Arrow Rock State Historic Site RV & Campground Guide
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Arrow Rock State Historic Site in Missouri commemorates a historic village known as Arrow Rock. Four historical sites are located within this area, including a historic bridge, grave shelter, lookout shelter, and open shelter. There are also a visitor center and museum at this historic site, and site staff are often available to give walking tours of the nearby courthouse, stone jail, and town doctor’s home. The Arrow Rock State Historic Site Visitor Center was opened in 1991 and today is housed in a building with 9,000 square feet of exhibit space. Some of the most popular exhibits include "Native American Presence," "Agriculture," and "Troubled Times: The Civil War." Other major exhibits feature information on Boone’s Lick, the name for the area settled by American pioneers in central Missouri during the early 1800s.
Spring 33–55 F
Summer 67–89 F
Fall 44–69 F
Winter 18–38 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Arrow Rock State Historic Site
There are 47 campsites at Arrow Rock State Historic Site, and many of them feature basic electric hookups. A handful of sites have water and sewage hookups and options for 50-amp electricity. Water hookups and shower facilities are available from April 1 through Oct. 31 annually, but the park remains open year-round. Amenities of the campground include showers, ADA-accessible campsites, a dump station, pull-through sites, and firewood. Just outside the campground, you can enjoy a playground and picnic shelter.
What to Do at
Arrow Rock State Historic Site
Aside from hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities, you can view live history reenactments at the site on multiple days each year. You can also check out the Lyceum Theater, the oldest of its kind in the state, in the village of Arrow Rock. Dining options are available at the J. Huston Tavern, which is located inside a historic family home.
Fishing
The 4-acre Big Soldier Lake is stocked for pole and line fishing. State fishing license requirements apply to anglers who want to use this lake, and fish you may catch in the water include bass, catfish, and crappie.
Nature Watching
The historic lookout shelter at this site is a great place to check out if you want to observe the local wildlife. At the shelter, you can enjoy seeing animals ranging from woodchucks and rabbits to American goldfinches, bobolinks, and warblers.
Hiking
There are two hiking trails at Arrow Rock State Historic Sites, including River Landing Trial and Pierre a Fleche Trail. The Pierre a Fleche Trail follows a path through Spring Valley, around an area where Santa Fe wagons once stopped to get water, and then around the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The River Landing Trail, which is only 0.1 miles long, is used as a link to the 1.6-mile Lewis and Clark Trail of Discovery on the nearby wildlife refuge.
Biking
Many of the roads found at Arrow Rock State Historic Site can be biked, including the roads at the site's campground. However, bikers are not permitted to use the hiking trails.
How to Get to
Arrow Rock State Historic Site
Arrow Rock State Historic Site can be accessed easily via Missouri 41 North. To reach the site from Columbia, Missouri, take I-70 West to MO-41 North in Boonville Township, about 28 miles. From there, stay on MO-41 North for about 13 miles, and then turn left to reach the site’s visitor center.
Entering Arrow Rock State Historic Site
Day-use parking for this historic site is available off Highway 41, about a quarter mile south of the town of Arrow Rock. The site’s offices are in the visitor center, which is within walking distance of this parking area.
Arrow Rock State Historic Site Entry Fee : $0.0
Frequently Asked Questions About Arrow Rock State Historic Site
If you would like to camp at Arrow Rock State Historic Site, the best time to visit is between April and October when the campground has water available to use. During April, May, September, and October, visitors can also typically enjoy touring the historical areas with comfortable weather.
Some of Missouri’s most common mammals can be seen at Arrow Rock State Historic Sites, including woodchucks, American beavers, eastern cottontails, and long-tailed weasels. There are a lot of songbirds in the area, too, including common grackles, rusty blackbirds, bobolinks, American goldfinches, and worm-eating warblers.
All the campsites at this historic site can accommodate RVs although only a few sites have full hookups. Some sites may accommodate RVs of different sizes, so it's best to check the size limits of each campsite prior to reserving it.
Campers may reserve any of the 47 campsites at this historic site, and reservations may be made either online or by phone. Walk-in reservations are also accepted when the campground is not at full capacity. The cost to stay at this campground ranges from $15 per night for a basic site to $33 for a site with full hookups.
Leashed pets are allowed at this historic site although they may not enter any of the site's buildings. However, service animals with proper documentation are permitted inside the facilities.