Took an afternoon drive and found ourselves in Tipton Park; enjoyed our lunch while my 3yr old…read moreplayed her heart out. The park is beautiful with several play structures, very well kept equipment and benches/tables to relax and enjoy the view. Nearby hills look like they'd be a blast for sledding, will definitely be bringing the family to test them out this winter. (Delayed review, but still love the park)

A Beautiful Park it has a lake and a path to walk on my sister took me through a little bit of it…read more Will continue after I do the entire park

Beautiful park! Beautiful falls! Love going here for lunch, taking walks, fishing and taking the…read morekids for outdoor adventures!!

It's just a park with a waterfall, nothing fancy about it. It smells sometimes. And it's dirty.read more

As a family of 6 we like to get active a play outside as much as possible, Hubbard park is…read moredefinitely one of Sedalia's hidden gems. The multiple play structures keep all our kiddos busy despite their wide age range. The zip line is very popular and even fun for brave adults willing to try. There are several pavilions available so bring the family for any occasion; basketball, soccer and disk golf also on site. Over all GREAT PLACE to catch so fresh air and let the kiddos blow off some steam!!

What a lovely spot to enjoy the outdoors! The view of the river along with 3 different counties is…read morebreathtaking! Have a little one? There's a playground for them! Have a toddler? Also, they have a playground for them! Like to watch baseball? Sit in the stands or bring a chair. Want to picnic? There's a place for that as well. You can't go wrong when you visit the parks here in Boonville Missouri!

We had some extra time waiting to meet up with family and a park seemed like a much better place…read morefor that than a fast-food joint. A local's recommendation led us here, and once we found our way off the main roads back here, it was exactly what we wanted. (Finding it's not that hard; follow the casino and historical marker signs and be patient. It's only about a mile off the main drag.) I only got to see part of this 31 acre park, but what I saw was great--several picnic shelters, BBQ pits, kids' play structures (including one with a mini rock-climbing wall! photo pending), and baseball diamonds. A great place to relax, watch a game, or meet friends. TRIVIA: This park is on the National Registry of Historic Places, and from its high point, you can see the start of the Santa Fe Trail.

Let me burst the bubble early. There are no monkeys, and while I may not be a professional…read moregeographer or cartographer, but I highly suspect anything here qualifies as a mountain. Yes, it IS a highly misleading name. But don't let that stop you from enjoying a fun day. I've been here a couple of times, and I really dig it. It's not too far out of a drive from the city, but it feels like full on nature! There are plenty of trails on which to hike, and I've seen quite a few people riding horses. This is, in fact, where I learned that horses scare the hell out of my dog. Anyhow, by my count that means this place is good for at least three species: people, dogs, and horses. Not too shabby, if you ask me. There are quite a few different terrains, my personal favorite being the hay meadow. We like to take blankets and pack a bit of a picnic. It's great for kite flying, frisbee or a rousing game of catch! One warning: this place is a bug haven. Check yourself and your animals for ticks. But a little blood sucking parasite is a small price to pay for a nice day out in mother nature!

This area was called "Monkey Mountains," because early settlers deemed the river bluffs too steep…read morefor even monkeys to climb. This place is as close to being out in the wild as you can get in the KC area. A little bit of a drive but worth it if you want a rugged terrain. It's perfect. Reaching the open meadow at the top is wonderful. Use bug spray and check for ticks.

One of the cutest playgrounds we've been to yet! The equipment is all accessible and so much fun…read more There is an outdoor musical area that is super cool, a "flying Fox", and an in-ground merry go round. Across the way in the park is also the T.B. Hanna Station splash pad, open after Memorial Day. The area is set up like a train station and is adorable for all ages. You'll also find restrooms, water fountains, and a covered picnic table area. It's a great spot for all ages and abilities!

Its fantastic for family gatherings. Plenty of activities and the restrooms are close. Easy close…read moreparking and flat surfaces to walk.

Unfortunately I did not get to tour the Lodge, since reservations must be made 24 hours in advance…read moreand I didn't do my proper research until the night before driving to Sedalia. The Lodge is quite striking from Highway 65 and the view of central Missouri is beautiful from the patio. I'm pretty sure that the experience would be so much enjoyable if I had been able to enter the mansion instead of just reading about it's interesting history. Even if you don't have a reservation go check out the view and what little you can see; it's only about a 3 minute drive off of US65. A cool and unique addition to the Missouri state parks system.

This is one of the best parks in Missouri! The lodge is interesting but not particularly…read moreoutstanding. But the park itself is very nice with very many trees and really nice places to have picnics. There is also a basic gym area for the children and those who have decided not to grow up completely. We are losing our places to just be out in the trees and fresh air and just relax! This is one of the best places left.

I love the park and it has a great playground for kids. The reason I deducted two stars is because…read moreof people who go to the park. Earlier today I went to the bathroom and some guy in there was trying to sell me drugs. That is the biggest problem with independence and Missouri in general is the amount of drug dealers here and the police in the entire state are completely worthless. Other than that, I will say I like to park but the police need to come here more often. But that's more of an independence problem than the park. But that's Missouri for you. High crime, a lot of drug dealers and completely worthless police.

Wow, McCoy has been upgraded so well! This was a favorite spot of mine, growing up, and it looks…read moreten times better now. Pros: - Two well-designed, "Pioneer"-themed playgrounds with great equipment and rubber matting - Paved, wide-open walking paths - Plenty of picnic tables and grills - A great water park!! - baseball diamond - Lots of informative plaques about local history, with Braille - The entire park is wheelchair-accessible - Very well maintained Cons: Not really any to speak of, except that people shouldn't leave so much trash behind. But I make that complaint about every park. The park was clean enough that I didn't feel nervous about being barefoot after playing with my Little One in the water park. This park is gorgeous and has lots of amenities.

This is a multi-use community park that also hosts a variety of regional sports and special events…read more The community benefits include playgrounds, picnic pavilions, a basketball court, baseball/softball fields, a paved walking track, skate park, beach volleyball courts, seasonal aquatic center, tennis courts, soccer fields...and more! There's a lot here for local residents and groups. Fairground also hosts a country fair and rodeo. It offers RV camping, Key to its position as a regional destination it's well maintained, clean, and convenient. Picnic facilities, playgrounds, and restrooms are spread throughout the park.

This was a great stop to make on our road trip. Park, pavilion and picnic tables were clean…read more Perfect for our kids ages 1-7. The walking path was great for stretching our legs.

We had such a great time at Stark Caverns! Brielly was a great tour guide and made the whole…read moreexperience fun and educational. The caves were beautiful and we got some really great pictures. We learned a lot throughout the tour and it was a great experience for the whole family. We especially loved the complete darkness experience and the black light portion of the tour. Those were definitely some of our favorite parts. Overall, it was a really fun tour and we are so glad we went. I would definitely recommend Stark Caverns for families!

Genuinely cool cave. There are algae fossils in there from when Missouri was underwater millions of…read moreyears ago, which is a wild thing to stand next to. Sadly our guide Macy was less "passionate cave enthusiast" and more "reciting a script she's said a thousand times and stopped listening to herself." I still don't know how this part of Missouri used to be an ocean based on the tour. She gave the exact same intro four separate times. Not because groups were bumping into each other, just straight up robot mode, probably from also trying to work in the photo package pitch every single time. Ask a follow up question and you'd get a shrug dressed up as an answer. A kid asked about a mineral and got a confident "nope, not that" immediately followed by "I'm not really a gem expert," which, ma'am, pick one. Nobody could tell us where all the clay that used to be in the cave went (there's a lot of water now after the excavation), how the bootleggers pulled off their operation, or whether the cave's ever taken earthquake damage. Also they sell alcohol at the gift shop right before you head into a dark cave, which feels like a liability seminar waiting to happen. What indigenous tribe did the skeleton remains belong to? How did you know it was an indigenous person(s)? What is the difference between an arrowhead and a spear, and when did those relics be given to be on display? She said the stairs were built by child labor because there are child sized handprints in the concrete, but provided no evidence of truth or why. Was it his 18 kids? No one knows. At least it was cool inside while the weather was hot outside. The cave has a story to tell. Macy just wasn't the one telling it. Would recommend the cave, would not recommend Macy. She already told us she's had a bad Yelp review, and I'm sad to say I understand why.