The water is beautiful and the fishing is great. Getting up early to watch the mist on the water is a must. Tranquil and fun!

Like Alley Spring, I could spend all day in this park. The spring is beautiful and the surrounding water works are really neat. If you can get a spot, I suggest going during the frontier days.

I enjoyed the cave, but the tour was much more cheesy than Onondaga cave. I also thought the zip line was a cool thing to have. Thankfully, everything from the flood a couple years back has been cleaned up!

One of my favorite campgrounds. Spots right on the current river make it a beautiful place to stay or a great place to put in or take out. Usually not too crowded, and the spots are pretty secluded.

My favored cave in Missouri by far. I highly suggest you go for the day or stay the weekend and enjoy the cave tours and surrounding area.

My grandfather has been talking about his love of this campground since I was a little kid, and now I know why. If you have any interest in being alone and fishing the Missouri this is the place for you. While there are no hookups, generators are welcome or primitive camping is fine when the temperature is right. We put out trout lines and also trolled the river and never saw another soul while we camped. However, I have heard that kids some times party down there.

If Johnson Shut ins is full (which is likely if you don’t plan way ahead), then this is another option. Usually not too crowded, the campground isn’t anything spectacular, but you are still able to get to Taum Sauk, Elephant Rock, it Johnson Shut ins in a reasonable amount of time. Plus, there’s a great ice cream place and restaurant nearby in Arcadia.

While Stockton Lake itself brings a lot to the table, with beautiful blue water, cliffs to jump from, and close proximity to town if you are craving some ice cream (I suggest Squeeze Inn), the State Park and several of the other campground sites offered by the Corps of Engineers or by private citizens are always jammed together with few trees. This campground is an exception. There is plenty of room and the trees make your site feel much more private. If it isn’t full, I suggest Hawker Point as your first choice when headed to Stockton Lake

Great place to go primitive if the weather is right and no matter the weather, the water is beautiful. Our favorite time to go is in the fall when the leaves begin to change. The water may be chilly, but the views and the fishing are perfect. I highly suggest this place, but I do suggest lots of bug spray. For some reason, I always get eaten up by mosquitos in this area.

Has the same feel as Bennett Springs. I would say it is worth the trip if you want to do some trout fishing and spend some quality time with your family. The water is chilly, but even going and not fishing is great as it is a beautiful area.

This is another great area to put in or take out while floating. The water is beautiful and there are great rock formations and bluffs close to the site.

This is a great place for us to take our dog to run and also a great place to mountain bike. Trails are color coded and they do a great job of separating them by difficulty. The lake also has great fishing if you want to put in a canoe and do some paddling around.

Beautiful camp sites and a beautiful river to paddle around on. This park usually isn’t very crowded which is really nice. It is very tranquil and perfect for a weekend get away.

We love hiking this area. There are fields and wooded areas along with a beautiful creek. It’s fun to search for mushrooms and you are guaranteed to see deer and turkey. Great flowers for viewing in the Spring as well.

The newness of Echo Bluff means that all of the facilities are clean and in working order. Camp spots are spacious, and the restaurant is great to eat and watch the sunset. Floating sinking creek is amazing, with deep pools to swim in and great fishing. The only difficult part is actually getting in to camp since the park is in such high demand. I suggest planning several months in advance. Also in close proximity to Alley Spring, which is a must see.

Easy access to the Osage river which is nice, but the campsite itself is a pretty tight fit without very many trees. It serves its purpose though!

Great food and views! I suggest trying the Thai food, but if you aren’t into that they also have BBQ. This is a very relaxing spot and I recommend checking it out. Right next to the Katy Trail and the river, you can bike, boat, or drive there. Don’t forget to stop and look at boathenge!

Great trails for biking and hiking and the creek is perfect for cooling off. However, this place can get really really busy.

Everything from fishing, shooting, and bicycling, but not a huge fan of the area to camp— it is just a giant concrete pad.

But it is too open of a campsite with few trees and lots of grass. I recommend going on a hike and going to see a show in Arrow Rock! It is great to go when they are having a festival and dress in period clothing.