Location – 5/5
St. Francois was a campground we decided to visit because it was only 45 minutes from our house. The state park is located in Bonne Terre, MO off Highway 67. The drive was very easy.
Campground – 3/5
The sites at St. Francois are fairly close together, which is normal for a state park. We had enough room for our things but no room to spare. We camped at the north loop non-electric sites at spot 72. Our site was decent and all the sites in the north loop were pretty much the same. The ground was soft and stakes went in easy. It down poured our trip and one downside about our site was that it turned into a mud pit. I would recommend trying to get something in a bit more of a grassy area. We did end up cutting our trip short due to the storms, but the site was good enough.
Activities – 2/5
Swimming, Kayaking/Boating
The only real activity other than playground was the river. We went down to the river and it was moving too fast to get in. There was also no beach area.
Hiking – 3/5
Due to the rain, we weren’t able to get out to hike, but there were quite a few trails to go explore.
Amenities – 2/5
Bathrooms
The bathrooms next to the campsite were vault toilets, but a short walk up the road lead to flush toilets with showers.
Firewood and Shopping
Firewood was available at the camp entrance for $5. They also had ice cream available for purchase.
Overall Rating – 3/5
St. Francois was a popular campground. Overall the sites were a little too close together and not big enough. It would be fine for a quick camping trip, and it was close to home, but there are better places available. I think we will try again some day when the forecast is better.
