Love this campground!…read more There are electric and non-electric sites. The grounds are very nice and very well maintained! The bathroom is spotless with hot showers that have decent pressure. The camp hosts are very nice too. There's just nothing but good things to say about it. We would definitely come back here.

WOW ~ What a hidden gem this park is! We were at the Love's Travel Stop contemplating spending…read more$42.50 for the night. Did some checking in the area and found Wallace State Park. Decided to try it and are SO GLAD we did! It was only an over night stop, but we made notes to come back. Camp Hosts - Dan & Linda were great and extremely polite & helpful. Thank you!

Get off the road a couple extra mikes and park and enjoy the 1/4 mile walk back to bridge and enjoy…read morethe outside beauty on your long drive. Well done park.

Saint Joseph's only privately owned public park! The owner/caretaker was there maintaining some…read morecement steps so we got to learn a little about the area. There used to be a school (no longer there). Two of the four picnic tables are new (but they all look brand new to me). He has maintained the open pavilions above the tables too. The grounds and structures are well maintained and everything is clean. This is a great place for a little picnic! Be aware that you need to walk up a few stairs to get to the nice, flat, level area.

Dramatic terrain dominates this park. Mixed hardwood and some cedar glades fill deep drainage…read moregullies to the creeks. Good trail system, facilities, and a lake make for an enjoyable outing anytime of year.

Very nice state park to have family picnics and events. They have a beach for swimming, as well as…read morecamping areas and playgrounds. Kept up well.

Fun family time looking at the lights! Enjoyed the new displays this year!!!…read moreFamily tradition to go to Holiday Park every year, honk in the tunnels, and get our cherry mash at the end! Santa is there on Friday and Saturdays, with drive through concessions.

I have lived here for my entire life and the Christmas Lights are always a treat. Just a shame its…read morealways such a nightmare to go through there though.

Please note, this review is ONLY for the Watkins Mill State Park Lake and the loop bike trail…read morearound the lake. This lake is great for beginner kayakers! 5 Stars! We took an inflatable, tandem kayak, and we felt very comfortable despite our lack of experience. Our tracking fin only caught on the very edges of the lake where we expected the fin to touch the bottom. There didn't seem to be any issues with boat wakes. The boat ramp was easy to use, and you don't need a permit for your kayak if you go. We enjoyed seeing some wildlife, including a small snake, a raccoon, birds, and several types of fish. The bike trail was a good beginner trail. Parts of it were paved, parts of it were gravel, and parts of it were over wooden plank bridges. The trail was wide enough for walkers and bikers to pass each other safely. There were small inclines and declines, but they were very manageable. For reference, I am not someone that exercises often, and I'm also currently in physical therapy for a hurt knee. If I can do it, you can too! The only reason I didn't give this trail 5 stars was because it was poorly marked. It seemed like some of it was being repaired because there were signs to mark the detour route. However, my friend and I did have to guess at one point which way to go, and we thankfully guessed correctly. If you're nervous, make sure to study the trail map, take a picture of it, or ask for help at the Visitor Center. I do not recommend this trail for individuals in wheelchairs, as the inclines and declines may be too tough. Finally, I want to comment on the restrooms. There are several spots around the lake that have restrooms, but they are primitive. It's the kind where you don't flush (just a deep hole), though there is a physical enclosure (not just a port-a-pottie). You may have to "shop around" because the restrooms at the boat ramp were so HORRID, I couldn't even walk in after opening the door. The second restrooms I went to at a different spot around the lake were cleaner, but there were WASPS flying in and around the restroom. Thankfully, there were no issues with lack of toilet paper. If you're like me, plan accordingly and just use the restrooms at the Visitor Center. They're MUCH nicer. If you want to risk the ones near the lake, bring some wasp spray!

I had friends from out of town camping at Watkins Mill, State Park, and the camping experience is…read morevery nice. All camping sites allow for one vehicle. The swimming beach is very clean and large. The only setback is the awful signage. I recommend if you do stay at Watkins Mill State Park for camping to disregard your map apps, and take 69 highway to 92 to the state park entrance. Otherwise you'll be driving around for 45 minutes without a clue of where you're going.

Wow, McCoy has been upgraded so well! This was a favorite spot of mine, growing up, and it looks…read moreten times better now. Pros: - Two well-designed, "Pioneer"-themed playgrounds with great equipment and rubber matting - Paved, wide-open walking paths - Plenty of picnic tables and grills - A great water park!! - baseball diamond - Lots of informative plaques about local history, with Braille - The entire park is wheelchair-accessible - Very well maintained Cons: Not really any to speak of, except that people shouldn't leave so much trash behind. But I make that complaint about every park. The park was clean enough that I didn't feel nervous about being barefoot after playing with my Little One in the water park. This park is gorgeous and has lots of amenities.

I love the park and it has a great playground for kids. The reason I deducted two stars is because…read moreof people who go to the park. Earlier today I went to the bathroom and some guy in there was trying to sell me drugs. That is the biggest problem with independence and Missouri in general is the amount of drug dealers here and the police in the entire state are completely worthless. Other than that, I will say I like to park but the police need to come here more often. But that's more of an independence problem than the park.

Great people that run the place! Be prepared to get nice and muddy as the trails can get super…read moredeep. It's a good idea to have a buddy with you because if you go through any mud holes your probably going to get stuck!!! Camping and showers are available. There is also a nice place to wash off the toys too. Food truck is there on most weekends.

The WORST experience we've ever received at a business establishment. We were being targeted by the…read moreowner since the moment we paid. He kept coming back to us (total of 4 different times) YELLING IN OUR FACES on how you aren't supposed to ride on the grass or gravel (which we respected). But as you can see in pictures it's clear that was not his issue. He would stand there and stare us down trying to intimidate us, threatening to kick us out. My family and I are very respectful humans, so I can only assume it was our ethnicity he was bothered by. What can you expect from trump supporter.

Our visit was quiet and fun as our littles completed their scavenger hunt. The exhibits were…read moreinformative and entertaining with recorded audios and soundscapes. A few sections could use some attention and cleaning, but overall well-kept. We had a good time and enjoyed the riverwalk afterwards.

This place is truly one of the best gems in Saint Joseph. We have been bringing my daughter here…read moreonce a month for nearly three years and it never gets old. The location is right next to the Missouri River and has a gorgeous view. There is a lovely little porch with chairs and picnic tables. The center provides binoculars and books to help identify local birds. My daughter loves the huge fish tank display of native fish. She also enjoys the tortoises and the snakes in the Snake Room. They are almost always having a scavenger hunt for the kids with prizes. Personally, I enjoy browsing the reading material in the little store and have bought several books. There is a very detailed exhibit on the history of Saint Joseph which is really interesting. It includes details that I have not read about anywhere else. So if you enjoy history, you should definitely pay this place a visit.