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.

5 stars because it is still here. There are picnic tables and a good sized parking area. It is…read moresituated in the median, in between the west and eastbound lanes. Interestingly, perhaps 30 or 50 miles east on I-44 is a rest stop also in the median. Access to westbound traffic only. But, I think the speed limit on I-44 is 70mph and at that speed it feels just unnatural to slow down in the fast lane to exit the highway! Anyway, the roadside park doesn't have that concern since the speed limit is in the 40's. It is a nice space with large trees and picnic tables. There is no fence around it so not a good place to take small kids who like to run to the edge of things. Just a few miles west is historic Waynesville and Roubidoux Springs - both places worth visiting.

My partner and I drove out here from Ballwin, about 1.5 hours away, with our dog when it was nice…read moreoutside one day. I wasn't expecting much, but wow, was it worth the drive! The water in the sanctuary area is soooo blue. I couldn't believe my eyes. We walked along that part first, then walked past the hatchery. It was so cool to see the trout in different stages of life. Dogs aren't allowed to swim in the sanctuary or hatchery, and since we have a lab who's obsessed with the water, we kept walking to reach a spot where she could at least touch it. Lots of people were fishing, so we kept walking until we found a spot where she could splash around. As you can see from the photo, she had a wonderful time. We kept her leash on and I'd recommend others do the same. We didn't want her to get caught on a fishing line or scare any fish away that people were trying to catch. We paid $5 to get into the park as we were driving in, and we were able to pay with a credit card. There was plenty of parking even though it was the weekend. Definitely recommend for a day trip from the STL area!

From Manchester, MO I can be trout fishing in 90 minutes. I wanted to make one more trip before the…read moretrout fishing season closes on October 31. First time catching a bluegill at this park. The leaves were falling continuously from the trees which made the experience more beautiful. We had a blast.

So glad we discovered this community park. Nice combination of playground, splash pad, picnic…read morearea, walking paths - and close to the commemorative Trail of Tears area. This is a 1/2 way point for meeting family that provides a fun break from the car ride for my grandchildren. Always clean and well tended.

Great playground for the kids. Clean and well kept. There is a skate park just behind the…read moreplayground and swimming pools nearby. They have bathroom facilities and shade trees. Open late.

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.

Had a great time here!…read more Five friends and I went on an amazing hike and caught some great views! Took lots of pictures of the wonderful nature and wildlife! Would definitely recommend these trails!

We decided to venture out to a really cool state park while we are staying near Lebanon. There is…read moreno admission fee and you can park right next to the castle if you are mobility challenge, but we parked at a lower level and hiked up. I'll paved walkway, not a bad walk at all. I added the picture of the story of the Kansas City businessman that decided to purchase 5000 acres and build a castle here back in the early 1900s. You can read the story on that particular photo. The ruins seem well maintained, you are not allowed to walk in them, but you can get pretty close and take photographs. There are also several viewing platforms around the area, which gives you some pretty cool views of lake of the Ozarks. They do have pit toilet Bathrooms available. Beautiful place and can highly recommend for a historical visit as well as spending some time in nature.

We went further down where the water park is located. My kids love this place and today will be the…read morethird time there this week, there is a lot for them to do and most importantly my 4 yr old is so entertained!! Plus they do have little life jackets for the kids so you don't have to lug around so much stuff. The only thing that bothers me about this place is the lifeguards! It's like every single one has a freaking attitude! Can you at least try to pretend to like that you work there? You don't do much but watch out for the kids... I'm here visiting so if I knew a better place with better attitudes I'd be there in a heartbeat!!

Drove here from Columbia to help with the annual "Kickoff for Kids" sponsored by numerous outreach…read moreprograms and the United Way. We helped the Food Bank with their bubble booth. Great park!

I love this Springfield park perhaps most of all. I love to trot down here for a good run, and…read moreevery time I do, I feel like I see something new. I see birthday parties; I see families, couples, people walking their dogs; I see LARPers (look it up); I see potlucks; I see high school science projects; I see track teams; I see lone runners. This is a great place to see the Springfield community at their happiest and most relaxed. Not to mention it offers an impressive amount of amenities: a few tennis courts, a full playground, BBQ pits, a sprinking of permament art installations, and a very nice, covered communal area. This is a very old park, and the practicality of it paired with all the old stone work and giant Oak trees makes for a unique place to stop and unwind alone or with your favorite people/pets. A few other reasons why Phelps rocks: it's in a gorgeous, well-established neighborhood full of interesting and well-maintaned forever homes and it's right next to the beloved art museum. It also has a righteously awesome butterfly garden (you'll see it if you look in the direction of the museum from the park itself), and walking through it in the summer is legitimately like walking in a dream. It's quite lovely. One word of advice I can provide is that this park is also historically a not-so-good place to visit after nightfall, as most Springfield parks are. Get your recreational fix in before sunset and call it a day, unless you're with a group.

Phelp's Grove Park is always a winning park to hang out at, and I was most recently there for Yoga…read morein the Park. How perfect is Phelp's for that kind of thing? There is a concrete pad that fits dozens of people for the event. It was really perfect and I absolutely enjoyed myself and the Yoga. As for the rest of the park, there's a lot of room to run around and have fun for both kids and dogs, there are tennis courts and picnic spots, and you just really can't go wrong with an art museum bordering one side.

I am visiting Lake of the Ozarks for two days, and my first order of business is to find a dog park…read morefor my dog. I found this spot immediately during my Google search. The Bark Park is far from most dog parks that I've been to in MO, and it is spacious and well-maintained. Just make sure to clean up after your dogs, please! I highly recommend this place if you are in town and need a dog park for your dogs!

Great park for dogs. Clean and lots of fresh water. The park has a downhill slope which was great…read morefor ball throwing and exercising dogs. Worth the stop. Extra balls, lots of doggie bags. Lots of shade and big!

Great trails and the views are totally worth the trip! Water way for you to relax and camp!read more

One of my favorite spots on Earth is the Current River, which is a part of the National Ozark…read moreScenic Riverway. If you enjoy nature, water, and outdoor fun then this is a must visit spot! There are several great places to visit as a part of this area, but my favorites by far are the Current River and Big Spring on the Current River, and the campground of the same name. I have a wonderful group of friends that introduced me to floating on the Current when I was in college, and ever since this river has held a special place in my heart. We usually camp at Big Spring Campground. There are both electric, non-electric, and RV hookup's. There are real bathrooms, as well as hot showers within walking distance of camp (not porta potties, but it is a campground - so say hello to your local, resident spiders and their webs). We like this camp, because it's right on the river, family friendly, and close to town but far enough out to enjoy nature. While camping a must do experience for all is a walk to Big Spring. It's a natural cold spring, whose source pumps out enough fresh water to fill Busch Stadium in 33 hours! I like to walk there in the early morning or twilight to see the mist roll in. http://www.nps.gov/ozar/planyourvisit/big-spring.htm The nearby town of Van Buren offers: - a nice Lodge for those who want a nice dinner and/or whose idea of camping is air conditioning, nice beds, and tv - the local ice cream spot called The Jolly Cone - the local cafe, The Floatstream Restaurant, for your typical small diner food and a pretty okay breakfast - various small shops to stock up on essentials: beer, sunblock, souvenir tshirts, snacks, replaceable float shoes and swimsuits, intertubes, gas, fishing bait, etc. - and a whole lot of other small town amenities The water is spring fed. So it's super cold and clear - perfect for a hot summer's day! The Current has a pretty decent current, with nice deep water and wading shallows dotted with periodic gravel bars. It's great for intertubing and canoe trips. Various campgrounds and businesses offer rentals and trips with pick up and drop off options (2, 4, 6 hour floats, or even multiple day trips). Check out the area and find YOUR favorite spots and recommendations. It will probably become one of your favorite places on Earth too!