Sam A. Baker State Park

Sam A. Baker State Park
Missouri State Park
Dining lodge made of native stone and wood
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Wayne
Elevation	922 ft (281 m) [1]
Coordinates	37°15′12″N 90°31′34″W / 37.25333°N 90.52611°W / 37.25333; -90.52611Coordinates: 37°15′12″N 90°31′34″W / 37.25333°N 90.52611°W / 37.25333; -90.52611 [1]
Highest point	Mudlick Mountain
- elevation	1,306 ft (398 m) [2]
- coordinates	37°15′43″N 90°31′27″W / 37.26194°N 90.52417°W / 37.26194; -90.52417 [2]
Area	5,323.62 acres (2,154 ha) [3]
Established	1926
Management	Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Park Office	Off Missouri Route 143
- coordinates	37°15′26.8″N 90°30′14.6″W / 37.257444°N 90.504056°W / 37.257444; -90.504056 [4]
Location in Missouri
Website: Sam A. Baker State Park
Sam A. Baker State Park Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Nearest city	Patterson, Missouri
Area	4,860 acres (1,970 ha)
Built	1933 (1933)
Architectural style	Rustic
MPS	ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR
NRHP Reference #	85000540[5]
Added to NRHP	February 27, 1985

Sam A. Baker State Park is a state-owned, public recreation area encompassing 5,323 acres (2,154 ha) in the Saint Francois Mountains region of the Missouri Ozarks. The state park was acquired in 1926 and is named for Missouri governor Sam Aaron Baker who encouraged the development of the park in his home county. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps added many structures to the park including the park office and visitors center, which was originally used as a stable, the stone dining lodge, most of the park's cabins, and the backpacking shelters on the Mudlick Trail.^[6] Twenty-five buildings and five structures comprise the Sam A. Baker State Park Historic District, a national historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.^{[5][7]:439-467}

Activities and amenities

• The park offers access to the St. Francis River and Big Creek for fishing, canoeing, and swimming.
• Camping: The park has 187 campsites, half of them electric and 18 rustic, plus air-conditioned cabins. A separate campground with 21 sites is available for use by equestrians.
• Trails: The 14-mile (23 km) Mudlick Trail is available for hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. The Mudlick has three stone shelters available for backpackers, and views of the 4,420-acre (1,790 ha) Mudlick Mountain Wild Area and the 1,370-acre (550 ha) Mudlick Natural Area. There is also the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Shut-Ins Trail, the Hollow Pass Trail, and the nearby Wappapello Section of the Ozark Trail. The park also has a 2-mile (3.2 km) paved bicycle trail open to cyclists, hikers, skateboarders, and roller skaters.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sam A. Baker State Park.

• Sam A. Baker State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources
• Sam A. Baker State Park Map Missouri Department of Natural Resources