Montauk State Park is one of my favorite trout parks in Missouri! It's more wooded and natural than…read moresome of the others. I love that you can fly fish and not see anybody at all. The store has everything you need and the service there is fantastic. Even their Cafe is good. We've rented cabins at the park and they are excellent. Everybody there is friendly.

Very beautiful state park. Lots of good fishing spots and stocked with trout from the hatchery. We…read morevisited the old mills that processed corn and wheat in the old days. The guides there were very friendly and explained how things worked to us. There are cabins you can rent (no pets in cabins) and camping facilities as well. The lounge has a nice restaurant. EV chargers available at the lounge. We really enjoyed our visit here.

My partner and I drove out here from Ballwin, about 1.5 hours away, with our dog when it was nice…read moreoutside one day. I wasn't expecting much, but wow, was it worth the drive! The water in the sanctuary area is soooo blue. I couldn't believe my eyes. We walked along that part first, then walked past the hatchery. It was so cool to see the trout in different stages of life. Dogs aren't allowed to swim in the sanctuary or hatchery, and since we have a lab who's obsessed with the water, we kept walking to reach a spot where she could at least touch it. Lots of people were fishing, so we kept walking until we found a spot where she could splash around. As you can see from the photo, she had a wonderful time. We kept her leash on and I'd recommend others do the same. We didn't want her to get caught on a fishing line or scare any fish away that people were trying to catch. We paid $5 to get into the park as we were driving in, and we were able to pay with a credit card. There was plenty of parking even though it was the weekend. Definitely recommend for a day trip from the STL area!

From Manchester, MO I can be trout fishing in 90 minutes. I wanted to make one more trip before the…read moretrout fishing season closes on October 31. First time catching a bluegill at this park. The leaves were falling continuously from the trees which made the experience more beautiful. We had a blast.

Great trails and the views are totally worth the trip! Water way for you to relax and camp!read more

One of my favorite spots on Earth is the Current River, which is a part of the National Ozark…read moreScenic Riverway. If you enjoy nature, water, and outdoor fun then this is a must visit spot! There are several great places to visit as a part of this area, but my favorites by far are the Current River and Big Spring on the Current River, and the campground of the same name. I have a wonderful group of friends that introduced me to floating on the Current when I was in college, and ever since this river has held a special place in my heart. We usually camp at Big Spring Campground. There are both electric, non-electric, and RV hookup's. There are real bathrooms, as well as hot showers within walking distance of camp (not porta potties, but it is a campground - so say hello to your local, resident spiders and their webs). We like this camp, because it's right on the river, family friendly, and close to town but far enough out to enjoy nature. While camping a must do experience for all is a walk to Big Spring. It's a natural cold spring, whose source pumps out enough fresh water to fill Busch Stadium in 33 hours! I like to walk there in the early morning or twilight to see the mist roll in. http://www.nps.gov/ozar/planyourvisit/big-spring.htm The nearby town of Van Buren offers: - a nice Lodge for those who want a nice dinner and/or whose idea of camping is air conditioning, nice beds, and tv - the local ice cream spot called The Jolly Cone - the local cafe, The Floatstream Restaurant, for your typical small diner food and a pretty okay breakfast - various small shops to stock up on essentials: beer, sunblock, souvenir tshirts, snacks, replaceable float shoes and swimsuits, intertubes, gas, fishing bait, etc. - and a whole lot of other small town amenities The water is spring fed. So it's super cold and clear - perfect for a hot summer's day! The Current has a pretty decent current, with nice deep water and wading shallows dotted with periodic gravel bars. It's great for intertubing and canoe trips. Various campgrounds and businesses offer rentals and trips with pick up and drop off options (2, 4, 6 hour floats, or even multiple day trips). Check out the area and find YOUR favorite spots and recommendations. It will probably become one of your favorite places on Earth too!

Beautiful State Park!! Water is crystal clear and clean. Beautiful walking trails with lots of…read morescenery.

I recently visited Sam A. Baker State Park for the first time for a family reunion. I'm not sure…read morehow large of a park it is, as our family had reserved one of the first pavilions in the park, but there was a store near the front of the park so I imagine it's a pretty large one. Sam. A Baker seems to be a popular place. There were quite a few people camping in tents and RVs there a couple of weekends ago. I'm not the camping type and I only stayed during the day, so I can't say anything for the camping amenities. -1 star for the facilities. They had no running water inside. There was a place outside of the restrooms for washing one's hands and feet. However, there was no soap and no hot water. I feel that was rather unsanitary. I waded out in a river for the first time in my life. That was fun! I'd like to go again sometime.

Current River is currently the best river lol. Current River is the best place to go swimming,…read morefishing, floating in a boat or inner tube or any other summer activity. If you want to have fun this is the place.

We were looking for a way to beat the heat, and decided on going to Stark Caverns. I hopped online…read moreto purchase tickets, and saw that we would need to purchase one for my 18-month old grandson also. Unfortunately, there were not enough available tickets for all three adults and him. I called out to the Caverns to explain the issue and ask if it would be okay. Matt, who answered the phone, said it would be no problem and to just go ahead and purchase the adult tickets. Upon arrival there was ample parking and it was a beautiful place. We headed into the gift shop and checked in for our tour and checked out all of their wares. Gracie led our tour of the caverns. She was so knowledgeable and just a sweet girl. The tour was a great way to spend part of the afternoon. Everyone in our tour group (ages 1-40+) really seemed to enjoy it! If you have some time to spare, you don't want to miss this family friendly, educational, tour.

Genuinely cool cave. There are algae fossils in there from when Missouri was underwater millions of…read moreyears ago, which is a wild thing to stand next to. Sadly our guide Macy was less "passionate cave enthusiast" and more "reciting a script she's said a thousand times and stopped listening to herself." I still don't know how this part of Missouri used to be an ocean based on the tour. She gave the exact same intro four separate times. Not because groups were bumping into each other, just straight up robot mode, probably from also trying to work in the photo package pitch every single time. Ask a follow up question and you'd get a shrug dressed up as an answer. A kid asked about a mineral and got a confident "nope, not that" immediately followed by "I'm not really a gem expert," which, ma'am, pick one. Nobody could tell us where all the clay that used to be in the cave went (there's a lot of water now after the excavation), how the bootleggers pulled off their operation, or whether the cave's ever taken earthquake damage. Also they sell alcohol at the gift shop right before you head into a dark cave, which feels like a liability seminar waiting to happen. What indigenous tribe did the skeleton remains belong to? How did you know it was an indigenous person(s)? What is the difference between an arrowhead and a spear, and when did those relics be given to be on display? She said the stairs were built by child labor because there are child sized handprints in the concrete, but provided no evidence of truth or why. Was it his 18 kids? No one knows. At least it was cool inside while the weather was hot outside. The cave has a story to tell. Macy just wasn't the one telling it. Would recommend the cave, would not recommend Macy. She already told us she's had a bad Yelp review, and I'm sad to say I understand why.

Another Missouri treasure. Cool place to visit. Some people were swimming. A little too cold for me…read morebut not for some.

Campground is highly recommended. We stayed in pet friendly C5 camper cabin. There is a microwave,…read morefridge, a foldable couch, queen size bed inside and a fire pit, grill outside. Bring your own sheet set for the bed. Restrooms and bath houses are outside of the cabins from walk distance. there is hot and cold water. Toilet has water saving option. And there is diaper changing station inside of the restrooms. There is a nice pond in front of the cabins.

Falls were pretty. I expected more of a waterfall. The restroom is one seater and very stinky. I…read moreguess it's an outhouse. I couldn't stand the smell. I'm a country girl but eew

We almost ran out of time to make the stop at Elephant Rocks State Park, I am so glad we didn't. It…read moreis definitely worth the drive to this wonderful place. The trail is well maintained and accessible. But if you can you will want to walk around the huge granite stones. We have to go back again soon!

This is one of my favorite places to go in the summertime! It's handicap accessible, and a pretty…read moreeasy trail to walk. Although it's easy, there are tons of huge and beautiful rocks the kids love climbing on. It's just a really peaceful place. The trail is approximately 1 mile long.

Good creek I dink the water there I boil it than drink it chuppi I like the fish in Fb v therwread more

Has a nice trail to walk or run that runs along the creek. If you are lucky, while enjoying the…read morespring you might get to see divers enter or exit the spring. Good fishing location, water is cold due to the natural spring. Great parking however it's on a gravel road so your vehicle will get dusty as other vehicles drive along the road.