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Discover Missouri State Parks

Reserve a Campsite

Approximately 3,500 state park campsites are available for reservation at 38 different state parks and state historic sites.

Make a reservation.

Reserve a Lodging Unit

Twelve state parks accept lodging reservation through their concessionaires, while five offer reservations through the Centralized Reservation System. Refer to the information below to make a reservation at the park of your choice.

Make a reservation.

Find a Job with Missouri State Parks

We’re looking for people to join our team who love nature and want to care for Missouri’s outstanding natural and cultural resources for all to enjoy! Check out the current list of open positions within our team. Be sure to sign up to receive updates when a new position is available.

Learn about careers.

Become a Volunteer

Do you love Missouri State Parks and the outdoors?

The Volunteers In Parks (VIP) Program is for everyone: professionals, aging adults, students, teachers, youth and civic groups. VIPs provide invaluable assistance to Missouri State Parks on a wide variety of tasks and projects around the state.

Learn about the VIP Program.

Access Park & Historic Site Maps

Plan your adventure with confidence. View park and historic site maps to navigate trails, facilities, and points of interest across Missouri State Parks.

View the Park and Site Maps.

Explore Upcoming Events

Discover what’s happening in Missouri State Parks. Explore upcoming events that connect you with nature, history, and outdoor adventure through guided hikes, educational programs, and family-friendly experiences.

View upcoming events.

Apply for a Grant

Missouri State Parks administers three federally funded grant programs and one state-funded grant program related to outdoor recreation. It also administers one federally funded grant program related to historic preservation. This page provides basic information about each program.

Learn about grant opportunities.

Purchase a Gift Card

A Missouri State Parks gift card lets you take advantage of a more convenient way to make camping reservations, purchase state park merchandise and give great gifts to your friends. A gift card can be purchased for $10 or more. Physical gift cards purchased online or by phone will be sent by postal mail. Please allow seven to 10 business days for delivery. E-gift cards will sent to the email address on your customer account within 24 hours.

Get gift cards now.

Take a Tour

Visitors to Missouri’s state historic sites have a wealth of experiences awaiting them, from touring Civil War battlefields to seeing the birth sites of Mark Twain and Harry S Truman.

Find a virtual tour.

Find a historic site to tour.

Take a cave tour.

Purchase an ORV Permit - ORV Riding

ORV permits can be bought online for up to three days of riding. Riders can purchase their ORV permit before arriving to the park. Permits are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Go ORV riding!

Rent a Watercraft - Paddling

Watercrafts are available for all-day and half-day rentals. A watercraft agreement will be completed at the park. A driver's license will be obtained by the park office and kept there until all rented equipment is returned.

Go paddling!

Reserve a Meeting Space

Several parks and historic sites offer meeting spaces. Visit the Park Site & Status Map to decide which space is right for you and use the reservation system to stake your claim on your date.

View the brochure.

Make a Donation

By making a donation, you can personally help us preserve and maintain Missouri's 93 state parks and historic sites. With your help, we can continue to provide the many special places across Missouri that preserve our state's most outstanding natural landscapes and cultural landmarks and provide recreational opportunities.

Make a donation now.

Bring My Pet to Missouri State Parks

Responsible pet owners and their pets are welcome in Missouri State Parks. Following are a few simple rules to ensure that you, your pet and other park visitors enjoy the outing. These rules apply to all types of pets except service animals assisting people with disabilities.

Learn about pet rules.

Buy Missouri State Parks Merchandise

Bring a piece of Missouri State Parks into your everyday life! You can browse our complete selection of items together, or you can shop by category.

Shop now.

Find the Latest News Releases

The department's Office of Communications releases notices to the media throughout the day. These news releases are posted to our website as soon as possible. If you have questions about a specific news release, please email or call the department contact listed in the news release.

View the latest news.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants

Eligibility

  • Federal funding available for LWCF grants is a maximum of $500,000 per project, with a minimum 50% match. Grants can be awarded to any local government, city, county or public school.
    Eligible projects must be open to the public at reasonable times. Project examples include but are not limited to:

    • Playgrounds
    • Ball fields
    • Pools and water parks
    • Archery and shooting ranges
    • Camping facilities
    • Picnic areas
    • Boating and fishing facilities
    • Trails
    • Passive areas

Grant Selection Process

The 2026 LWCF Grant is currently closed. The 2027 LWCF Grant Round will open in mid-August. The new application and Open Project Selection Process will be posted when the grant round opens.
2026 Open Project Selection Process (application instructions)

2026 Project Application

Grant Application Workshops

To view the 2026 LWCF Application Webex Series, go to the Grant Workshops webpage.

How to administer my LWCF Project

To assist grant recipients with administering their grants, an administrative guide has been provided that outlines the process for submitting reimbursement requests and status reports and the process for closing out a completed project.
Post-completion requirements include installing LWCF project signs, making regular inspections and maintaining all ADA requirements. Signs can be ordered by calling Missouri Vocational Enterprises at 573-751-6663 or 800-392-8486.

Past Administration Guides

Sample Projects

The City of Clinton recently shared an amazing time-lapse video showing the construction of its Kids’ World Playground project, funded by LWCF.
This is just one example of how Missouri State Parks is helping to provide outstanding recreational opportunities to Missouri citizens. Additional projects are listed below.

FY2025 Funded Grants

Grant Recipient Grant Project Grant Amount
City of Belton Park Department Wallace Park Playground Replacement $406,250
City of Excelsior Springs All-Abilities Playground Phase 2 $500,000
City of Fayette Swimming Pool Phase 1 $40,730
City of Gladstone Flora Park Phase 2 $501,946
City of Joplin ORLP Grant – Parr Hill Improvement Project $484,230
Marquand-Zion R-VI School District Tigers Playground and Recreational Park $263,500
Milan C-2 School District Milan C-2 Ballfields $500,000

FY2024 Funded Grants

Grant Recipient Grant Project Grant Amount
City of Benton Benton City Park Project $208,575
City of El Dorado Springs Virginia Ryan Strain Municipal Pool $500,000
City of Greenwood Hitt Park Playground Replacement Project $427,875
City of Kansas City Swope Park ORLP Grant $4,250,000
City of Kennett Kennett Indian Park Baseball Lighting Project $414,000
City of Kimberling City Kimberling City Hilltop Park Phase 1 $263,296
City of Lathrop Lathrop City Park Bandstand Phase 2 $235,047
City of Meta Meta Elementary Memorial Park $103,699
City of New Haven John Colter Memorial Park Playground $88,222
City of Pacific Jeffrey White Memorial Skatepark $240,572
City of Stewartsville City of Stewartsville Park Improvements $154,150
City of Wright City Wright City Skatepark Project Phase II $490,000
Jackson County Parks + Rec Blue River Parkway Enhancement Project Phase I $233,100

FY2023 Funded Grants

Grant Recipient Grant Project Grant Amount
City of Bloomfield Bloomfield City Park Project $98,330
City of Hermann Hermann Ball Field Rehabilitation Project $160,644
City of Kearney Hall Park Development $500,000
City of Monroe City North Park Recreation Area $206,720
City of Perryville Lucas & Friends Backyard Adventure Phase II $123,458
City of Rolla Ber Jaun Sports Complex $500,000
City of St. James St James Ballfield Netting Improvements $83,758
City of Seymour Seymour South Park Addition $119,548
Hamilton R-II School District Hamilton Community Track $500,000

FY2022 Funded Grants

Grant Recipient Grant Project Grant Amount
Arcadia Valley R-II School District Elementary Playground Accessibility & Improvements $313,250
Cape Girardeau County North & South Park Improvements $470,000
City of Duquesne Duquesne Memorial Park Phase II $182,300
City of Moberly Moberly Kiwanis Park $476,110
City of Raytown 53rd St Property Redevelopment $500,000
City of Riverside Riverside Municipal Pool & Splashground $500,000
City of Weston Park Board Orchard Hill Park $80,300
County of Washington Washington County Towne Park Square $261,215
Manchester Parks, Recreation & Arts Dept. Paul A. Schroeder Park Playground Project $500,000
St. Louis County Parks & Recreation Dept. Kinloch Park Renovation $500,000