Missouri State Parks


  • The silhouette of a tree stands next to a vibrant view of the milky way galaxy and a comet in the night sky.

    Protecting our Night Skies

    When the sun sets at Thousand Hills State Park on the outskirts of Kirksville, the night sky comes to life.…

  • Man with a fishing vest and pole stands in front of a river smiling at the camera

    Gear Up for Fly Fishing

    Justin Beyer still considers himself a newbie in his journey as a fly fisherman. He shares tips for building a…

  • Photo of people walking along a path in a cave.

    Let There be Light!

    The Missouri State Parks team flipped the switch at Onondaga Cave State Park for a much-awaited reopening of the cave,…

  • Photo of a vehicle being charged at a charging station.

    Making Connections

    Missouri’s award-winning state parks are known for their inspiring beauty, remarkable history and second-to-none amenities. Now, two Missouri state parks…

  • Photo of a river flowing through rocks of various sizes surrounded by trees.

    Searching for Missouri’s lost Silver Mine

    For nearly 500 years, legends ­— usually of Spanish colonial origin — of a lost silver mine have spread across…

  • Photo of colorful autumn leaves with a blurry background of trees and leaves.

    Hunts made for Heroes

    Missouri State Parks takes great pride in honoring and showing gratitude to our military veterans for their sacrifices and service…

  • Photo of family posing around a gorilla halloween decorations.

    Holidays in the Parks

    For many, the words “state park” conjure up images of vacations, camping, hiking, boating, sunshine and other summer fun. But…

  • Photo of a woman riding on a tram through an autumn wooded area.

    Trail Trams

    The Katy Trail, which spans nearly the entire width of Missouri, is a multiuse trail often used for walking, running,…

  • Photo of a small waterfall in a stream.

    Teaming the Streams

    Missouri has over 100,000 miles of streams. From a distance, monitoring all that water would seem like an extreme challenge.…

  • A collage of photographs. In the middle of the collage is a logo that says "MoDNR Photo Contest"

    The 2024 MoDNR Photo Contest

    The department asked amateur photographers to capture the beauty found in Missouri and selected first, second and third places, as…

Graphic: MoDNR photo contest logo and text that says, "enter starting April 1." The graphic links to a webpage with details about the contest.