Pershing State Park sits along the banks of Locust Creek in Linn County, Missouri, preserving over 3,500 acres of some of the last remaining grand prairie and wet bottomland forest in the state. Named for General John J. Pershing, who grew up in nearby Laclede, the park offers a rare window into the Missouri landscape as it existed before widespread settlement.

The park’s crown jewel is its boardwalk trail through Locust Creek Natural Area, where visitors walk above a swampy bottomland forest thick with silver maples, cottonwoods, and an understory teeming with wildlife. Birdwatchers will find this stretch particularly rewarding — great blue herons, barred owls, and pileated woodpeckers are regular sightings. The 2.5-mile Locust Creek Trail loops through both prairie and forest, giving hikers a genuine taste of Missouri’s ecological diversity in a single outing.

Fishing along Locust Creek draws anglers after channel catfish and largemouth bass, while the open meadows and picnic areas make for easy afternoon outings with families. Hunters use designated portions of the park during fall seasons for deer and turkey.

Spring and early fall offer the most comfortable conditions — wildflowers blanket the prairie in April and May, and autumn brings vivid color to the bottomland canopy without the humidity of midsummer. Summer visitors should prepare for mosquitoes near the creek lowlands.

Pershing State Park is a quiet, unhurried place — ideal for anyone looking to slow down and experience a genuinely wild corner of northern Missouri.

Explore Nearby

• Mark Twain National Forest — National Forest in Missouri
• Union Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Missouri
• Sandy Creek Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Missouri
• Thousand Hills State Park — Dark Sky Site in Missouri
• Stacy Park — Dark Sky Site in Missouri