Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

We stayed in the equestrian loop, site E101. Our site had shade and was tucked in between some trees so we had privacy. Some of the other sites, particularly the pull throughs were wide open, no shade. All the sites were a concrete pad, and level. Loop one is Water and electric only, but there is a dump station right off loop one. There are full hookups available in one of the other loops. The sites were HUGE and really spaced out. The shower facilities and bathrooms were well kept and pretty big. The Camp-store had supplies and souvenirs. The laundry house was also very clean. Lots of hiking trails! We had a blast playing in the shut ins and connecting streams! The ONLY downside was the ridiculous number of ticks. Even coated with bug spray every day, we still seemed to get bit. We pulled 32 ticks off our poor pup after hiking the Goggin Mt trail! But beside that, this was the best state park we’ve been to in MO so far! The visitor center was fascinating, glad we checked it out to learn about how the shut ins were created, the wildlife in the area and the nearby parks/trails to explore. We will definitely be coming back!

I think we got the best campsite - 210 with three services, isolated from the others, still not far from restrooms.
The campground is not at a walking distance from the river and swimming place, but we rode our bikes there, as there is no traffic on the road. Bring water shoes to swim in the shut-ins and swimming holes -it's slippery but boy was it fun!

Beautiful wooded campground. No check-in with reservation, name posted on site. Concrete pads with electric, water and sewer in Loop 2. Loop 1 has pull thrus but is electric only. Our site, 215, was somewhat level and shaded. Many hiking options in the area, Shut-ins trail is a must do, about 2.4 miles with some hilly/rocky areas and overlooks of the shut-ins and valley.

5 bars of AT&T coverage (there must be a tower in the area) but no HDTV stations in range.

Beautiful state park. Stayed in basic site with my travel trailer 4/27-29/19. Concrete pad large enough for suv, 18’ trailer, picnic table, and fire ring. Good space between sites with trees and shrubs providing privacy. Hiking trail winds around campground and another hiking/biking trail leads to the Shut-Ins. A small stream flows through campground. Also near Elephant Rock and Taum Sauk. Shut-Ins fantastic. Scour trail interesting, especially after learning about the dam breach at the very nice interpretive center. Nice cabins available for rent, walk-in tent sites, and equestrian sites and trail. Bathrooms new and relatively clean. Bikes available for rent at camp store. Wonderful time exploring the park and the adjoining area.

I would have loved to give this place 5 stars, but not reading the fine print got me and another family. The park is clean and most spots had plenty of space between them. Pads were concrete and mostly level. Plenty of pull through spots also. The equestrian loop didnt seem to have many trees. Not a horse guy so not sure if there is a reason.
My family and another booked online. Most spots were reserved so we figured this is a great spot. When I arrived (from out of state) I found out that the “season” didnt start till April 1. That means no water at sites, only select bathrooms were open (of course not the ones next to us) and none of the stores/visitor’s center were open! Water was available at certain places so we decided to stay and use our water jugs. I guess everyone else read the fine print because us and the other family with us were the only campers in the park besides the host. The host were nice and didnt bother us too much. They kept trying to sell us their over priced firewood (4 sticks for $5!!). I found a local 2 miles from the campground that sold me a stack for same price. Plenty of hikes at this park and the area. There were several stores and laundry facilities that will be open during season. Bike rental and other things available too. Have kids bring their bikes and scooters. Plenty of places to ride and run. Bathrooms and showers were individualized which is nice for families and small kids. AT&T had limited to no cell service. Had to drive to certain locations to get a signal. MO State Parks is missing out on Spring Break crowds not opening this a month earlier.