St. Joe Park is a beautiful park that is located in southeastern Missouri. The park was originally a mining area for the St. Joe Minerals Corporation, up until 1972 when they discontinued operations. In 1976, the land was donated to the state of Missouri and it was redesignated as St. Joe State Park. The park is currently the third largest state park in the state of Missouri and covers an area of approximately 8,237 acres. Over 2,000 acres of the park is designated for off-road vehicles. St. Joe State Park contains two campgrounds, equestrian trails, bicycle trails, picnic sites and lakes suitable for fishing and swimming. The park also contains thousands of acres of woodland that is suitable for hiking.
<h1>Camping Requirements</h1>
There are two campgrounds that can be used by visitors of this state park. Which of the two campgrounds that visitors can use is dependent on the activities of the visitors and the type of equipment they are planning on using. Visitors wishing to camp and use off-road vehicles mush use campground one. Visitors who camp and are planning on riding horses must use campground two. Other regulations that must be observed when camping at St. Joe Park include the following:
1. Reservations must be made to use any of the campgrounds. Reservations require a minimum 2 night stay. 2. Visitors must be checked in by 3 pm and check out by 2 pm.
3. Visitors planning to have camp fires must comply with the current fire advisories of the park.
4. Visitors using off-road vehicles must comply with all safety regulations of the park.
5. Generators are no longer allowed on any of the park’s campgrounds
6. Tents can only be pitched on the concrete tent pad designated by the park.
<h1>Campground One</h1>
This campground has nice shade and comes equipped with lantern posts, fire pits and picnic tables. Current regulations of the park are currently located on signs situated around the campground. This campground can be reserved year-round and there are 125 camping sites available to visitors. 40 of the 125 camping sites are electric pull-through sites. Campsites 1 through 15 have thirty amp breakers, campsites 101 through 125 have fifty amp breakers. Visitors who have off-road vehicles must use the off-road vehicle staging area.
A shower-house is available for visitors through the regular season, which last from March through October. This shower-house is closed during the off-season, but visitors can still use the frost-free hydrants located near the campsites.
Located near the campground is a wood lot which allows visitors the opportunity to purchase firewood. The woodlot is open from April through October. Visitors wishing to purchase fire wood during the off-season should contact the park’s main office.
<h1>Campground Two</h1>
Campground two is laid out much like campground one. It contains thirteen electric back-in sites that come equipped with 30 amp breakers. It also contains twelve basic gravel sites. Each campsite located in this campground contains two hitching posts. Reservations require a minimum two night stay, but visitors wishing to use the first-come, first-serve campsites may make payment at the park’s main office.
This campground doesn’t contain a shower-house, dump station or wood lot, but registered visitors to this campground may use the facilities located at campground one.
Both campgrounds can be accessed from 7 am to 10 pm daily, all year round. After-hours accessed can be requested by registered campers by calling the park’s main office a day in advance.
<h1>Off-Road Riding Area</h1>
The off-road riding area of St. Joe Park consists of approximately two thousand acres. It can be used by ATVs, dune buggies, four-wheel drive vehicles and utility terrain vehicles. This area contains approximately eight hundred acres of sand-flats which contains a substance much like sand, but it actually made up of crushed limestone. This limestone is the left over tailings of the lead-mining operations that were conducted here.
The off-road staging area contains a number of amenities. These amenitiesinclude toilets, water, off-road rinse station, barbecue pits and picnic tables. This area is open from 7am to 5pm from October through March, and is open from 7am to 8pm from April through September. There is a five dollar daily fee required for each off-road vehicle used at the site.
<h1>Park Contact Information</h1>
St. Joe State Park
2800 Pimville Road
Park Hills, Mo. 63601
573-431-1069 (Main Park Office)
877-422-6766 (Toll-free Camping Reservation line)