Sam A. Baker State Park

Location – 5/5 We visited Sam A. Baker State Park for Memorial Day weekend, our first car camping of the season. The state park is located in Patterson, MO off Highway 67. The drive was straight forward and very easy. Campground – 3/5 We camped on the largest camping holiday weekend of the year, so it may have been a bit more crowded than usual, but the entire campground was packed! This included very drunken, Continue Reading

Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest

Location – 5/5 Garden of the Gods is about an hour away from I57 interstate and was a very simple drive. There was a dedicated overnight backpackers parking area, though during busy times the day hikers take up spots. The official trail is 6.4 miles and seemed to be pretty accurate. Campground – 5/5 Most of the campsites were right on the trail, except the one we stayed at. It was about 30-40 feet off Continue Reading

Whispering Pines Trail at Hawn State Park

Location – 5/5 Hawn State Park was suggested to us over and over so we decided to check it out. The Whispering Pines Trail consists of 10 campsites which requires a permit to stay overnight, and they go quickly, so be sure to sign up early. The AllTrails mileage is off based on the route I created (5.8 mi. in from trailhead to campsite 10, 1.5 mi. out) compared to reality (7.6 mi. in, 2 Continue Reading