Sam A. Baker State Park — Attraction in Fredericktown

Our family of four went to Sam A. Baker in April to spent a couple of nights in a cabin and check out the state park. The park is relatively easy to get to, thanks to a pretty smooth highway network that includes highway 67, and just about everything important is right off the 2-lane highway that cuts through the heart of the park.

The cabin (we used a 2-bedroom model) was fully furnished, with a full kitchen, as well as various things you might need (i.e. pots, pans, mugs, toaster, etc.). We cooked both of our dinners in the kitchen, so having access to a full kitchen was a real plus. The cabins also have an outdoor BBQ stand and a fire pit (we used the pit).

Overall, we really liked the cabin. It was clean, well-stocked, and comfortable. The beds were quality and the central air was reliable and as a result my family slept as well at the cabin as they did at home, which is not something that happens everywhere we go. The cabin isn’t huge but it’s large enough for a family of four to have space to eat and sleep, and the futon in front even folds into a third bed if you need it. Also, the location of the cabins is excellent: they’re right across the street from the grill, the store, and the playgrounds, and two of the major trailheads are just a short walk away. (Note: if you’re missing anything or need anything, like extra towels, the store is where you can get them.)

There were a few nits with the cabin. One, the walls aren’t terribly thick, so if your neighbors are slamming car doors at night nearby, you’ll hear it … although, to be fair, for the most part things are pretty quiet. Two, the hot water in our cabin didn’t last more than a few minutes at a time, so while we were all able to get hot showers, they weren’t long ones. Three, although the cabin was were advertised as having Wi-Fi, The Wi-Fi network was down the entire time we were there, both at the cabins and in the rest of the park.

As for the rest of the park? We’ve camped or cabined at a number of Missouri State Parks, and we think is one of the better ones. If you’re a hiker (or a horseback rider) there are miles upon miles of trails, especially stretching up into the mountains, and if you’re looking for rugged there are some real gems. There are also opportunities to get into the water, either at one of the various wading spots in the park or by way of one of the float trips run by the concessionaires. On the other end of things, there’s even a paved path that runs along the length of the park if you need something easy.

As for the buildings: they’re mostly good. The visitors center is informational, although not huge. The camp store is reasonably large, and while things are on the pricier side, given that there isn’t a Walmart for 45 miles it’s just nice to have access to things in a pinch. The grill, also, is about the only place to eat within 30 minutes -- the food there is quality Americana and the staff is very nice.

Overall, Sam A. Baker is a solid state park with a fair amount to do, and we found both the park staff and the concessionaires to be friendly and helpful. We hope to come back sometime, either in a cabin or...

Used to love this park, but now I will never return. Do you go camping to enjoy your time and be stress free? To have fun and make your children happy? Well this is NOT the park for you. Kids toys, if they are electric, are prohibited, apparently this is the case for all Missouri state parks, but this is the only park I have been to that enforces this ridiculous rule so rigorously. Hover board, electric scooters, power wheels… all prohibited unless your child has a drivers license. The park attendant who works nights on the weekends gets joy out of telling little kids and parent s that they cannot ride their toys that are slower than bicycles, he walks around like he is a soldier in the military or like it’s his first day on the job and he has something to prove. He lurks around waiting for you or your kids to mess up somehow. Then he will share any interaction he has with you with the campground host, so you will then have bad blood with your neighbors… why? All because your kids were trying to enjoy their ride on toys that go much slower than the kids flying around 25 mph on their bicycles. We have dealt with this guy for 2 years now but have been frequenting this park for 10. We will never return. In addition, they allow rude campground host to stay, the superintendent spoke to me about how the host had been confronting children and ticking off parents, the host did the same to my children and then came banging on my camper door, when my wife and I opened the door, the host was acting as if my kids had just set fire to his camper, he was yelling and screaming and never allowed either of us to say a word without interrupting us or threatening to kick us out. This has been the most stressful “vacation” and it’s all because of the park staff and how they speak and approach people....

The camp host was on section 2 was kind of pesky. You have zero web or call service. We called 36 drop calls to pay up front. We arrived Monday late afternoon, but the website said full prior to our arrival. We explained ...THE PLACE WAS EMPTY each site said available with green tag one night only (wasnt true) first night the Park Ranger I think his name was Steve? He was very welcoming and said just come up when we see his vehicle there at the place where he presides.So we slept in went swimming and i hiked meanwhile the host for section 120 waited me out in her golf cart and asked why we hadn't paid yet. We were 3 times confronted. My boyfriend was napping I explained we slept in that day played in river and told her we had talked to park ranger he said we could have that site until Friday. She didn't like that she wasnt informed by the ranger. So then she sent her partner down to bug us some more. The ranger was at a softball game for his daughter or granddaughter I forget which. We kind of got sick of the host stalkers 😂 so we didn't stay as long as I would have liked to. We paid on day 2 and left. 😔The place was awesome as always, shower rooms were super clean....it was empty beaches because the holiday just ended Memorial Day. A shame the hosts were so non trusting and unfriendly. But I won't hold that against the park itself. Hopefully the host chills out and learns what a beautiful privilege that they have by holding that position and maybe they could smile every once in awhile and make folks feel welcome and let the guest relax as the Rangers...