Sam A. Baker State Park is a public recreation area encompassing 5,323 acres (2,154 ha) in the Saint Francois Mountains region of the MissouriOzarks. The state park offers fishing, canoeing, swimming, camping, and trails for hiking and horseback riding.[2] The visitor and nature center is housed in a historic building that was originally constructed as a stable in 1934.[3] 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.[4]
History
The state park was acquired in 1926 and is named for Missouri governorSam 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.[2]
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.[2]
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.[5]
