Mark Twain State Park

By America's State Parks Editorial TeamFebruary 6, 2026 · Updated September 5, 2026

Mark Twain State Park sits in the Salt River Hills of northeast Missouri, on limestone bluffs above 18,000-acre Mark Twain Lake. Stands of oak, hickory and maple drop to quiet coves where white-tailed deer and wild turkey move through the understory, and bald eagles winter over the water. Missouri established the park in 1924 in honor of Samuel Clemens, who was born in the adjacent village of Florida — it is the third-oldest state park in Missouri and the first north of the Missouri River. Today you get three lakeside campgrounds, six camper cabins, two free four-lane boat ramps, a swimming beach and 6.1 miles of hiking loops that lead to the Buzzard’s Roost overlook.

Park Overview

The Mark Twain Connection

Samuel Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri, the village next to the park. In the 1920s the Mark Twain Memorial Park Association raised more than $10,000 to buy the first 100 acres overlooking the Salt River; Twain’s surviving daughter, Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch, gave singing concerts to support the effort. With additional land bought by the state, the park was established in 1924. The home where Clemens was born is preserved inside the museum at Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site, which adjoins the park — the 0.4-mile Barefoot Sam Trail starts right beside it.

Mark Twain Lake

The park changed character when Clarence Cannon Dam was built across the Salt River — construction ran from 1966 to 1983. The 18,000-acre lake generates power, controls flooding in the Salt River valley and gives you a big, open reservoir with many quiet coves. Park land that once looked down on a river now looks down on the lake, and thousands of acres of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land surround the park, which is why the woods here hold so much wildlife.

Hiking Trails

Five natural-surface loops, all rated moderate and all hiking-only, run between Buzzard’s Roost and the campground with repeated views of the lake. Expect rocks and roots, a few steep grades and bluff edges close to the tread. Distances and times are from the park’s trail sheets (January 2025):

Camping and Camper Cabins

All three campgrounds — Badger, Coyote and Puma — stay open year-round with basic and electric sites, including 50-amp hookups; Puma also has larger family sites. Showers and water run April 15 to October 31, and sites are reservable March 1 to November 30, up to 12 months ahead, online or at 877-ICampMO (877-422-6766). Weekend stays need a two-night minimum (Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday). In the off-season, potable water comes from the frost-free spigot near campsite 1. Camping is limited to 15 days in any 30-day period.

Six log camper cabins in Puma Campground sleep four adults and two children on a queen bed, a full-size futon and a carpeted loft. They have electricity, heat and air conditioning but no water or restroom inside — the central showerhouse is open April 15 to October 31, and off-season you use a vault toilet at the Puma Loop and frost-free hydrants. Cabins rent March 1 to November 30 at $85 plus tax on-season and $80 plus tax off-season, with a three-night minimum on holiday weekends and two nights on other weekends; no same-day rentals. Bring your own linens and sleeping bags. Cabins A and F accept up to two dogs under the Cabins for Canines program, and Cabin F is accessible. Camp Colborn, the park’s organized group camp, offers a dining lodge, kitchen and sleeping cabins by reservation only.

On the Water

Boating: Two four-lane concrete ramps give you free access to the lake — one off Route U, a half mile west of the Highway 107/Route U junction (no lighted parking), and one off Highway 107 about 2 miles north of that junction (lighted lot). A single-lane ramp in the campground is for registered campers. There are no horsepower or length limits on Mark Twain Lake.

Fishing: The lake holds crappie, catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, walleye and perch, and you can fish it 24 hours a day, year-round when conditions allow. Ice fishing is not advised because water levels fluctuate under the ice. If you don’t have a boat or are fishing with small children, 4-acre Tom Sawyer Lake near the Highway 107/Route U junction offers bluegill, largemouth bass and catfish from shore, sunrise to sunset. Check Missouri Department of Conservation length and possession limits.

Swimming: The public beach is at the Highway 107 Recreation Area at the north end of the park, with a change house nearby. For 2026 the beach season runs May 22 to September 7, sunrise to sunset, and the opening date depends on lake level and water quality. There is no lifeguard, and pets and alcohol are not allowed on the beach. Swimming is permitted anywhere else in the lake except in front of the boat ramps.

Buzzard’s Roost

The Buzzard’s Roost picnic area is the park’s day-use heart: about 30 shaded picnic sites, a playground and an overlook on a limestone bluff that the park calls one of the most photographed spots on the lake. Two shelters stand here — an open shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps that holds 40 to 45 people ($40 to reserve, otherwise free first-come), and Huck Hall, an enclosed building for up to 100 people with restrooms and a small kitchen ($125 a day, reservation only). Shelters book online 30 days to 12 months ahead. Halley’s Comet Disc Golf Course, a nine-hole layout in the same area, is free to play, and the park lends discs if you don’t have your own. A second, smaller picnic area with six sites sits by the Highway 107 boat ramp.

Wildlife & Nature

The uplands here mark a transition between the prairies to the north and west and the rugged hill country of southern Missouri, so you find prairie plants — big bluestem, Indian grass, leadplant, cream wild indigo, orange puccoon and purple prairie clover — alongside white oak, red oak, black oak, blackjack oak, blue ash and sugar maple. The park is a refuge for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, foxes, raccoons and bats. Over the lake, watch for osprey and northern harriers; bald eagles spend the winter here and have nested nearby in recent years. Numerous migratory waterfowl and monarch butterflies are also seen in the park. Ask at the park office for the bird checklist.

Know Before You Go

• Hours: Park grounds sunrise to 10 p.m., year-round. Park office 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday from April to October, Friday and Saturday only from November to March.
• Pets: Leashes no longer than 10 feet at all times; no pets at the beach or inside buildings other than Cabins A and F.
• Firewood: Missouri State Parks has an active firewood advisory — check it before you carry wood in.
• Weather: An outdoor warning siren is located in Coyote Campground near the amphitheater.
• Closures: Temporary trail, beach and campground closures are posted on the Missouri State Parks Park and Site Status Map.

Editorial note: The America’s State Parks Editorial Team checked the facts on this page against Missouri State Parks (mostateparks.com) on September 5, 2026. Fees, seasons and hours change — verify with the park office before you go.

Explore More Missouri State Parks

Mark Twain State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Missouri. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Missouri guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.

More parks nearby: Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site adjoins the park, while Iliniwek Village State Historic Site lies within about an hour’s drive.

About the Author

America's State Parks Editorial Team

America's State Parks is an independent online guide to state parks and other public lands in the United States. Our editorial team compiles park profiles from official agency and operator sources and other identified references, and follows our published editorial policy and review methodology. Where a profile shows a source-check date, that date applies to the detail it names. We correct errors when we find them or when readers report them.

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