches, and even his pipe sit right where he left them on the day he died.
Lake of the Ozarks State Park has an interesting history. Learn how the lake itself came to be. More than just a lake for boating and fishing, the park is filled with trails, caves, miles of shoreline, great fishing, camps, an airport, and so much more.
The Missouri and Kansas border was a contentious place during the Civil War. Make your way along the trail at this historic site to view the landscape where African Americans fighting in the Civil War earned their place in Missouri—and national—history.
By foot is the best way to see Pickle Creek, sandstone landscapes, shut-ins, and distinctive flora. Rose azaleas accent fern-covered ledges and Whispering Pine Wild Area beckons you to discover the wonders this State Park has to offer.
The silence that surrounds you at this site belies what happened here during the Civil War. This is where one of the earliest engagements of the Civil War took place. Stand in the spot where the Union fired the final battle shots.
Granite “elephants” came to be due to uplift and erosion. Make plans to visit today. You can follow a Braille trail and have a snack on the picnic tables hidden among the rocks. There is so much to see and learn among these “elephants.”
Learn how the site of an early Civil War skirmish became a State Historic Site. Uncover prehistoric Indian sites and part of a Sauk Indian village. Take a hike to see rich flora that are relics of glacial times. Can you find the “cannonball house?”
You have to make this trip! Immerse yourself in native woodlands and forest, streams and springs, and uplands and pastures. Cool off in a crystal clear river. And how can you miss the house that the Beatles visited while in Missouri.
Spring is here. Who’s ready to ramble? Here are 20 trails to explore by hiking or biking in Missouri. One takes you past elk and bison. Another is the Katy Trails’ little sister. Several guide you along babbling creeks or the big rivers.
National Public Lands Day is coming right up, this Saturday, September 24, and all entry fees will be waived at national parks and other federal public lands, including national monuments, forests, recreation areas, wildlife refuges, historical sites, battlefields, recreation areas, and grasslands. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is also on federal land.
Veterans can fish for free all day Saturday, September 17, 2022, at Roaring River State Park.
Although the Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a national park, it sometimes seems like it is the best-kept secret in the state.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources acquired the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site site in 1977, two years after the death of the Neosho-born artist.
On this date in Missouri history, the State Park Fund is created to develop Missouri state parks.
Roaring River State Park is beloved for its trout fishing but named for its preternaturally turquoise spring, which flows from the base of a towering, U-shaped bluff. At the viewing platform, its shadowy mouth is hauntingly beautiful, dappled with light and the shadows from hanging ferns. On average, the spring produces an unfathomable 20.4 million gallons of water per day.
Looking to get away and explore some natural beauty this winter? Look no further than Missouri! Whether you prefer a cabin, treehouse or villa, Missouri has accommodations for any interest or budget.
A wine festival, winter hikes, photography exhibit, and more are all set for the Kansas City metro area. Check out the opportunities!
The Ha Ha Tonka Mansion, built on the cliffs high above the Niangua River, catches fire, leaving behind the ruins that are still visible near Camdenton.
Our top picks from around the state.
