This was our first trip to Missouri. For years, I had heard all the amazing things and seen all the breathtaking photos online of the Show-Me State. (Travel blogs are like shopping catalogs to me. I pick out all the places I want to see and things I want to do. And I keep a file of them (a really big file).
While in Missouri, We had two basecamps: Echo Bluff State Park and Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, about an hour apart from one another.
Echo Bluff State Park
Echo Bluff SP was our first basecamp stop. North of Eminence and Missouri’s newest addition to their park system, it opened in 2016. Unfortunately, the park was constructed using modern methods to clear-cut large areas of trees to build new townhome rentals or pave the new roads and RV park. Though the area’s surrounding landscape is beautiful, I was disappointed that there didn’t seem to be much effort to preserve the park trees. You can read my Echo Bluff post here.
Current River State Park
Current River SP is located almost across the road from Echo Bluff. Admission is free, and it was unattended (no park staff on-site). This was the first SP we’ve ever visited that is just open to the public with no one on the property (but it wouldn’t be our last on this MO trip). The Current River SP buildings were originally a corporate retreat built in the late 1930s and early 40s, offering lodging, floating, tennis, swimming, fishing, golf, and horseback riding.
Today, visitors can enjoy picnic areas, two small lakes, and hiking trails. The Current River Trail connects Current River SP to Echo Bluff. It’s a one-way trail about 5.25 miles long to Echo Bluff and then another 1.3 miles of trail within Echo Bluff SP.
We attempted part of the Current River Trail starting at the trailhead in Current River. It is heavily forested, fully shaded. It was pretty overgrown and not well-maintained at the time, so we turned back after about a half-mile.
Devils Well
Another ONSR park, and less than 30 minutes north of Echo Bluff, Devils Well is Missouri’s largest underground lake. Admission is free, and it is open every day during daylight hours. Formed when a large cavern collapsed to make a sinkhole, it is 80 feet deep, 400′ long, and 100′ wide.
A very short distance from the parking area, there is a wooden stairway that spirals down to a metal platform and grate that you can peer through to see the lake surface about 100 feet below with water cascading down into it. However, you don’t see much because it is so dark. If we go back, I’d bring a high-powered beam flashlight. (Remember this! Save this post just for THIS note.) There is a lamp, but you can barely see the surface far below.
The road into this small park is pretty steep, twisty, and rough. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to pull your trailer or a large motorhome. There are a couple of picnic tables for your use.
Round Spring & Round Spring Cave
This ONSR park was on my list for this trip, but I made a mistake. During our 2020 trip, the NPS site showed the cave as closed due to COVID-19. I did not know that we could have still visited the spring (big face-palm). But let me tell you my notes, so you will know when you go!
Only 5 minutes south of Echo Bluff, the National Park Service (NPS) manages this park and its part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR).
You may take a two-hour lantern tour of this natural cavern. Park Rangers guide these underground hikes (described as somewhat difficult), and sturdy shoes and a jacket are recommended since the cave is cool.
Cave tour times are at 10am, 12 noon, and 2pm during the summer. They are limited to the first 15 people, and there are no options for reservations. Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before tours, $5/adults and $2/kids, and cash only with no change offered (so come prepared).
If your schedule doesn’t allow for the cave tour, know you can visit the wheelchair-accessible trail around the Round Spring (no swimming allowed in the spring), and there are picnic tables and grills for use.
There is also a very small campground just across the road from Round Springs, but reviews say the sites are not large enough to accommodate trailers over 20′ unless you stay in a group site.
Alley Spring & Mill
Thirty minutes south Echo Bluff, this is a must-see ONSR attraction. A wheat mill, finished in 1894, was built on Alley Spring to make use of the free constant water power. What a gorgeous gem to see this historical site! The bright red mill sits right on the flowing turquoise blue waters of the spring. It’s quite striking.
Only the first floor was open during 2020 (Covid-19), but normally the second floor is also open while the basement and attic are not open to the public. At the back of the mill, a short trail leads you around the spring and follows the waters back towards the county road. (No swimming allowed.)
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park
Johnsons Shut-Ins was our second basecamp stop while in the Missouri Ozarks. If you only pick one stop on this list, pick this one. The campgrounds are located a short distance down the road and around a turn from the shut-ins. Most all of the sites are spacious and well shaded except for Loop 1 (the equestrian loop). A paved trail connects the campground to the day-use area (river) that you can bike.
Once at the day-use area, the trailhead is located at the back of the parking lot. Be prepared to climb lots of stairs, and if you want to leave the paved and wooden walks (which you will want to), wear sturdy, non-slip shoes. If your trip is during the warmer months, bring a swimsuit and towels to enjoy the shut-ins. You will likely spend at least 2-3 hours here (and may want to visit a couple of times during your stay), so plan ahead with food, drink, and snacks.
Taum Sauk Mountain State Park
Forty minutes from Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Taum Sauk Mountain rises to the highest point in the state. And you can walk a super short, paved path to the highest point. However, it fell a bit short of expectations because trees surround it, so there isn’t a grand view. So I highly recommend hiking the Mina Sauk Falls trail, which will take you to Missouri’s highest waterfall. The rugged, three-mile loop leads to a picturesque waterfall point with amazing views, but only during wet weather are there cascading waters. (The second half of the loop follows a short portion of the Ozark Trail.)
Elephant Rocks State Park
Twenty minutes from Johnson’s Shut-Ins, giant granite boulders are waiting for you to walk thru, climb over, and explore their formations. This SP is free, and we did not see any park staff on site.
We had so much fun climbing and scrambling over the rocks. Little D especially loved it. It’s easy for young kids (she was seven at the time)
The Braille Trail starts at the back of the parking lot and takes you by one of the former quarries (now a pond). This paved trail loop is easy, under a mile, and was specially designed for those with physical and visual disabilities. We actually spent our time climbing and wandering through the boulders to the right of the parking lot. There is another beautiful quarry pond toward the back of these rocks.
This would be a great spot to picnic, play, and explore elephant-sized rocks, and there are many tree-shaded tables for use.
So there it is!! Two basecamps, 8 magnificent parks to explore and enjoy! We love seeing as much as we possibly can when we take long road trips, and this was a trip packed with beautiful stops. We highly recommend it!
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