Vacation in the Outdoor Recreation Capital of the Missouri Ozarks!
Missouri Ozarks State Parks, Hiking, Biking, Golf, Float Trips, Horseback Riding, Birdwatching, Wineries & Golf
In the Arcadia Valley Region and Black River Recreation Area of Southeast Missouri

The Most Beautiful & Spectacular State Parks in the Missouri Ozarks, plus the Ozark Trail, Mark Twain National Forest and unlimited hiking and biking trails are here waiting just for you to explore.

Taum Sauk Mountain State Park - Want to hike to the top of a mountain? Just park in the lot of Taum Sauk Mountain State Park and walk a mere 1,000 feet on a paved path to Missouri’s highest point. Here, an elevation marker sits, guiding visitors to the mountain’s 1,772 foot summit. If that’s not enough, the hike to Mina Sauk Falls will take your breath away.  Read in depth information about Taum Sauk Mountain State Park here.

Elephant Rocks State Park - A train of circus elephants dance trunk-to-tail to form an awe-inspiring sight to the young and to the young at heart. This is the appeal of Elephant Rocks State Park, named for a train of gigantic pink granite boulders perched atop a hill, just like circus elephants! Read comprehensive information and see photos of Elephant Rocks here.

Johnson's Shut-ins State Park - Nearly 1.5 billion years ago, violently explosive volcanoes hurled hot gasses and ash into the air. The ashes and gas fell and cooled, forming rhyolite rock. A billion years later, shallow inland seas swallowed the ancient, worn-down mountains, burying the igneous rock under thousands of feet of sedimentary rock such as limestone, sandstone, shale and dolomite.  Read much about Johnson's Shut-ins here and the unique geology of the park at missouristateparks.net.

Special Announcement!   Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park has reopened. This day-use area includes the shut-ins, picnic areas, a series of pedestrian trails, access to the East Fork of the Black River, several interpretive shelters and the park store. Visitors can access the scour channel from a new trail, which can be accessed from Highway N. The park will be open from 8  a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and the store is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. (From MO State Parks)

The Mark Twain National Forest is popular with hunters, trappers, anglers and persons who enjoy observing, studying and photographing wildflowers and wildlife. The Forest has about 320 species of birds, 75 species of mammals and 125 species of amphibians and reptiles. Game species include whitetail deer, turkey, quail, woodcocks, doves, ducks, geese, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, woodchucks, bobcats, and coyotes.  Named after Missouri native, Mark Twain, the Mark Twain National Forest is located in 29 counties across southern and central Missouri. Our St. Francois Mountain section is known for its clear spring-fed rivers and streams, lakes, rocky bluffs, pastoral views and shaded trails.  To read much more about The Mark Twain National Forest and the Sutton Bluff Recreation area click here.

The Ozark Trail ~ Missouri Ozarks Sections in Iron and Reynolds Counties - The Ozarks are one of the most spectacularly diverse places on Earth. They offer everything from mountains, knobs and hills dotted with caves and igneous glades and scattered with hardwood forests and stands of pines—to beautiful valleys filled with clear, meandering streams fed by sparkling springs and an abundance of wildflowers and wildlife.  In order to allow the world to fully enjoy the magnificence and splendor of this ancient treasure trove of natural beauty, the idea for the Ozark Trail was conceived.  In the 1970s work began on a vision to build a scenic and varied route in the Missouri Ozarks, from just outside St. Louis southwest to the Arkansas border, to eventually connect with the Ozark Highlands Trail, creating a 700-mile through-trail.  Governmental agencies, environmental groups and dedicated bands of volunteers have now completed over 350 miles of the Missouri section of the Ozark Trail.  For an in depth look at the Ozark Trail Sections in our region, see missouri-hiking.com.

The above listed are just a few of the spectacular outdoor recreational areas in our Region.  To read about Buford Mountain State Forest, Crane Lake Conservation Area, Bell Mountain Wilderness Area, Ketcherside Mountain State Forest, Marble Creek Recreation Area, Millstream Gardens Whitewater Area, Silver Mines Recreation Area, Council Bluff Lake, Grasshopper Hollow, The Royal Gorge, Logan Creek Conservation Area and Deer Run Conservation Areas click here and you'll see why we are the outdoor recreation capital of Missouri! 

Click to learn about the Southeast Missouri Hunting and Fishing areas in our Missouri Ozarks region.