We were staying at a cabin in the area and our son had been begging to go swimming, so a google…read moresearch led us to Super Splash. We packed up and spent four hours there and were super impressed. The place was well kept, the water was clean and a good temp. It was 101 degrees out so it was busy but there was plenty of room for everyone. Our son loved loved loved the lazy river and the tipping water bucket. All of the lifeguards (and there were at least 5 for the small park) were attentive and courteous. We packed our own food so I don't have any input on the concessions but they appeared to have all of the basics. For the 3 of us it was $25 all total to get in. I will tell you this... put. your. flip. flops. close. to. the. water. We're novices and put everything way on the other side of the park and the pavement was SCORCHING. Like blisters on my feet. Woof. We'll know better next time

Clean. Fun. Friendly. My kids have a blast every summer. They have fitness classes and swimming…read morelessons. Also fun evening programs like movies in the pool and middle school night. Great asset to Carbondale.

This is a fantastic thing to do with small kids. Best of all, it's free. The main attraction is a…read moregiant bucket that splashes all the kids standing within about 10 feet. Not the biggest splash pad in the world, but can't complain, given the price. My kids can spend about an hour here before they get bored. There's also plenty of seating, some of which is shaded. And several large, well-maintained bathrooms on site.

The park was fun , smaller but not grounded and laid back…read more The food prices were fair , the entry prices were fair. If you want a relaxing time without a lot of commotion this is the place to visit.

The orange slide is to rough I have marks on my back from it do not go on it they need to fix it.read more

We were camping nearby and came here to get out of the heat on a 98 degree day. The price is very…read morereasonable to get in and for most concessions. Kids had a great time on high jump and lazy river. My only complaint is the height restriction for tube ride. The park has only two water slides that have a 48 inch height restriction. One slide was very fast and deserved the restriction, the other slide was a tube ride that would be fun for all ages. The guards would not let my 7 year old twins on the ride because they were a little under the 48 inches. All ages could jump off the high dive, which seemed more dangerous than the tube slide.

Only in its 2nd year, this facility is clean and well maintained. admission price is reasonable and…read morethere is enough variety for all ages. Concessions are reasonable with soda at $1 and not dogs, nachos, and pizza in the $2-$2.50 range. Lazy river could be larger, it would be better if it looped around the park rather than in a separate area. Life guards were inconsistent with some very attentive and others looking everywhere but the water.

Tony and I went hiking at Dixon Springs State Park and we had a nice time. The rock formations are…read moreawesome and there is a bridge across the top of the Waterfall. I was able to get some great photos from the base of the rocks and the waterfall. The park was a little dead today but it was early about 10am. There was only one other couple there. There was picnic tables and some grills..and even some grills where I guess there was some picnic tables that are now gone...hummmmm...they also have a pool for the public use but it is still pre-season so it was not open..but I was there for the stunning rock formations and the beauty of God's backyard. This park is FREE to enjoy..which is always nice and very easily located on the intersection of Rt. 146 and Rt . 145. Here is some important information from the website: Dixon Springs State Park is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped 200 feet along a fault line that extends northwesterly across Pope County. The 801 acre park is about 10 miles west of Golconda on Illinois Route 146 near its junction with Illinois Route 145. The first land acquisition was in 1946. Facilities at the park include a modern swimming pool, bathhouse, and 45-foot water slide provided for swimmers' enjoyment. Lifeguard is on duty at all times. Towering oaks, elms, and birch trees shade the pool. A concession stand near the pool provides a variety of refreshments. Picnic tables and outdoor stoves are available at three shaded picnic areas. Two picnic shelters, playgrounds, parking areas, and drinking water are also available. There is a Class B trailer camping area with a sanitary dumping station and electricity available. Also available are ten sites for primitive camping, two hiking trails, two basketball courts, three horseshoe pits, two volleyball courts and an archery range Also some HISTORY OF THE AREA which I found very interesting information I wanted to share: The area around the park was occupied by various tribes of Algonquins who, after the Shawnee had been driven from Tennessee, had settled near the mouth of the Wabash River. Dixon Springs was one of their favorite camping grounds and was called "Kitchemuske-nee-be" for the Great Medicine Waters. One of the better known Indian Trails, which the early French called the "Grand Trace," passed to the west of the park and south to Fort Massac, then branched out into lesser trails. Much of the "Grand Trace" is Illinois Route 145, one of the most scenic highways in the state, running nearly all of its length south from Harrisburg through the Shawnee National Forest. This section of the state was part of an Indian Reservation occupied for a time by about 6,000 Native Americans. Like the buffalo, most of the Indians were gone by the early 1830's. Dixon Springs takes its name from William Dixon, one of the first white settlers to build a home in this section, who obtained a school land warrant in 1848 from Governor Augustus C. French. His cabin was a landmark for many years as was an old log church on the adjoining knoll. A small community grew up at Dixon Springs with a general store, post office, blacksmith shop, grist mill, and several churches.Dixon Springs Dixon Springs became a 19th century health spa which attracted hundreds to the seven springs of mineral-enriched water. A bathhouse provided mineral or soft water baths, hot or cold, available at any time. The natural beauty of the area and its interesting stone formations helped to give the park valley a more equable temperature in the summer than most of southern Illinois. This made the resort so popular that people came by steamboat excursions from as far away as Paducah, KY, Evansville, IN, and Cairo to Golconda. They then traveled by train to within a couple miles of the park. The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights. Bold cliffs and crags overhang a bubbling brook while large boulders, overgrown with ferns, ivy, lichens, and moss, fringe the hillside. Giant century-old trees interlock above the small creek as cliffs rise on either side and huge boulders are scattered through the valley. Equally intriguing are the names given numerous points of interest, including Album Rock, Red Man's Retreat, Wolf Pen, Lover's Leap, Ghost Dance, Pluto's Cave. Alligator Rock, the Chain of Rocks, Devil's Workshop, and Honeycomb Rock. The principle canyon has walls nearly 60 feet high with a long, narrow passageway. I found this park very nice and I would definitely go here again..so if you are in the area...enjoy some hiking and gorgeous scenery...God gives us so much to ENJOY for FREE !!! A great Park

A nice state park in the area with a pretty nice trail in the Ghost Dance Canyon. Some interesting…read morestuff to see when it's raining, but the rain also makes the rocks very slick. All in all, I have no complaints it, but this shouldn't be your first or second or even third stop if you have time to roam around in the area.

We've been coming here off and on my entire life. It's a family spot, and holds many dear memories…read more (This review is for cabin 18) This cabin is a 5 bedroom, 2 bath. Don't bother bringing any pots, pans, utensils, spatulas, large spoons, bowls...they are completely stocked. Just make sure to wash everything before you use it! There is a coffee pot so if you're a coffee drinker, go ahead and bring your own. This cabin has TWO full size refrigerators, so there is plenty of fridge/freezer room. It has a HUGE dinning room table (sits 11 if I remember correctly.) Bring cards, dice, games, etc. They provide more trash bags, and toilet paper at the campsite store if you run out. At one point we started to smell something HORRIBLE. Took us until we were packing up to head home to notice there was a dead mouse. One night in our room, my husband and I kept hearing sounds, only to turn on the light and see a mouse scurry out of the room and our travel tags on our suitcases had been munched up. I love all animals, so I don't mind: just make sure not to keep any food or drink in the bedrooms to lure them in. There is a lot of wildlife. Deer will come right up to the cabins, I helped two raccoons that had been trapped in the dumpster get out and run back into the woods, there are a family of cute skunks that live near Cabin 18, and some amazing spiders. There is one on the back porch of Cabin 18 that is literally the size of my palm. It was awesome to watch it make its web and spin an insect for a meal. (Please don't harm them! They may be creepy, but they eat those pesky mosquitoes!) With that said - don't forget the bug spray! When we went they were selling wood for $4 for 10 pieces. Great deal! There is little to no wifi/service so be prepared. The nearest town is Peadmont (30/40min drive) where you can pick up any alcohol or missing groceries you need. They have a little store where they sell necessities, and water shoes. They are a bit over priced, but no more than an airport. When we paid, we split the bill multiple ways and the lady helping us didn't seem to mind at all. The staff are all very kind, and helpful. It's VERY outdated. They still use an old calculator for all their math, and I was told three times different totals for our bill. But, in the end, it all worked out and everyone was happy. The river was shallow, and only as deep as 7 feet in some places. Not the best for a float trip, but awesome for just relaxing in chairs in the water and hanging out! Our party of 12 all really enjoyed our trip, and Sam Baker will always be a place of special family memories! We hope to return in 2019!

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

Had a 4 year old that needed to go to a place to play. This park is absolutely the best all around…read morepublic park I've ever seen! Seriously! Really nice facilities, multiple baseball diamonds, soccer fields, multipurpose ball fields, and walking paths circling the complex with many paths inside. The water/splash park, multiple picnic areas (including many under shelters/shade, well maintained restrooms, multiple playgrounds with climbing obstacles, Some small zip lines, plenty of parking and easy to get to were other jaw dropping features. OH, there are ponds for fishing! Even a flock of migratory ducks were having a grand time besides the nearly 100 kids! Seriously, this is the best compact park I've ever seen AND it is dedicated to Veterans! The rest of the nation should take note!

This is honestly the best playground/park combo we've ever been to! During the summer they have a…read morefantastic splash pad, and during all times of the year they have several different playground structures! My toddler had so much fun exploring here. I saw that there's a small nature loop that you can walk around the park, that's definitely something on our list to do next time! I would recommend this park to anyone with kids aged 10 and under!!!

My favorite hiking trail in Missouri. I've been to many hiking trails in the area but none are as…read morebeautiful as Johnson's Shut-Ins. Essentially its this area near a large water pathway where you could play in the water as well as hike in the nearby mountain while looking at beautiful valley views all around. It is a drive from St. Louis, but very do-able in one day. Here are some of my top tips: - Came the day after St. Louis received a tornado warning and was worried this place would be muddy, disgusting, cold, and ugly. It was slightly muddy but the sun came out and it was absolutely beautiful! Would not be so worried about bad weather. - Come during the Fall for the beautiful Fall foliage to change color. - Bring sunscreen as there is shade but a lot of sunlight does come through the trees. - Would definitely recommend bringing some sort of swimsuit to wade around the water ways especially during low tide. The water is extremely clear and beautiful, makes for great pictures. However, I really would not recommend cliff jumping here as a lot of people do because the water is way too shallow and you could easily hurt yourself. - Bring good shoes as the walking trail isn't very distinct and you're often times walking on trails that don't look like trails. I promise you that it does loop back at some point, but it will feel like you are just walking through the mountain aimlessly. - Visit Elephant Rocks while you are here as they are only a 20-minute drive away from one another. Overall, fantastic place for families and friends. Would also recommend camping at Taum Sauk and making a whole weekend out of it as the night views are beautiful here and you can come nice and early and avoid all the crowds although its not very crowded in general.

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

The BEST outfitter we've dealt with! Knowledgeable! Friendly! AND reasonable prices!!!…read more Perfect... Big River's not a fast river, but we had an AWESOME time!

I LOVE Washington State Park. I haven't been in quite some time so my boyfriend and I packed up our…read more4 kids and stayed in the cabins for a few days. From the minute we arrived to the moment we left we were met with hospitality, kindness, helpfulness and all done with a SMILE. I believe the man that runs the place is named Earl. Earl... YOU ROCK. The lifeguards at the pool were wonderful with one of my kids who was scared to go down the water slide. The lifeguard volunteered to go down it with her until she was comfortable with it. MO FUN PARKS and the people who run it truly enjoy their jobs. My family and I can't WAIT to go back and are already planning a fall season trip to the cabins!! See you all soon!!