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
Swimming
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
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
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
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
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Location – 4/5 Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is a park on the East Fork Black River in Reynolds County, Missouri. The park flooded in 2005, caused by a pump storage plant reservoir failing, and the park was rebuilt and reopened in 2006 through 2010, including a new campground. We visited in July 2020 and it was hot. We’d definitely recommend trying to go when it’s a little cooler as the swimming area is a car ride away. The drive Continue Reading
Spring Lake Ranch
Location – 4/5 Spring Lake Ranch is located near Potosi, Missouri. It is on the Sayersbrook Lake. What used to be a Bison ranch is now a premier campground. We found this location on Hipcamp. It’s right next to the Mark Twain National Forest in Potosi, MO and through long, winding roads. The location is used for events with a big lodge for rent, and has lots of different types of lodging such as cabins, Continue Reading