I would love to see this park in the peak of fall. We visited during Thanksgiving week. The bonus -…read morethe park was quiet with few visitors. The minus - it's the off season so you need a fully functioning RV for a longer stay as bathrooms are closed. The lodge provides food and basic necessities and gifts. We were near the water which was awesome. This is a trout fishing Mecca, so we got to see wading fishers and trout swimming upstream. Our premium family site accommodated 2 RVs, had electrical hookups and picnic tables with fire pits. Water was close by bu not on our site.

The park is beautiful but I wouldn't eat at the lodge. I have seen the quality of food and service…read moredeteriorate over 3 seasons. I have seen the prices be hyper inflated, $16 for ceaser salad with chicken. They are not very local friendly as well. We will continue to visit the park but will be skipping on meals there.

Best Nature Park Ever! Well managed and clean. So pure and natural. Great Music, Food Trucks, and…read moreStocked-Pond Trout fishing.

My partner and I drove out here from Ballwin, about 1.5 hours away, with our dog when it was nice…read moreoutside one day. I wasn't expecting much, but wow, was it worth the drive! The water in the sanctuary area is soooo blue. I couldn't believe my eyes. We walked along that part first, then walked past the hatchery. It was so cool to see the trout in different stages of life. Dogs aren't allowed to swim in the sanctuary or hatchery, and since we have a lab who's obsessed with the water, we kept walking to reach a spot where she could at least touch it. Lots of people were fishing, so we kept walking until we found a spot where she could splash around. As you can see from the photo, she had a wonderful time. We kept her leash on and I'd recommend others do the same. We didn't want her to get caught on a fishing line or scare any fish away that people were trying to catch. We paid $5 to get into the park as we were driving in, and we were able to pay with a credit card. There was plenty of parking even though it was the weekend. Definitely recommend for a day trip from the STL area!

Great trails and the views are totally worth the trip! Water way for you to relax and camp!read more

One of my favorite spots on Earth is the Current River, which is a part of the National Ozark…read moreScenic Riverway. If you enjoy nature, water, and outdoor fun then this is a must visit spot! There are several great places to visit as a part of this area, but my favorites by far are the Current River and Big Spring on the Current River, and the campground of the same name. I have a wonderful group of friends that introduced me to floating on the Current when I was in college, and ever since this river has held a special place in my heart. We usually camp at Big Spring Campground. There are both electric, non-electric, and RV hookup's. There are real bathrooms, as well as hot showers within walking distance of camp (not porta potties, but it is a campground - so say hello to your local, resident spiders and their webs). We like this camp, because it's right on the river, family friendly, and close to town but far enough out to enjoy nature. While camping a must do experience for all is a walk to Big Spring. It's a natural cold spring, whose source pumps out enough fresh water to fill Busch Stadium in 33 hours! I like to walk there in the early morning or twilight to see the mist roll in. http://www.nps.gov/ozar/planyourvisit/big-spring.htm The nearby town of Van Buren offers: - a nice Lodge for those who want a nice dinner and/or whose idea of camping is air conditioning, nice beds, and tv - the local ice cream spot called The Jolly Cone - the local cafe, The Floatstream Restaurant, for your typical small diner food and a pretty okay breakfast - various small shops to stock up on essentials: beer, sunblock, souvenir tshirts, snacks, replaceable float shoes and swimsuits, intertubes, gas, fishing bait, etc. - and a whole lot of other small town amenities The water is spring fed. So it's super cold and clear - perfect for a hot summer's day! The Current has a pretty decent current, with nice deep water and wading shallows dotted with periodic gravel bars. It's great for intertubing and canoe trips. Various campgrounds and businesses offer rentals and trips with pick up and drop off options (2, 4, 6 hour floats, or even multiple day trips). Check out the area and find YOUR favorite spots and recommendations. It will probably become one of your favorite places on Earth too!

Beautiful State Park!! Water is crystal clear and clean. Beautiful walking trails with lots of…read morescenery.

I recently visited Sam A. Baker State Park for the first time for a family reunion. I'm not sure…read morehow large of a park it is, as our family had reserved one of the first pavilions in the park, but there was a store near the front of the park so I imagine it's a pretty large one. Sam. A Baker seems to be a popular place. There were quite a few people camping in tents and RVs there a couple of weekends ago. I'm not the camping type and I only stayed during the day, so I can't say anything for the camping amenities. -1 star for the facilities. They had no running water inside. There was a place outside of the restrooms for washing one's hands and feet. However, there was no soap and no hot water. I feel that was rather unsanitary. I waded out in a river for the first time in my life. That was fun! I'd like to go again sometime.

Current River is currently the best river lol. Current River is the best place to go swimming,…read morefishing, floating in a boat or inner tube or any other summer activity. If you want to have fun this is the place.

Stopped here during a weekend trip near Lake of the Ozarks. Missouri has so many caves and I'd been…read morewanting to do one, so glad we picked this one. You can grab tickets online or in person, and they have a really cute gift shop with fun little trinkets worth browsing before or after your tour. Our tour guide Lee was so amazing! He's been there for years and years and you can just tell. Great stories, super personable, the kind of guide that makes the whole experience way more memorable. We even spotted a bat hibernating which was such a cool unexpected moment! The cave itself is fascinating and I loved that it was great for all ages. Our group ranged from little kids to people in their 70s and everyone was into it with no problems. A few spots can get slightly slippery so just watch your step, but there are handrails throughout so nothing felt unsafe. Also found out they host events here too like a black light event and even concerts inside the cave which sounds incredibly cool. Definitely want to come back for one of those. Overall I was really impressed and would highly recommend adding this to your Missouri road trip list.

The tour was amazing! I totally recommend it if you're in town ! Staff was really friendly, helpful…read moreand cheerful!!

Another Missouri treasure. Cool place to visit. Some people were swimming. A little too cold for me…read morebut not for some.

Campground is highly recommended. We stayed in pet friendly C5 camper cabin. There is a microwave,…read morefridge, a foldable couch, queen size bed inside and a fire pit, grill outside. Bring your own sheet set for the bed. Restrooms and bath houses are outside of the cabins from walk distance. there is hot and cold water. Toilet has water saving option. And there is diaper changing station inside of the restrooms. There is a nice pond in front of the cabins.

Falls were pretty. I expected more of a waterfall. The restroom is one seater and very stinky. I…read moreguess it's an outhouse. I couldn't stand the smell. I'm a country girl but eew

This is one of my favorite places to go in the summertime! It's handicap accessible, and a pretty…read moreeasy trail to walk. Although it's easy, there are tons of huge and beautiful rocks the kids love climbing on. It's just a really peaceful place. The trail is approximately 1 mile long.

A really cool place to spend a day or afternoon. About 2 hours from STL. I did not climb the rocks…read moreor swim in the lake, but simply I walked on the trail. The trail was about a mile long. You can also go off course and check out a historical part of the park, which is the old train station(?) - that being close to a skeleton. You can also go all the way to the top and check out the elephant rocks, while getting a somewhat great view. I say "somewhat" because the trees block a great view some of us are missing. I'm guessing it would be different visiting during the wintertime when there are no leaves on the trees.

Good creek I dink the water there I boil it than drink it chuppi I like the fish in Fb v therwread more

Has a nice trail to walk or run that runs along the creek. If you are lucky, while enjoying the…read morespring you might get to see divers enter or exit the spring. Good fishing location, water is cold due to the natural spring. Great parking however it's on a gravel road so your vehicle will get dusty as other vehicles drive along the road.