Roaring River State Park is a Missouri state park with lots of activities for the whole family. We took the drive over to the park to see what it has to offer. Read on to find out about the park and see some photos we took on our visit.
Accommodations
It doesn’t matter whether you want to camp in a tent, bring your RV, or prefer more modern accommodations, the park has what you want. In addition to primitive campsites, the park has sites with water and electricity for RV hookups. There is also a lodge and conference center for those not looking to rough it in the outdoors. The lodge also has a restaurant if you are in the mood for a sit-down meal after enjoying the park all day. There is a store in the park where you can buy supplies should you run low.
Hiking
There are seven hiking trails within the park. They differ in length and difficulty. They range from the Deer Leap trail at 0.20 miles to the Fire Tower trail at 3.7 miles. Three of the trails are listed as moderate difficulty with the other four rated as rugged. On this day we hiked the River Trail. This trail starts to the right of the amphitheater. As you hike the trail you will be looking down on the river to your right. Although the trail is narrow with seeps coming out of the rack in places I would rate this as a fairly easy hike. The trail was easy to follow and the section we traveled to wasn’t too steep. We hope to go back again when it is cooler and try out some other trails.
Natural Areas
Roaring River State Park has within its boundaries the Roaring River Hills Wild Area. This area can be accessed by taking the Fire Tower Trail. It is maintained in its natural state so that visitors can experience wilderness firsthand. There is also a natural area that showcases the native plant species that were here when the first settlers arrived in the area.
The Roaring River
The river that Roaring River State Park is named for is fed by the Roaring River Spring. According to the park brochure the spring releases over 20 million gallons of water per day. The water is at a constant 57 degrees as it comes out of the ground. This temperature of the water is why the park has a trout hatchery. The trout are raised and stocked into the river for fishermen to catch.
Unfortunately for us, the hatchery was closed for maintenance when we visited. We weren’t able to visit the spring area to get photos due to the construction. The photo above shows water from the spring that gets channeled into the river.
Trout Fishing
Since trout are raised and stocked into the Roaring River it is a place for fishermen to try and catch a limit of trout. The fishing area is divided into sections and each section describes the regulations for fishing in that section of the river. You also must purchase and have in your possession a trout permit to fish the river. The limit is 4 trout per day. Trout fishing regulations are available on the Roaring River State Park website.
As we walked along the river we were able to spot numerous trout in the river. We were able to get photos of a few such as the one below.
Other Attractions
Besides hiking and fishing, the park also offers other things to do for the family. There are several swimming holes, picnic areas for a cookout, a nature center with interpretive programs, and we even saw a playground.
Roaring River State Park in Missouri has something to see and do for your whole family. We found our visit enjoyable even though it was only a day trip. We are going to have to return to take advantage of some other things we didn’t get to see on this visit.
For more information on Roaring River State Park, you can visit their website.
Here is our GPS map of the drive to the park and a close-up view of the areas of the park we visited.
Click on the maps above to see the image larger. You can also click any of the images above to see them larger as well.