If you are a trail runner stay away from the red trail. I started at the trailhead from Lake Boutin. The first half mile of trail is fine. After that it becomes overgrown. At 1.4 miles of this nine mile trail I had to turn back because the trail was impassable with fallen trees and overgrowth. It didn't look like a recent tree downing, it appeared to have been here awhile. I don't think these trails are used very often. Maybe I got off trail. Hard to tell since it was not well marked either. Maybe people only go half a mile and turn back. I had to jump in the lake afterwards to rinse off any potential poison oak/ivy oils. Either way I would not recommend the red loop for running. If you enjoy bushwhacking, running with a machete, and doing volunteer trail maintenance then this trail is perfect for you. That's the only situation where I would suggest this trail for running. Best of luck out there. read more

We stopped here on way to another town so we could decide if it was worth a trip back here to hike their trails. The gal at visitor center was so nice. She was very knowledgeable about the trails here as well as local history. She obviously loves her job and that is a wonderful thing to see. The center itself was very nice with a large number of taxidermy birds and mammals. The history of Indians and the forced march they had to endure is focal point of this park. The park offers some good views out over the mighty Mississippi River. We will return to hike the trails on another day! read more

The RV spots are immediately adjacent to a train track. 50 yards away at most. Trains run multiple times through the night. We have a baby and couldn't stay the night. The first thing the camp host told us was "no refunds." It was tacky. We left after being there a few hours. There's no way we could handle being so close to a train track. read more

I came here during my Cross-Country solo adventure/road trip. I was on my way to experience 'The Great River Road' in MO ' and this was one of the stops. This State Park is perfect for the entire family. When I went there was especially gorgeous with lots of wild flowers and yellow and orange leaves. The tragic history that gives Trail of Tears State Park its name provides a sharp contrast to the serence and peaceful setting and the abundance of recreational opportunities. The park is located on the site where nine of 13 groups of Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi River in harsh winter conditions in 1838-39 and thousands lost their lives on the trail. This clean park has shaded picnic sites, hiking and horse trails, campsites and opportunities to fish in both the Mississippi River and Lake Boutin. read more

Everyone in America needs to spend some time here... It is a humbling experience to recognize just how mean-spirited a country we were not so long ago... read more

Trail of Tears State Park, Cape Girardeau, MO. Located on the Mississippi River 30.00 night plus a service charge on line. We camped in a towable camper. Pros : great view, large lots, concrete slab and lots of grass and trees. Cargo barges running up and down the River Cons: 100 ft. from rail road tracks which seem to run every 30 minutes and blow their horns even every couple if hours throughout the night. The nearest facility is a vault toilet. We didn't unhook since it was just for one night. We didn't use them because it was to far to walk but the bath house and laundry looked fine. Only one washer and dryer. Don't think I would stay there again it is a ways off the highway and the trains!!!! read more

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My husband and I drove down from Minnesota for the solar eclipse as it was in the path of totality. GREAT viewing for this due to the lack of trees. The park was great with this event as they blocked off the entrance to the Mississippi River Campground, which allowed us campsite privacy and room to breathe, even though we were the very first site seen when you drive in. Pros: Swimming, showers, dog friendly, GREAT campground host (he even came and sang to us, invited us to look at the stars via telescope, and constantly was ensuring we had what we needed. Cons: 0% shade on the river-side of the Mississippi River Campground. Obviously the 100% temps were not in their control, but we definitely noticed the lack of shade on our side of the campground, and the nearest shelter was about a 1/4 mile walk away. Also our MAJOR disappointment was with the train track that followed alongside the campground. During the day, its existence is fine since the park is bustling with noise already, but I think the train goes through the campground about every hour throughout the ENTIRE night. The roaring and rumbling on the ground, not to mention the train horn (you know how loud those are) sounding throughout their entire trip through the park was horrible. My dog would tremble anytime those trains even began to approach. This campground is NOT recommended for dogs, children, or anyone who is sensitive to insanely loud noises at random. read more

This is a nice State Park to show my out of state family some of the beauty of Missouri. The best part of the visit to the park was before we came here I was telling my California family how my mother always said to "watch for deer" anytime I was driving. So as we were driving to the different look out sites guess who was driving and a fawn jumped out in front of their car. Our visiting family. I was excited they got to see the beauty of the lush green trees, the muddy Mississippi River, and the history that surrounds it. read more

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I had to make my reservation online. Because I have never made a reservation to a state park before I wanted to do it right so I called and a young lady helped me. I explained that I wanted full services, premium if they were available. I explained that we have a 37' fifth wheel with 3 slide outs . HOWEVER, when we got to the lot it didn't have ANY services! I was very aggravated and called the office to see if we could change spaces. She said absolutely not. We decided to just try to make the best of it because we do have a generator, but the host came by and said that we couldn't use it. The host , Ken, was so very nice! He listened to what happened and said that he had one lot available with full services. I was so relieved. After we got set up, Ken came by and checked on us and asked if we had everything we needed, thanks to him, we did! read more

While we didn't get to explore this park much besides staying in the campground and jumping into the lake in the middle of February for charity, it has all of the things you want in a state park or camping. Pros: Bike paths, swimming, beautiful views of the Mississippi River, resourceful and extremely helpful visitor's center Cons: Feels like the train is ripping through your sleeping space several times throughout the night read more

The park was amazing! Whilst swimming at the beast I saw a large shadow pass by and I was curious as to what it was..my girl and looked closer and to our amazement there was several good size catfish swimming with us and you could see them very clear it was amazing! read more

Came here for a polar plunge, and stayed in the campground near the Mississippi River. The staff was VERY friendly, and helped us with information, transportation, and our accommodations. The campground was beautiful, and right on the river. The only issue was the train that came by twice in the middle of the night, and because you can cross the tracks, it has to blow its ridiculously loud horn when it passes by! read more

In many ways this is quite a special park. The electric campgrounds are right on the Mississippi River, which was high and fast while I stayed there. You can watch the dozens of tugs and barges going by at least one per hour, 24 hours per day. There are train tracks right AT the campground. VERY loud, it would be fun I suppose if you had young kids who liked trains. Lots of bugs, but what do you expect right by the river? Many sites are well shaded. I loved the intense sounds of at least three species of cicadas. There were some detractors--the campground host yelled at me when I switched campsites (after I called the park office). I think he was a husband-part of a married couple host team. He may have had incipient dementia. The wife was not around but drove up later. I calmed him down and the park supervisor came down and talked with him, too. Compassionate. This actually is not why I'm giving the park a 3 instead of a 4. The "3" score comes with two points. 1. the shower house is 1/4 away from the campgrounds, and 2. none of the guests followed the posted rules about quiet times, etc. I was privy to a two hour drunken husband/wife argument in which the f-bomb and s-bomb made frequent entrances. At 11 PM my finger was poised to call 911 when the husband told the wife "I'm just about to knock you out of the f---king chair" but I couldn't complete the call as I had no signal. The campers were only me, one 5th wheel I never saw anyone around, and the park hosts. I really didn't think they were up to doing anything, even if they were still awake. The two drunks kept their outdoor radio on until 1 AM. Folks at site number 5 on Thursday, June 11, you know who you are. read more