Missouri Route 66 is one of the best road trips

Missouri Travel: 7 Great Road Trips to Explore the Best of the State

Missouri, the 24th state in the US with more than 6 million people, has many things to offer. And great destinations and road trips are among them! Roads trips let you discover new things, recharge, and self-reflect. You only need a vehicle, whether your own or a rental car, some fuel, and a destination to go on one! Let’s explore some of the best road trips to travel in Missouri.

Travel to Missouri State Parks

Missouri has 91 state parks: how much time would it take to travel to them all? But you can visit a few in just a day. For example, Weston Bend State Park, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, and Crowder State Park are roughly in the same area. Weston Bend State Park has beautiful woody scenarios, Loess Bluffs Refuge has a great variety of animals, and Crowder State Park has picturesque green rolling hills.

Some other great natural places not too far from St. Louis are Hughes Mountain. Here, you can find some of the most ancient exposed rocks. Afterward, you can travel to Echo Bluff State Park with its impressive bluffs and waters.

State parks can be great to explore by bike. Learn about Missouri bike laws here.

Explore the Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks is amongst our top boating destinations in the US, but it offers just as much for non-boaters. 

You can start your trip at Osage Beach by the lake. Explore the shores, cute towns, maybe rent a pontoon if you feel like boating. There is also a swinging bridge and the oldest legal distillery in the county. Here, explore Lake of the Ozarks State Park, the largest state park in Missouri. Then, just 15 minutes from Osage beach, there is the Ha Ha Tonka State Park, where you can see some of the few castle ruins in the US. There is also a Bridal Cave close by, where you can book a guided tour to explore fascinating cave formations. Travel south to Lebanon to explore the Heartland Antique Mall. There is also Boswell Park, which is a part of the Route 66 attractions.

Travel the Route 66 in Missouri

Route 66 is likely the most famous road ever, running from Chicago to Santa Monica, going through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. . John Steinbeck once called it “the mother road, the road of flight”. People go down this route for history and nostalgia. The Missouri part is great for a road trip!

Cities on Missouri Route 66 include St Louis, Cuba, Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, Carthage, Brooklyn Heights, and Joplin. It’s almost 300 miles and takes more than 5 hours: of course, without stopping anywhere. Learn more here.

Marvel at Missouri Waterfalls

Missouri also has quite a lot of rivers and waterfalls. From Mina Sauk Falls, the highest waterfall in the state, it’s a short distance to Johnson’s shut-ins, where the river cascades over rocks in many rivulets. An hour from Johnson’s shut-ins are Hickory Canyons in St. Genevieve, which look best after heavy rain. There is also a beautiful waterfall in Marvel Cave, or Grand Falls in Joplin, the largest continuously flowing waterfall in Missouri. But they are quite a bit south of Hickory Canyons: it’s more than four hours drive.

The Way of the American Genius

Highway 36 does not sound as grand as Route 66, but it is very much worth a visit. This area is connected to such people as Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Molly Brown, J. C. Penney, and Jesse James, and such discoveries as quilt, pony express, and sliced bread. Highway 36 starts at Saint Joseph in the northwest and finishes at Hannibal in the northeast. It’s almost 200 miles.

Attractions along the route include Pony Express Museum at Saint Joseph, J. C. Penney Museum at Hamilton, a mural dedicated to sliced bread in Chillicothe, Pershing State Park and Locust Creek covered bridge in Meadville, Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline and Mark Twain’s and Molly Brown’s museums in Hannibal. Choose this route if you like museums, history and want to feel closer to American Geniuses. 

Visit Missouri watermills

Are you a fan of watermills? Missouri is one of the best states to explore watermills. You can start at Rockbridge Mill, which was built in 1888 and operated until the 1940s. Now it is a perfect calm retreat, where you can dine, fish, and relax. From there, it’s only 25 minutes to a very picturesque Hodgson Mill. Another 20 minutes south to get to the Dawt Mill. And if you are up for a lengthier trip, drive north to Alley Spring&Mill, Old Mill at Montauk State Park, Reed Spring Mill, and Dillard Mill.

Find Missouri Wine Country

Do you like wine? Are you interested in winemaking? Consider touring Rhineland, the Missouri wine country. Besides wineries, it has beautiful nature and some German-style buildings. 

Start in St. Louis and travel to Augusta, which has antique shops, wineries, quaint B&Bs, and more. Then, go to Hermann, settled by Germans, which has a WurstFest held here every March! There are also wineries and vineyards, of course. Afterward, travel to Rocheport with wineries, tasting rooms, antique shops, and historic walking trails.

We hope this article gave you some ideas if you are planning to travel in Missouri. Perhaps you are interested in some of these routes but have no car? Rent a car with XRental today!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *