Hawn State Park — Attraction in Farmington

Stayed in the campground on a nice weekend in late November. I have a 23 foot travel trailer and stayed in site 34, a basic site with no electricity. I loved my site, though it was next to the vault toilet, and so there were people coming and going in the evenings. Not a problem for me, but something to think about if you're looking at staying in site 34. The campground is easy to access, though some of the sites may be tight for a very large rig. I saw everything from a pop-up to a 38 foot fifth wheel, so most rigs shouldn't be a problem. The campground host was AMAZING. I forgot my key to my outside storage compartments on my trailer and she was able to help get them opened. Absolutely saved the day! I hiked the Whispering Pines trail north and south loops while I was camped there and its reputation as one of the best hiking trails in the state is well-deserved. It is very rugged and I would say would not be good for children or beginner hikers, but if you're up for a small challenge the trail is absolutely worth it. You can hike the entire trail (9.75ish) miles, or just hike the north loop which is approximately 6 miles. I did a day hike on the trail, but there are backpacking campgrounds along the trail if you would like to stay the night out in the woods. The views of the sandstone cliffs and Pickle Creek are stunning. Bring plenty of water. I took 4 liters and ran out twenty minutes from the end. My total hiking time was around 6 hours, including a stop for lunch. If you need to cook on the trail, fires are not allowed, so bring a stove. Fires are obviously allowed within the developed campground however. Hawn is a true gem of the Missouri State Park system and highly...

Here is the bottom line.. Hawn State Park is the best state park in Missouri.. It was better, but, they have made some recent changes that I do not like... Hopefully they will backtrack and fix these errors, but who knows.. The issue is that they stopped, or tried to stop the freestyle backpacking in the park.. This was one of the most awesome parts of the park.. It is beautiful, and great for off trail backpacking, but, somebody got the strange idea that all backpackers should start camping in approved sites only, ones that you have to reserve, like a regular campsite.. This just destroyed the experience by my standards.. It no longer feels like real wilderness freedom.. Everyone has to poop and pee in the same place, etc, etc... Plus, they put in fire rings for the fire bugs...Leave no TRACE people like me do not build fires... We hike, we camp, we leave, you never know we were there!!!! What is wrong with that, but, it is still Missouri's best state park, by my standards... I understand the state is building some commercial projects to lure in more people, around the Current River, etc.. But, those places are not my style.. To much like being back in the city..... So... But, HAWN state park has a place just down the road that just might have the best burger and fries in the state, MIDWAY BAR AND GRILL... Yummy burgers and fries... So, go for the park, stay for...

We loved the park itself. Beautiful hiking trails and scenery. Many camp spots are better suited for smaller campers. We camped with our 32' 5th wheel, and there were only a few sites that would accomodate both camper and truck. All sites have 12' wide, level concrete pad. But, as was our site, the pad was surrounded by dirt, with another concrete pad for the picnic table. The picnic table is chained down, so it cannot be moved. Our steps led to the dirt, which turned to mud after an extended period of very heavy rain. The park staff should consider adding gravel to these areas, which would be such a welcome addition. After the rain turned the surrounding area to mud, we had nowhere to sit and enjoy the outside. We left early because more rain was predicted, and I can sit inside at home. We don't camp to sit inside. I would say roughly half of the sites have at least partial shade. The shower house was very nice. Clean, and good water temp. Restrooms were also very nice and well kept. There are a few sites with larger concrete pads that would be far more wet weather friendly. We plan to return in the spring during cooler weather, do we can explore more trails...