CAMPING at WASHINGTON STATE PARK and hiking

NO IDEA WHAT WEATHER WILL BE, BUT LET'S GIVE IT A "HAIL MARY". We all absolutely loved this park last March.

Bring your cold weather clothes! It won't be warm, but okay if we're prepared. We need to do more cold weather camping, it's the best time to find a campsite anywhere we want....places we probably will never go in the on season. You can pretty much get in anywhere in off season. Only about an hour from West County.

Of course, it's always weather dependent this time of year, but you can count on COLD.

RESERVATIONS: They are taking reservations. Go to the link below. Be sure you get an electric site. Otherwise, it's first come, first served without reservations. Better to reserve.

BE SURE TO POST YOUR CAMPSITE IF YOU RESERVE, SO THE REST OF US KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU.

FACILITIES: Bathrooms: there will be one vault toilet available, located near site #25. Usually water is turned off to individual campsites, but electricity is on. Bring the water you'll need. Usually there is at least one working water spigot somewhere in the campground.

Washington State Park | Missouri State Parks

I'll be tent camping, our camper is put up for winter. I

DOGS: Dogs must be kept on leash. Please keep your dog's tie out leash about 10' long at campsites. That's a park rule, 10' tie out. Or, just keep him/her on 6' regular leash and tie it to your chair. Too many dogs for long leashes and it's hard to keep them from getting tangled.

Bring firewood. I'll check with park, but usually we can buy firewood from the camp host. It was good wood and reasonably priced at Robertsville in December.

Food. Bring your own, not enough people for pot luck.

HIKING: Water is too cold to kayak, we really don't have gear for freezing water temps. We'll do the 1,000 Steps Trail again this year. Not too long, but a big hill up and down. We can walk to the river again at the end of the hike, like last year.

Hike is listed as separate event, you should RSVP there if you plan to hike.

FOR HIKES, DOGS MUST BE ON SHORT LEASH, NO RETRACTABLES.

No real agenda for anything, we'll figure it out in the mornings.