Camping at Sam A. Baker State Park (With Kids!)
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Hi friends! Today I’m sharing all about our family camping trip to Sam A. Baker State Park over Memorial Day Weekend.
Sam A. Baker is a beautiful, peaceful little spot tucked in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in southeastern Missouri. It is known for its crystal-clear river, shaded campgrounds, and family-friendly hiking trails. After having it recommended to us by so many camping enthusiasts, we knew we had to give it a try.
It turned out to be one of our new favorites camping spots, so I’m excited to pass along our experience and all that we learned!
TIPS FOR CAMPING AT SAM A. BAKER STATE PARK:
Where is Sam A. Baker State Park?
Sam A. Baker State Park is located in southeast Missouri, just outside the small town of Patterson and about 2.5 hours south of St. Louis. It was about 2 hour and 10 minute drive from where we live on the outskirts of St. Louis.
Big Creek and the St. Francis River run through the park, making it a great place to swim, float, or fish. It’s also home to Mudlick Mountain, which offers a few good trail options if you’re up for a bit of a climb.
BOOKING YOUR CAMPSITE AT SAM A. BAKER:
You can book everything online at icampmo.com, or you can call their reservation line. I usually just hop online and scroll through the campsite map to find a spot that looks good and fits our needs — close to the water, shade, bathrooms, etc. (If you’re going during the warmer months (April–October), the bathrooms and showers are open!)
You can book up to a year in advance, which is great if you’re planning around school breaks or want a popular weekend.
Campground #1 and Campground #2:
There are a couple different campground areas, but both are very family-friendly. We stayed at Campground #1 and had a great experience. It is farther away from the store, main water access, visitor center, etc. than Campground #2. I cannot give a true representation of Campground #2 as we did not stay there, but I do know that it was more crowded and filled with more RVs than Campsite #1.
We stayed at Campsite 90 of Campground 1 and found this section of the campground to be the most shaded, spread out, and quiet. LOTS of tree coverage and very spacious! We were also within short walking distance to the showerhouse, but not so close that we felt crowded.
My honest take is to choose Campground 1 if you want more seclusion, and Campground 2 if you want to be closer to the heart of the park.
Important things to note:
- Some sites have electric hookups and some do not. We are tent campers so can book a basic site just fine, if you need electric for a camper or gear, double-check before you book!
- If you’re going in the summer, shade will be your friend. We like to look for sites with lots of trees.
- Pets are welcome, but they must be on a leash at all times.
- There are LOTS of adults and children riding around on bikes and scooters. Bikes are a great way to get around the whole state park without having to use your car. We were wishing we had brought ours!
- You can bring your own firewood, but it has to follow the state’s rules. There is a store within the park that does sell bags of firewood if needed.
- If you’re not quite into camping but still want the experience, they also have cabins that are super cozy and come with kitchens and bathrooms.
WHAT DOES SAM A. BAKER HAVE TO OFFER?
We found Sam A. Baker to have a little bit of everything. We really appreciated that while it has so much to offer, it’s also very simple and contained. We felt like we were a world away, but were also within 5 miles of a Dollar General if needed.
1. Lots of Water Access! The River & Big Creek.
There are two beautiful spots for swimming, wading, or hanging out in a chair and watching the kids splash around. Big Creek is shallow and rocky — perfect for younger kids. This is where we spent all of our water time, as our kids are still young and are mostly interested in wading/looking for tadpoles and crayfish. The St. Francis River is a little deeper if you want to float or fish.
We found that Big Creek had calmer and more rapid areas. We walked down the rocky creekbed a bit to find a calmer part for the kids to play in. Note: there is zero shade here, so bring your sunscreen! I also highly recommend bringing chairs, as there is no where comfortable to sit otherwise.
2. Hiking Trails for All Abilities
There are a handful of trails, including one that goes up Mudlick Mountain for an incredible view. Some trails are short and easy for little legs, and others are more of a challenge.
- Mudlick Trail – this one is a 12-mile loop that is considered moderate/hard difficulty. It will take you through rugged terrain of St. Francois Mountains
- Shut-Ins Trail – 1.5 miles (one way) and considered moderate difficulty. This trail starts near the park and climbs up the hillside of Big Creek valley.
- Fire Tower Trail – 3.8 miles and is considered moderate difficulty. This trail follows a gravel road and leads to a historic fire tower built in 1936.
- Hollow Pass Trail – a 0.6 mile (one way) trail that is considered moderate difficulty.
- Paved Bicycle Trail – a 2 mile trail (one way) that is considered easy. This is a paved trail that runs along the water from Campground #1 down to the camp store.
3. Campsites & Cabins Available
You can tent camp, bring your camper, or rent one of their stone cabins, which are super charming and tucked into the woods.
4. Playground & Picnic Areas
There’s a little playground right beside the camp store and grill that’s perfect for letting the kids run off some energy while you get lunch going. The picnic area is nice and shady, and there are also grills where you can bring your grilling supplies and make your lunch.
5. Visitor Center + Store
We visited the visitor center when we first arrived and they gave us a flyer of the weekend’s activities. There were multiples things happening daily, including a morning educational class on turtles, an afternoon hike, and a class on bats in the evening! The visitor center also has some fun little nature displays and helpful info if you want to learn more about the area.
The camp store is fun to pop in and see. They offer basics like firewood, sunscreen, ketchup, bread, etc. – as well as shirts and souvenirs. And on the other side of the building you will find the grill, which offers a pretty expansive food and ice cream menu!
Our kids really enjoyed driving over to play on the playground and grab an ice cream cone one night after dinner.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU:
I am not going to state the obvious here! If you are reading this, you most likely know the basics of what you will need to bring along for your camping trip. But SPECIFICALLY for tent camping at Sam A. Baker, these are the things you might not think of if you have never been –
- Water shoes (good ones). The rocks here are pretty tough on feet, and the creek is difficult without some kind of shoe. If you plan on letting kids play in the water, definitely don’t forget these!
- Bikes or scooters. We packed scooters for our kids and were so glad that we did, because we stayed on a quiet little stretch of road where lots of kids were riding through and having a blast. Next time, I’d really love to pack bikes for the whole family so we can bike anywhere we may want to go within the park – this was very, very common for families.
- Battery operated lamps for around campsite. We had 3 small handheld LED lanterns, but I honestly wished for cozier and brighter lighting. After it got dark, our campsite was completely black as there are no street lights.
Overall, we loved everything about Sam A. Baker! We felt like everything we needed was within reach, but we felt a world away. We loved the family-friendly vibe of the campsite, and felt very safe being there.
I hope our tips for camping at Sam A. Baker State Park help you and your family to have the best visit ever!
Until next time,
Courtney
