Lake Wappapello State Park — Attraction in Poplar Bluff

In late May, we visited Lake Wappapello State Park for 5 nights. We booked a lake front campsite number 69 at the Asher Creek Campground. This is a basic site with no services but is facing the lake, which is only a short 50 feet away across some grass. There is a newer restroom about 270 feet away but all uphill using some steps. (This would not be a good camp site for someone with mobility issues but fine for all others.) Besides very clean restrooms, there are 4 individual showers on the back side of the building. All were very clean as well with lots of hot water at no charge.

Of the 2 campgrounds, Asher Creek has the best views of the lake, which were absolutely beautiful. The 2 sets of camp hosts were outstanding. They were highly visible and available for questions and assistance. They made 3-4 drives around the campground daily in an ATV, often stopping to chat with visitors. Very impressive. Unlike other campgrounds we have stayed at in other states, where you never saw the hosts outside the whole time you were there. There is also a very nice park ranger who also came around daily to make sure everyone was safe and following the rules. We greatly appreciated this additional security.

While there were 3 very large 5th wheelers when we were there, most of the sites are better suited for rigs under 35' in length. We traveled in a van and also noticed about 50% of the campers had vans or tents. Electric sites were $26 / night with basic sites only $16. Seniors get a $2 / night discount. By today's standards, this park is a great value. We would definitely go back and highly recommend the park. Thus, we would rate it 5 stars. The biggest downside is road access via a couple of steep hills coming into the park and entering the campground. There were also lots of flies, mosquitos, and ticks in the area, but that is to be expected in the summer. Everyone we met there was extremely nice, quiet, and respectful of other campers. Overall, it was a wonderful experience for those who want to relax and enjoy outdoor activities. Especially good for families and those who...

We backpacked on Lake Wappapello trail from 3/8 to 3/9 with my brother in law and enjoyed our time on trail. This was his first time, so we overestimated our ability to do the trail as a group and ended up road walking on 172 back to our vehicle. A lot of the trees that were mentioned on Alltrails have been cut and I can tell that the Rangers and others put a lot of work into their park. As others have said, the trail has a section that is not marked well. However, we found after we pushed through that the markers improved and someone has blazed the trees with the appropriate trail marker color. It can be difficult to navigate this trail in certain parts, but people shouldn't assume this is a leisurely paved trail. This is definitely a backpacking trail. When we went, it was very dry and most of the creeks were not flowing or completely dry, so I say definitely check the water levels and conditions before you go. I ended up carrying extra water on our second day. The trailheads all have maps at the TH boards and a paper to register and leave comments on your trip. The Rangers also have a cache along the way, which is super awesome, and I feel like they really want people to enjoy this trail. Definitely rocky in some sections. Make sure to bring a map and download the trail beforehand if you go to make sure you have an...

Rolling into this campground is like a rollercoaster ride, kinda fun really. We stayed at site 53 in Ridge Campground. The picture on the website is off quite a bit. There aren't very many level sites here, and most are on an incline or sloped. Other than the family sites, they are spaced apart nicely, for the most part. The campground hosts and rangers are super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. There is a play yard up by the bathrooms and a laundry facility. There are 2 washers (only one was working) that costs $1.50/load, and 2 dryers that cost $1/load. Although it is a beautiful area, I would not stay here again with a 30ft travel trailer. It is very suitable for tents and smaller campers. They also have numerous cabins that looked very nice and decent walking trails. We did not stay at Asher Creek campground, but we did walk around it. There are 2 11° grade hills in and out..if you like that sort of thing when towing. It is right on the lake,...