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.

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

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!

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.

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.

Weston Bend State Park is a peaceful and beautiful spot located near the town of Weston, MO. The…read morepark is famous for its picturesque beauty, walking trails that winds through forests overlooking the Missouri River. I visited the park in winter last yr and fell in love with it. Primarily I just hiked around but I saw many people bird watching, and enjoying the quiet nature as well. The best part is the scenic overlook that gives a beautiful view of the river valley, especially at sunset. When I visited the park, it felt calm and less crowded. That definitely makes it a nice place for families or anyone who wants a break from busy life. My suggestion to everyone one is to hike at this park and then head to the town of Weston to enjoy some hot wine at Pritle Wineries followed by amazing food at the O'malleys pub.

Small park that nestles along the Missouri River…read more Trails for hiking and biking exist on the eastern side. You can also camp and picnic. If you hike along the West Ridge you will climb up to the ridge and come up to some overlooks that look into Kansas. The park was unmanned on Indigenous Peoples Day, but folks were able to access the park. If you have pets, the park has a small dog park at the front end. Plenty of benches can be found along the lower trails to take a load off. Right now the leaves are turning into their fall shades and the birds that come in the fall are arriving for the birders that are on the hunt. Plenty of information can be found at the trail head. There are clean bathrooms. The water fountains don't work, but the taps do. The weather today was awesome. I will return.

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.

This park is part of the ongoing Chillicothe beautification projects. This is one of the most…read morepicturesque downtown areas that you will find. They have done a fantastic job with it.

Literally the most harassing staff I have ever encountered in my RV adventures. The staff drive the…read moreloop multiple times an hour just stop and harass families. They will not produce any rules saying "it's posted on the board." I have seen them look through my fire pit and go through trash. I do not know what they're hoping to find. In 100 degree 4th of July weekend my French Bulldog needed to cool off. She has a baby pool and we filled it with 1 inch of water. As soon as she stepped in it came the fun police to tell us that no pools are allowed and no five gallon buckets because "kids can get hurt." We have no kids and aren't going to police other people's kids. Did I also mention the rv sites have no running water? If you didn't fill up your fresh water tank when you arrived then you are totally screwed. We were told if we didn't throw the baby pool away we would be kicked out. Why would I throw my pool away for this guy? We dumped it out and he again asked us to throw it away. It would be fine if we were provided the rules on check in or if the host wasn't a total garbage person. He doesn't wear a mask and he gets up in your face which puts me and my husband at risk. The whole reason we are camping is to get away from people and avoid COVID. I will be reporting this guy to Missouri State Parks. Zero stars: 30amp hookups Non supervised children No water No sewer Harassing staff Staff non compliant with masks Staff does not understand social distancing.