Berryman Trail

Location – 4/5 This trail was located off highway 44 or 55 but decently easy to get to. This was a popular mountain biking and trail running trail, but it was also a great backpacking trail if you wanted to get in some miles. The trailhead was near the Berryman campground and there was plenty of parking. Campground – 3/5 Brazil Creek Campground We backpacked for 3 days and 2 nights. The first night we Continue Reading

St. Francois State Park

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 Continue Reading

Oak Point Campground

Location – 3/5 We visited Oak Point Campground for an easy weekend getaway. This park is located near Golcanda, IL and is about 10 minutes from Lake Glendale swimming area. Lake Glendale area is a quick detour off Interstate 24 and decently easy to find. Campground – 4/5 One of the nice things about these campsites are the simplicity of them. There’s not much around but a nice flat private area, which is really all Continue Reading

Maramec Spring Park

Location – 5/5 We visited Maramec Spring Park as part of a non-school sponsored gathering as COVID had prevented everyone from seeing each other for almost 7 months. The quarantine afterwards was almost worth it so the kids could finally play with other humans. Maramec Spring Park is located in St. James, MO and right off Highway 44. Campground – 4/5 The campground we stayed at was a big loop with a large open area in Continue Reading

Redbud Campground at Bell Smith Springs

Location – 2/5 It was Labor Day 2020 weekend and we had originally planned to stay at Oak Point Campground in Golconda, IL on Lake Glendale. The site was first come first serve and as we arrived around 4pm, we were informed they were totally booked as of 30 minutes ago. She let us know there was a more primitive first come first serve campsite called Rosebud up the road that had sites available. The Continue Reading