Took an afternoon drive and found ourselves in Tipton Park; enjoyed our lunch while my 3yr old…read moreplayed her heart out. The park is beautiful with several play structures, very well kept equipment and benches/tables to relax and enjoy the view. Nearby hills look like they'd be a blast for sledding, will definitely be bringing the family to test them out this winter. (Delayed review, but still love the park)

A Beautiful Park it has a lake and a path to walk on my sister took me through a little bit of it…read more Will continue after I do the entire park

I will say that the fishing here is great but the playground is not. If you're a fisherman like…read moreme, you would love this place as I myself have caught tons of fish and even quite a few turtles. I will say, though the playground is almost nonexistent, so this is not the best place to go with kids. Obviously not a problem for me, but for the little kids, I would go to a different park. Other than that, the park is very crowded and very nice.

Grossest bathrooms. We are on a cross country driving trip. Stopped for a picnic driving break. No…read morewaterfalls, lots of goose poop, most unclean bathrooms ever. No way I'd let my kids play here.

As a family of 6 we like to get active a play outside as much as possible, Hubbard park is…read moredefinitely one of Sedalia's hidden gems. The multiple play structures keep all our kiddos busy despite their wide age range. The zip line is very popular and even fun for brave adults willing to try. There are several pavilions available so bring the family for any occasion; basketball, soccer and disk golf also on site. Over all GREAT PLACE to catch so fresh air and let the kiddos blow off some steam!!

What a lovely spot to enjoy the outdoors! The view of the river along with 3 different counties is…read morebreathtaking! Have a little one? There's a playground for them! Have a toddler? Also, they have a playground for them! Like to watch baseball? Sit in the stands or bring a chair. Want to picnic? There's a place for that as well. You can't go wrong when you visit the parks here in Boonville Missouri!

We had some extra time waiting to meet up with family and a park seemed like a much better place…read morefor that than a fast-food joint. A local's recommendation led us here, and once we found our way off the main roads back here, it was exactly what we wanted. (Finding it's not that hard; follow the casino and historical marker signs and be patient. It's only about a mile off the main drag.) I only got to see part of this 31 acre park, but what I saw was great--several picnic shelters, BBQ pits, kids' play structures (including one with a mini rock-climbing wall! photo pending), and baseball diamonds. A great place to relax, watch a game, or meet friends. TRIVIA: This park is on the National Registry of Historic Places, and from its high point, you can see the start of the Santa Fe Trail.

This area was called "Monkey Mountains," because early settlers deemed the river bluffs too steep…read morefor even monkeys to climb. This place is as close to being out in the wild as you can get in the KC area. A little bit of a drive but worth it if you want a rugged terrain. It's perfect. Reaching the open meadow at the top is wonderful. Use bug spray and check for ticks.

Monkey Mountain is an 855 acre nature preserve in Eastern Jackson County, halfway in-between Grain…read moreValley and Oak Grove. The address I listed is the approximate address of the south entrance to the park, there is another entrance a little over a mile north off Old US 40 Hwy next to a softball field. The park is mostly undeveloped, which is what I love about it. You get to experience nature instead of a sanitized version of nature. There are two primary loop trails, one measuring 3.5 miles and one measuring between 2-3 miles depending on the route taken. Numerous smaller trails criss-cross between these main trails and branch out forming various side loops. You can spend hours hiking here and not see everything. The park caters to hikers and equestrians. I usually encounter a few other people at the park but only between long stretches of complete isolation. The elevation ranges from about 780 feet on the banks of Sni-a-Bar Creek to about 950 feet at the summit. There is a wide variety of terrain in the park: marshy lowlands in the north and northwest, thick woods and steep terrain covering most of the western half, limestone outcroppings along the ridge and at the south end of the park, a huge roiling meadow in the center, and farmed land along the eastern edges. Several ponds dot the landscape, and numerous tiny streams feed into Sni-a-Bar Creek along the western edge. There is even a waterfall in the park, but I will not reveal the location since it is both a fragile and a dangerous feature (especially in winter). Finding it can be part of your adventure. In the spring and early summer the park's meadows are filled with a wide variety of wildflowers, and wildlife can be spotted year-round. I've seen deer, foxes, turkeys, tortoises and turtles, all sorts of birds, and even evidence of some sort of wildcat. In the first half of the 20th century, much of what is now Monkey Mountain Park was part of a show farm called Sni-a-Bar Farms, owned by William Rockhill Nelson. The hillside and meadow were used for grazing sheep. Evidence of that can still be seen today in the form of farm remnants such as an old boundary fence running east-west through the middle of the park. If you hike the park, don't do it alone until you are familiar. Even though there are trails they are not always easy to see, and some portions of the trails can be treacherous. If your hike takes you through the northwest portion of the park you can expect to encounter mud pretty much year round so wear appropriate shoes. You will also need to carry your own water, there are no facilities at the park except at the softball field and an outhouse at the south entrance.

One of the cutest playgrounds we've been to yet! The equipment is all accessible and so much fun…read more There is an outdoor musical area that is super cool, a "flying Fox", and an in-ground merry go round. Across the way in the park is also the T.B. Hanna Station splash pad, open after Memorial Day. The area is set up like a train station and is adorable for all ages. You'll also find restrooms, water fountains, and a covered picnic table area. It's a great spot for all ages and abilities!

Its fantastic for family gatherings. Plenty of activities and the restrooms are close. Easy close…read moreparking and flat surfaces to walk.

Unfortunately I did not get to tour the Lodge, since reservations must be made 24 hours in advance…read moreand I didn't do my proper research until the night before driving to Sedalia. The Lodge is quite striking from Highway 65 and the view of central Missouri is beautiful from the patio. I'm pretty sure that the experience would be so much enjoyable if I had been able to enter the mansion instead of just reading about it's interesting history. Even if you don't have a reservation go check out the view and what little you can see; it's only about a 3 minute drive off of US65. A cool and unique addition to the Missouri state parks system.

This is one of the best parks in Missouri! The lodge is interesting but not particularly…read moreoutstanding. But the park itself is very nice with very many trees and really nice places to have picnics. There is also a basic gym area for the children and those who have decided not to grow up completely. We are losing our places to just be out in the trees and fresh air and just relax! This is one of the best places left.

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. But that's Missouri for you. High crime, a lot of drug dealers and completely worthless police.

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.

This was a cool cave, but what made it exceptional was the tour guides Macy and Ethan. Macy,…read moreanswered all of our questions and was funny. Ethan, was our escape room expert/guide he was very kind and really got into character which made the experience even better. Overall, this was a very unique and fun cave experience!

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.