Missouri State Parks

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.

Missouri History Today August 7, 1852 William Jewell Dies.

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.