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.

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 ~ 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!

This park is, like almost all Missouri parks, a big camp ground with lots of interconnecting…read moretrails. The trials are challenging with lots of trees and mushrooms, as well as a man made lake.They were well marked but not well worn with trail walkers, meaning some were overgrown. We went through three of the trails, and found them to be mildly interesting. Lots of spiders too. Two ponds located on the deer run trail caught my eye due to the different conditions, one was extremely clear, you could see to the bottom, while the other was like a big mud hole. One thing that stood out to me was that there was really no parking for just hiking, we ended up parking at a bathhouse.

Great little park. Several play areas available for a variety of age levels. Swings, sandbox,…read moremultiple playgrounds and slides. Bathrooms available during open season. Shelter with picnic tables.

It's a fun park! They had a huge playground area. We'd went right after rain with a 4 and 2 year…read moreold, but will definitely be back after they grow. My kiddos played on the smaller playground for almost 3 hours before we had to leave. We also had a picnic at one of the shelters. It was well kept and felt safe.

Dockery Park holds the distinction as our family's very first night turning our SUV into an RV and…read morecamping in it. We didn't realize at the time how rare it was for a free campsite to offer free water and electricity. The water was turned off for winter when we stayed there, but the free electricity saved us. The park has what they call a Livestock Barn that is really just a large metal roof with a dirt drive lane down the middle and livestock pens on the sides. It was drizzling and getting cold when we drove into the campground at around eleven o'clock at night. It occurred to me that our Tahoe might barely fit under the roof of the livestock barn, even with a cargo box and two giant duffles on top, so we pulled under the barn roof and parked next to a concrete pad that was perfect for unloading and organizing our stuff. Being first timers, we weren't nearly as organized as we should have been. Just for sleeping overnight, we needed a few items from the cargo box, some things from each of the giant duffles, and we had things all over the Tahoe that would have to go elsewhere to make room for us to set up our sleeping arrangements the way we had planned. It was merciful to have that shelter from the rain to get organized. The next day, we had a good time in the park. In daylight, it looked very charming, up on a hill, and you could see most of the town from that vantage point. There was a bench swing hanging from a tree next to our campsite, overlooking a nice little pond with a gazebo on its banks. Our little boy and puppy had a great time running up and down the gazebo's stairs and treating it as their clubhouse. There was plenty of space for the puppy to run and play. There was a playground with good play equipment for our little boy. Some locals came to use the park, but they were friendly and didn't bother us at all. We accidentally drained our Tahoe's battery overnight and then intentionally drained our jump starter/battery pack with our electric blankets. When we figured out our predicament, we found that the free electrical outlet at the campsite we chose was designed for RVs, which have a completely different plug than regular household electrical outlets. Thankfully, there was a working outlet inside the livestock barn. We plugged in the battery pack and played for another hour. That was all it took to charge the battery pack enough for it to jump start the Tahoe, and we were on our way. That little bit of electricity we used saved us from a AAA service call. To hear more about our family's adventures out on the road, please see our blog at https://illtaketheroadbuddy.tumblr.com/post/168772836415/the-first-time-we-turned-our-suv-into-an-rv

This is a multi-use community park that also hosts a variety of regional sports and special events…read more The community benefits include playgrounds, picnic pavilions, a basketball court, baseball/softball fields, a paved walking track, skate park, beach volleyball courts, seasonal aquatic center, tennis courts, soccer fields...and more! There's a lot here for local residents and groups. Fairground also hosts a country fair and rodeo. It offers RV camping, Key to its position as a regional destination it's well maintained, clean, and convenient. Picnic facilities, playgrounds, and restrooms are spread throughout the park.

This was a great stop to make on our road trip. Park, pavilion and picnic tables were clean…read more Perfect for our kids ages 1-7. The walking path was great for stretching our legs.

Quiet, clean, and friendly camping area. Very nice shower and washroom facilities! Found this…read moreplace in the middle of the night. Woke up to a gorgeous morning with the birds singing, small rabbits hopping around, etc. One of my kids wandered a little far for my liking while he took photos. Some locals said you really had to watch out for the ability to sink down and get stuck in the mud, so they helped look for him when he didn't come back to the campsite on-time. Turns out he was fine -- just lost track of time having fun exploring. :)

Great place to boat. Nice big lake, had it pretty much all to ourselves when we were there…read more Beautiful. Don't expect a lot of action, such as at Lake of the Ozarks. This is a quiet lake with no business or houses on it. There is a campground that looks nice. We drove through but didn't camp, so can't rate that part. Would like to take our boat back again sometime!

This is the cutest garden with so much to offer. I really enjoyed my visit. The rock tree mosaic…read morewas my favorite feature. Those who get to visit often are so lucky.

Great place to stop for nature when visiting Columbia Missouri. Some flowers are already in bloom.read more

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.