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    Bennett Spring State Park

    3.4 (22 reviews)

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    Cabins
    Max M.

    Bennett Springs State Park is nice, if you are into Trout fishing. They have a hatchery and release every day fish into the stream. The number of fish is depending on the number of tags sold. You can rent a cabin, a hotel room or you can camp. They have a swimming pool, if you want to cool down. However the "Lifeguards" kids running it, will close it as soon they see dark clouds, Downside: Since the fish is stocked, your catching achievement is somewhat low. Also, in the morning there are more than 1,000 fishermen on any given summer day in the stream, on a busy weekend , they sell more than 2,500 tags.

    Eric P.

    Not my favorite state park so far. I've been to a few, and although this places has a ton of amenities, I feel like it is capitalizing on every aspect as often as possible. You would think that swimming would at least come with a purchase of a campsite... Campsites are very limited for basic site campers who simply want to pitch a tent (Literally four sites available). Despite the fact that they don't look too terrible, they're right next to each other in a crowded string of campers. The park includes a playground, plenty of places to fish, as well as a store and a restaurant. As far as the restaurant goes, I was less than impressed. You're definitely better off packing your own food. It's not that it's terrible, it's just that it's certainly not worth the high prices they charge. It was my assumption that the rainbow trout would be a bit cheaper since they just have to go to their backyard to stock up. $14.99 isn't the worst price, and probably worth it since its fresh, but I feel weird paying anything over $9.99 for something of that nature. They offer a (One Trip) salad bar with the purchase of any entree (An average of $10 a meal). The quality of which is comparable to your local buffet. Though, if paying more for this buffet quality somehow makes you feel better, you'll be sure to enjoy! Not the best customer service either. When we came to the Park Office to get our Centennial book passport stamped, they acted as if we were doing something illegal. Every state park we've been to so far has had their stamps within the office, so we were simply confused. Yet they rudely instructed us to go to the store instead. All this after we struggled to find the office in the first place due to their inability to properly place signage. As we got our stamps, we found out about the pricing of canoeing ($45). Which was absolutely absurd since we just had a camping and canoeing package at a neighboring park for $24 altogether. At the end of the day, it's a large park with a lot of ammonites, but there are certainly better parks out there. I've seen a lot smaller ones (Like Johnson Shut-Ins) so far more with far less. Don't let this keep you from trying it yourself though. I urge you to come and check it out for yourself, but it just wasn't for me.

    Canoes for rent at park!
    Adrienne H.

    Just finished camping here in a pop up. We stayed in campground 4. It's a nice size loop. Nice facilities, shower houses, and store. The store has soft serve cream. That's where the line was at night! Also a dining spot too. Swimming pool, hiking, fishing, hatchery, and much more. Lodging looks nice as well. Floating trips here are great! We dropped in at Moon River and came back to car. No crowds and very scenic! A great place for everyone!

    Kiddo looking at the fish at the hatchery

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    Ask the Community - Bennett Spring State Park

    Review Highlights - Bennett Spring State Park

    We even got to see a very rare blue trout in one of the hatchery runs!!

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Niangua River Oasis - rope swing, anyone?

    Niangua River Oasis

    2.4(10 reviews)
    11.2 mi

    We had a great time at NRO. We saw hummingbirds on the porch by check-in. We liked that we got two…read morenights free primitive camping with purchase of a float. We stayed Saturday and Sunday night over Memorial Day weekend. We had great weather. We also were able to bring our dog and he did great floating. Our two year old loved it, as well. Our raft was great. We liked that we could purchase fire wood at the shop. I gave four stars rather than five because there could be room for improvement. The campsite picnic table was a little old and flimsy, so basically we used it to set things on but sat on our lawn chairs instead. Not the campsite's fault but there was a very noisy motorcycle that drove through the campsite at 4am waking everybody up. Also, we knew ahead of time it was party central in campground A so we knew what to expect and stayed away. We found a nice spot away from the partying. Just be prepared to see a little craziness floating. Overall, we had a good experience. My son liked riding the busses to and from floating!

    Niangua River Oasis is one of the closer float trip options for anyone living in Kansas City. It's…read morea little bit of a drive to get to, but this is a place where I've had a lot of fun. Beware of the turn off from MO 64 and the gravel road you have to take to get to it as traffic can be fast and people drive crazy. It's pretty well signed so you won't have much trouble finding it. Also there is a VERY STEEP hill that you have to go down to get to the office and the riverfront. Very Important Note: GLASS is BANNED by Missouri State Law on the River. (Not the capmground though.) Plan Accordingly. Float Trips: NRO has several options of canoes / rafts to choose from. Classic Aluminum Grumman / Osagian canoes, 4 and 6 person rafts, kayaks (which are a blast), and yes they offer private shuttles if you have your own canoe or kayak. NRO used to offer 3 different float lengths but they have stopped offering the float that puts in above Bennett Springs. They now offer just two floats, NRO to Rendezvous Point which takes about 4 hours, and NRO to Oldham's Riverview which is pretty much an all day float. The longer float has less rapids and more deep pool areas if you want to spend a little more time just letting the current carry you. The NRO to Rendezvous Point float has rapids, deep pools, and is not the same from year to year as the river changes it's course in some spots. Pickup after your float is usually prompt, and you ride back in big yellow former school buses that will make some of you glad you're not in school anymore! Camping: Yes they offer nice but expensive cabins. I've tried them, it's not for me. The fun is in the campgrounds. A CAUTION for parents: The campgrounds especially on the weekend often turns into a big party atmosphere. It can be a problem if you want the kids to sleep. If you want a quiet camping experience especially on weekends you might want to look elsewhere. Showers: The showers aren't bad, the hot water keeps up with demand. The problem is they don't always have enough shower stalls to meet the demand so sometimes you have to wait. Camp Store / Office: They have basics, a few odds and end fishing and expensive camping supplies, ice, and firewood. Service can range from friendly to surly. Don't be an idiot, you won't get treated like one. Law Enforcement: The Dallas County Sheriff, MO Highway Patrol and MO Water Patrol, along with Conservation Agents patrol NRO's campgrounds. They have set up checkpoints on the water to look for underage drinking or other indulgences. They operate "waterjet boats", give them 2 inches of water and they can travel upstream without fuss. For the most part they won't give you trouble, but there have been occasions where they have a seriously bad attitude. If you encounter this make sure and contact the appropriate agency and complain when you get home. Summary: $40 will get you a wonderful day on the water that you will enjoy. Don't forget the sunscreen, that Ozarks sun will sneak up on you after spending 4 hours on the water. A sunburn while riding in a bouncy school bus heading back to camp is no fun!.

    Photos
    Niangua River Oasis - Some people rafting the Niangua river

    Some people rafting the Niangua river

    Niangua River Oasis - Some drunk kids going down the river

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    Some drunk kids going down the river

    Bennett Spring State Park

    Bennett Spring State Park

    4.2(6 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Bennett Springs State Park is located in Southern Missouri about 5 miles from where I grew up. It…read moreis one of the most beautiful areas in the Ozarks (yes, I am biased!). There are so many things for anyone (young/old/family/individual) to do - * Most obvious - Fishing! Given it is "spring-fed" - it is freakin' cold. Sometimes on the opening day of trout season, it will be snowing since it is March 1st. I don't know anything about fishing but it must be good for people to travel from all over the country to Lebanon! * Camping/Lodging - There are cabins for rent and a large campground you can take an RV or even pitch a tent. * Hatchery - there are large trout hatcheries all over the place. You can buy fish food on-site and feed fish for hours. * Playgrounds - there are several large playgrounds located throughout the park. * Trails - for walking, running and even areas for horseback riding. There are plenty of areas to have picnics as well. * Hillbilly Days - an annual local festival that includes copious amounts of food, music, crafts, all all different type of events for kids. Bennett Springs is a fantastic place to take a family and not kill a budget!

    We have been going to Bennett Springs for the last 6 years. Sadly the fishing was rather slow and…read morethe spring was not stocked very well. That is all due to them rebuilding the hatchery and what I would assume is happening is they are trucking in trout to stock the stream. They are making large improvements throughout the park and I hope that by next spring it will be completed.

    Bennett Spring State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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