This was the last of three trails that we hiked today. Parking spots were so limited but we were…read moreglad that we went around 2pm and were able to find a parking spots for our group. We hiked the western loop today. This trail was only 1 mile total. It has quite some interesting rock formations. There were more falling leaves on this trail than the other two trails we hiked today. The sleep downwardness of this trail was of a great challenge.

This is a great little hike if you want something not too large. It's great as they have two…read moredifferent entrances from either side of the road. The one we chose the waterfall has two different trails. I would say we spent about an hour exploring, but it was also very wet so we took our time. We had children with us and they very much enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun exploring There's a lot of beauty and the waterfalls are great, but only Really have the waterfalls when there has been a lot of rain Highly recommend checking it out. It's only about an hour from the St. Louis area.

This hike is a long time favorite. I remember coming here as a kid having so much fun climbing on…read morethe rocks, it used to take us all day. Now we still go; but just on the full hike so it takes much less time Good for a beginner not too steep or challenging, a modest hike I'd say. You can do this in tennis shoes. It's also a loop, so hard to get lost which is also a plus!

One of my favorite hikes in the area. A little over 2 miles long loop. There are no bathrooms on…read moresite so be sure to use before. The landscape and rock features make it feel like you're a long way from Missouri. Not too crowded and far enough away from the highway to where you can be immersed in the woods. Pets on a leash are welcomed. Leisurely hike with some beautiful scenery.

Closed. Poor directions…read more Poor signage. Poor customer service. Poor location. Waste of time.

Kayaking was interesting. An hour should be the max but this is a 2 hour kayak underground caves…read more The caves are beautiful. This is an old sandstone mine. Cash only and 10% for active military. No place to go potty besides at a portapotty. Make sure to bring snacks in case get hungry. The tour guide is a lit up tour guide as the guide has lights on his kayak. If you like underground adventures or water activites this is for you!

I went here with a group for hiking today. It has a lot of different trails. Our group did the…read moreWhispering pines trail today as one of our three trails that we hikied. It was close to 4 miles long. The leaves were so pretty during today fall weather. Crossing the water was a great experience here. Parking can be harder at times due to the parking space availability and how popular this location is. There were several locations for a nice picnic. Some people in our hiking group camp here last night as well.

Beautiful Park near St. Genevieve. Play area for kids. Facilities near play area and parking…read more Enjoy a peaceful walk

Recently family who have a camper & they were staying at St Francois State Park. It was my first…read morevisit there and it was nice with some notes for people considering it. There were campground hosts and state employee very present at the campground. It seemed well organized and executed. They pointed out the area where bluebells were and were helpful with various other things. There were two campgrounds, 1 for tents or others who do not need an electric hook up. There were some that had really nice decking, etc. there was a great area and few sites were used over the weekend. We we on the other side in the area where electric hookups are available. There were lots of campsites here with electric but this is the first time we have found a camp that offers electric but does NOT have water at each of the sites. With a water tank we could fill it wasn't a problem but it is unusual. They are building more sites it seems in the park and that would be awesome. The campgrounds have one toilet in each campground and the larger bathhouse/shower facility. This is pretty consistent compared to most parks but it is a bit unique that there is a major trailhead and lots of day use folks coming in a place that includes showers for campers. The park has great trails that were really well marked. We enjoyed checking them out and noticed a lot of others doing it as well.

Nothing very special, but nice…read more (I wouldn't drive far, to see it). There are prettier parks in St. Louis.

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.

I will go out of my way to check out a covered bridge and especially so when it's not even that far…read moreout of my way. This bridge would have been worth the detour! Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is in excellent condition and while it has been closed to vehicle traffic, you can still walk across it. The bridge is the centerpiece of this park which includes parking, picnic tables, primitive bathrooms and lots of captions with historical information. I had a terrific visit and really appreciate what has been done to preserve this history for posterity. [Review 1261 of 2024 - 362 in Missouri - 22284 overall]

As one would expect, there's a lot of history of this bridge! This is one of four covered bridges…read morefrom the 19th century still standing in Missouri. However, it has been rebuilt, redone and repaired in various years. But Missouri lawmakers and residents see no reason to tear this one down, as it shows a lot of importance. This bridge was used to connect St. Louis and Hillsboro (MO). Oddly enough, Lemay Ferry Road, which is prominent in South County, once extended all the way to this park. The bridge is in very fine condition. I have visited four old covered bridges (a couple were restored) in Illinois and all of them have graffiti and at least some sort of vandalism on them (no exaggeration, sadly). This one looks untouched, and I hope it stays that way. Anyone can walk through the bridge, and even under it! As for the park, it is a bit tricky to get to, but there is a decent-sized parking lot and park there. Restrooms are available as well as picnic benches. There's even historical markers at the site that talk about the history of Missouri's covered bridges. Plenty of space to walk your dog. There are some nature trails - one that leads past the bridge (to somewhere?). Summer or any day with great weather is a perfect day to come out here. It is part of Missouri's State Park system so check it out! Winter? I'm not so sure...maybe for photographers when it snows.

Sept 2015, We went on a road trip from Nashville Tn to visit some state parks and historical sites…read morein Missouri. We stopped at Dillard Mill State Historical Site. Tony, Noel and I with Sammi parked in the parking lot and walked down the pathway to the start of the trail to the Mill. At first you kind of walk through the woods but then it opens up to a large field like area with a lake with a creek running into it and there is the large old mill. We went into the mill and looked around for FREE which was really nice. History: The Dillard Mill State Historic Site is a privately owned, state-administered property on Huzzah Creek in Crawford County, Missouri that preserves a water-powered gristmill.[4] The 132-acre (53 ha) site has been operated as a state historic site by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources under a lease agreement with the L-A-D Foundation since 1975.[5] The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 A mill was built on Huzzah Creek in 1853 by Francis Wisdom and it was known as the Wisdom Mill. It was destroyed by fire in 1895. The property changed hands, and a new mill, the Mische Mill, was built in 1908. The Mische Mill used an underwater turbine rather than the old waterwheel, and the owners altered the course of the stream and the bluff at the site. The mill was in operation until 1956. It was renamed the Dillard Mill in 1975 when the state took over management of the property. It was dedicated as a historic site in 1977. Restoration of the mill was completed in 1980

This mill is just overabout 100 years old. It sits in a quiet and pretty remote part of Huzzah…read morecreek between Cherryville and Viburnum. The site in its entirety is much larger than I expected, with lots of picnic tables throughout, also an old country store you can walk through. A trail of about a half mile is required to get to the mill from the parking lot. This would be kind of a struggle for the elderly, I'd think. The best part of this mill is it seems to be just about in working condition, despite it's age. It was essentially put out of business when Pillsbury bought all the flour mills out. Occasionally, they'll turn a control wheel and get al the machinery working. They did it in the middle of our tour and it was very impressive. If you are a fan of machinery and "how things work" you won't want to miss this. The tour provides some interesting anectdotes and is definitely worth the $4 price. On a hot day, though, you might not want to spend a half an hour inside the building. Overall, I give it 3 and a half stars. It's not such a beautiful place that I'll be excited to send all my friends, but if you're like me and enjoy visiting these kinds of historic structures, I rate it worth seeing.

There are two major highlights in this park IMO, the highest point of Missouri and Mina Sauk Falls…read more At only 1772 feet above sea-level and within a few hundred yards from the car park, the so-called highest point is somewhat disappointing, but still worth in a Missourian's "be-there-done-that" list. The Mina Sauk Falls can be reached via a 3-mile loop hike, combining the Mina Sauk Falls trail and a short segment of Ozark Trail. The falls are spetacular after a good rain, but shrink to little trickle of water in dry days. However, keep in mind that after a heavy rain or frequent rains, the trail condition can be nasty. Part of the trail essentially turned to creek bed in my last visit a couple of days ago, after a series of rainstorms in the area. Mud and wet rocks can be very slippery so look at your steps carefully.

Marble Creek Recreation Area is located between Fredericktown and Arcadia, MO. This is a small…read morerustic campground located in the St. Francis Mountains. Beautiful roads in and out of the area and well worth taking a picnic or to camp. Plan on just relaxing while there.