Wow it has been a decade since I went back to Bennett spring state park. This place looks the same…read moreoverall, which is good. Who doesn't want fresh air and a break from the hustle and bustle of the major city. This place has great fishing. You can see plenty of people trout fishing and all the trouts swimming in the clear water. Nature at its finest. If you are ever near Lebanon Mo, I definitely recommend to visit this great place if you are a nature lover.

Do not come here for tent camping. These campgrounds are not hospitable for tent stakes. We bent 5…read morestakes and spent two hours trying to find a spot that would work at our sight (310). The ground is full of rocks and gravel. We saw some people that were able to pitch their tents, but they were few and far between. I'd say it was 95% RVs, 5% tents. Additionally, come to find out that our sight was right under electrical lines, which is not safe to sleep under, and on a curve with no barrier protection. So your choices are sleep under the lines or worry that an irresponsible driver is going to run you over. We talked to the supervisor on duty who gave us the option to switch to a different sight that they keep open for these situations or get a refund on one of the two days we reserved (there were no other sights available here or any other local campgrounds). Checking out the alternative sight, we found that is was basically all gravel with a small patch covered in leaves. Who knows what was under them but it wouldn't have been big enough for our tent. We sat for a moment to decide what we wanted to do and a woman in an RV next to us came over and we find out her friend had reserved the sight but couldn't make it so she cancelled. So the sup fibbed in telling us they keep one sight open. In the end, we had to turn around and drive the 3.5 hours home. They need to update their site to advise if a sight is not pitch-able for tent camping. Oh also, there were way too many people fishing. Apparently this place is crazy popular and there's a fisherman every 5 ft or so. Does not make for a good time.

Great hiking areas, creek access for wading. Great family and picnic area. Gun range on the west…read moreside along with my favorite trails, Purple, Orange and White. Great switchback trails and four season hiking and trail running. Horses are allowed also, so keep your eyes open. Always be prepared with water and bug spray!

Took my great grand kids here and they loved riding the bat coaster. Wish the food was cheaperread more

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.

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.

Cute little gardens. Not sure worth the entry fee. We usually go for Christmas light viewing in…read moreDecember. The nathaniel Greene Park attached to it is free and full of walking trails and green spaces for picnics and a few playgrounds.

Small but super nice Japanese garden. Normally $6/adult but they accepted our reciprocal Missouri…read moreBotanical Garden membership which is a nice perk. A lot of the paths seem to have a drainage problem from the heavy overnight rains, but a small issue considering how nice the garden is. Very relaxing and pretty empty for a nice Saturday midday visit!

While visiting relatives in Missouri, we came here with the kiddos…read more The kids loved cooling off on the splash pad. Remind kids NOT to run, one of our kids slipped and scraped their knee open. My husband and I looked at the fitness area. It looked like a pretty cool amenity. Wonder how many people actually use it though? There is also a pretty cool playground here. Loved the rubberized ground cover. (I personally dislike messy mulch or the ground up tires for playground ground cover). Lastly, the kids played on the huge theatrical stage. Not sure how/when this is utilized but it's a nice option for local bands or schools?? Numerous covered pavilions were here. A couple were being used for parties. One came in handy when a quick 5 minute downpour happened upon us. All in all, a nice park.

Cute little farm park. Fun little playground for kids approx 5-10 yoa. You can pet goats and cows…read moreand pigs (if they are cooperative in their pens). They have space to rent for parties (ac provided) but be prepared for barnyard smells. Lots of festivals thru the year hut Halloween is the big one where you can pick a pumpkin from the patch. Fishing available only for kids at a certain age so check their website. Free to get into park. Plenty of parking.

The pricing is like a bad carnival. Tickets for every attraction and random ticket count per each…read moreone. Nothing special and overpriced.