Van Meter State Park

We camped out here for the weekend. 

The campground is one circular lot with I think around 18 spots. Some are basic just for tents and some have water and or electric. 

The ones on the inside of the circle have more space and are more open but you don't have any privacy. Most spots on the outside of the circle, especially on the north and west sides have more privacy but not as much space. 

The grounds are well kept with grass while maintained. 

I hiked on most of the trails in one day. I missed the memorial trail and boardwalk. Home that I walked on will maintained. Some of them are more difficult than others but none of them too strenuous. 

Note about the lake - Once you get to the parking lot for the lake you'll see nothing but trees. On the east side of the parking lot (next to the state park signage/billboard) there are two trail heads. Take the one on the left. There's a quarter mile hike down to the lake. The way back is mostly uphill. Not too steep, but steep enough you might feel it if you don't do much hiking/walking. 

Playground It had a nice playground for small kids including a little play area and some swing sets. 

Restrooms There were two bathrooms present. One was a traditional drop toilet. It had a solar fan so surprisingly it did not have any smell. The other bathroom has a shower and the women's had two toilets and the men's had one toilet and a urinal. Everything was clean. 

Dog-friendliness We did not take any dogs but we saw plenty of people who had dogs.

Clean, well cared for campground. The even numbered sites are really big and back up to big open grassy area with shade trees. The odd numbered sites are smaller and may hold water after a rain, but more private. Bring plenty of bug spray. The campground is right by a marsh and it is REALLY buggy. Several short hikes in the park that are appropriate for kids and dogs.

Tent camping here was amazjng it has hook up sites as well. Very spacious and nice bathrooms as well as a shower house!! 10/10 would reccomend. Also 12$ for the night... cant complain! If you continue through the park there is a lake you can hike to and a bird viewing area.

The perfect state park camping experience.

It's one of those parks I want to give a bad review to so the secret can be kept.

Great hiking trails and helpful hosts. Sites are all very level. Marsh nearby so be prepared for buggy atmosphere. Cool local towns with historic areas. Quiet camp definitely check with programs as there are only a few sites. Trails through marsh on raised platform are awesome. Woke up with a little friend in our tent lol wife was not pleased. All in all abundant wildlife and a calm cool getaway.

Great park. Electric $21 in season. $19 off season. Off season starts Nov 1. Showers, water, ice machine, firewood, firepits.

We camped here over Memorial Day weekend in 2017 - the campgrounds were fairly empty! The area was grassy and open and well maintained. The campground host was incredibly nice and helpful, as this was our fist camping experience in the MO State Park system and we had no idea what we were doing!

The visitors center has some great information and interesting displays about American Indian heritage.

Before leaving, we took the short .10 mile Missouri River Overlook Trail.

We had intended to fish in Lake Woolridge, but the gate was closed already for the night when we arrived.

This is a campground that I have high intentions of returning to.