Missouri Vacation Ideas
Missouri has many beautiful state parks, refreshing rivers and exhilarating caves to explore.
If that does not sound like enough, feel free to take a stroll through lush gardens or take a break at one of the award winning wineries throughout the state.
Missouri offers numerous dazzling rivers to traverse in your kayak or boat. If you are a land lover hike the rugged Ozark trail, tour one of the state's walk through caves or Bonne Terre Mine, the world's largest subterranean lake.
Don't forget to bring your camera, the sites here are breathtaking and Missouri is full of beautiful lakes, soaring bluffs, undulating hills and wildlife to capture in a snapshot.
Thriving springs, incredible rock formations, gristmills and natural bridges, forest and conservation areas make up Missouri's spectacular state parks.
With more than 80 state parks and 1.5 million acres of national forest land, you'll find hiking trails and campgrounds for whatever outdoor activity you like.
Biking
The 225 mile long Katy Trail State Park is a perfect option for bike lovers. Take it in small chunks or strap on your backpack and roll the entire trail.
This trail is built along the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and offers scenic views, wildlife watching and access to rural towns.
Caves
As with most of the Midwest Missouri is teaming with caves. More than 6,200 caves tunnel underneath Missouri, giving it the nickname the Cave State. From towering columns of stalagmites and stalactites to weave draperies of rock that captivate the imagination and strike awe in every visitor.
Thousands of years combined with seeping water have formed fantastic mineral creations, showcasing exquisite design. The power and weight of the Earth is on full display here and is a must see.
Places like Angel Showers, an unusual cave phenomenon, is a featured part of the Ozark Caverns tour. The never-ending shower of water seems to come out of the solid ceiling of rock.
Ever wondered where that cave was that Mark Twain was writing about in "Tom Sawyer"? Missouri has got it.
How about the hideout for outlaw Jesse James? It's in Missouri.
Maybe you would like to add to the record for the most underground weddings. It's all here underground in Missouri.
At Elephant Rocks State Park giant granite rocks standing end-to-end like a train of circus elephants are waiting for you to climb. One of the largest elephant rocks, Dumbo, tops the scales at a whopping 680 tons!
Rivers
Canoeing is one of Missouri's most popular water sports. Choose a canoe, raft, kayak to explore Missouri like Tom Sawyer would or grab a tube, sit back and float down stream like I would.
Wildlife will watch you from the shore as you float by. Blue heron are common fish to see, as are countless turtles as they sunning themselves.
Missouri rivers and streams offer fantastic opportunities for canoeing, fishing and swimming. Canoeing, or floating as the locals call it, is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Missouri.
Rushing springs, including some of America's most grandiose, keep many streams floatable year round. Big Spring, which feeds into the Current River, is the largest single outlet spring in the United States.
Both the Current and the Jacks Fork rivers are part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which was the first National Scenic Riverways in the country.
Many Ozark streams are known as some of the best "floating" (sitting in a tube and floating down the river) and trout fishing streams in the Midwest.
Hiking
Missouri has a type of terrain for everyone, from subtropical savannah like expanses and prairies to rugged hills and lowland marshes.
One of the most well known trails is Katy Trail State Park. The Katy Trail follows along the former tracks of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad through the Missouri River valley.
Much of the trail runs alongside the Missouri River, providing welcome breezes and terrific views of wildlife up close.
The Ozark Trail offers adventurers more than 300 miles stretching from St. Louis to the Arkansas border. If you like a challenge that pay's off with beauty the rugged Ozark terrain is for you.
Hikers reaching the summit of a rocky bluff will be pleased to see fantastic views of mature forests, luminous rivers and a rolling landscape.
Missouri night sky's are wide open and are a great opportunity to teach yourself and the children about the planets and the night sky. One of my favorite things to do is look for constellations and for just a few dollars you can pick up a star finder. It's not hard to do and it is a lifetime of knowledge and fun for everyone.
Missouri is a great place to relax and get that yearly dose of "Do nothing but fun" that we all deserve.