Best Cabin Camping near Wappapello Lake

We love to camp here, we have lots of friends here, old and new. There is swimming year round with 2 indoor pools, hot tubs and sauna. Summer time swimming at 1 outdoor pool and 2 swimming beaches at the lake. You can rent paddle boats, canoes, kayaks and fishing boats. Plenty to do all year round like, play indoor mini golf, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, arcade games and watch a movie. There is horseback riding, pony rides and the jump pillow are big favorites. Sit around the fire, go to the Tiki Hut for a drink, order a pizza or something to eat at the restaurant. Sometimes there is live music on the weekend.'

Huge park with tons of amenities and options. Although there is year round Camping, the host on site advised water to each individual site will be turned off end of October for winter. Potable water is available near dump stations (hmmm....). Very well kept, and vacant this time of year, affords the opportunity for a more private camping and river experience. Clean well kept shower houses. Lodge & cabin rentals also available. Boat ramp in back of campground. Campsites with blue bands and parking stops are ADA compliant with concrete pads, elevated grills plus fire ring and picnic table.

I had no idea what to expect, just following brown signs in the Ozarks. The state park has a very interesting, well done visitor center to learn about the surrounding areas geological history. Arriving at the shut-ins by walking down a wooden boardwalk you get glimpses of crystal clear rushing water, then it opens up to points to get in. It's beautiful and impressive. The water has carved out tide pools and waterslides, canals and whirlpools. There are several deep collections if you want to take a break and float around. There are trout and blue gill, armadillo and elk in the area. Down the road a bit there is also Elephant Rock State Park and campground with walk in primitive camping that each have raised decks, picnic tables and fire pits. Also available RVs and cabin rentals. I personally walked around and collected quartz and mushrooms. Very pleasant.

So in the winter we can't stay away from the state parks and Johnson Shut Ins is a perfect base to explore the area when it is too cold to tent camp with kids. We got a camper cabin in the first weekend of December and brought our two dogs. The campground is mostly empty this time of year. The showerhouses are clean with hot water and there is a friendly host. We bought firewood at a gas station in Arcadia before we got to the park. Of course it was a little wet but burned OK. I wasn't sure if wood was available in the park because of limited facility openings during the offseason. We walked the Shut Ins trail one morning and it was misty and beautiful. No dogs allowed there though. There is some cell service on the cabin loop. My only complaint is other campers, who let their dogs run loose. Obviously not the park's fault. The cabins are clean and very nice with rockers on the front porch. We visited Elephant Rocks also, where dogs are allowed.