State Parks Near Rocheport: A Four-County Guide

Boone, Howard, Cooper and Callaway counties hold four Missouri state park units and a state historic site, led by the Katy Trail.

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• Park

Two state parks and a historic cemetery are in Boone County, a historic site is in Howard County, and the Katy Trail runs through all four counties. The state pages we read list no entry fee for any of them; camping and off-road riding are the exceptions. We list each below with a link to its page on mostateparks.com. County-by-county guides follow in this series: Boone, Howard, Cooper and Callaway.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park (Boone County)

A Columbia state park at 5901 S. Highway 163, known for the Devil’s Icebox boardwalk over a 125-foot natural tunnel, Connor’s Cave, sinkholes and the Gans Creek Wild Area. Grounds are open sunrise to sunset, and camping is primitive group camping only, by reservation. See the park’s page.

Finger Lakes State Park (Boone County)

A 1,128-acre park on a former coal strip mine at 1505 E. Peabody Road in Columbia, with more than 900 acres of off-road trails, a swimming beach, a 4.5-mile water trail and a campground with basic and electric sites. Off-road permits are $6 a day for ATVs and motorcycles and $10 for UTVs. See the park’s page.

Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site (Boone County)

A shaded family cemetery on South Providence Road in Columbia, with graves from 1822 to 1968 including Missouri’s 22nd governor, Charles Henry Hardin, and William Jewell, for whom William Jewell College is named. No hours are posted; call 573-449-7402. See the site’s page.

Boone’s Lick State Historic Site (Howard County)

A small site on Highway 187 at Boonesboro that interprets the early 1800s salt works that drew settlers up the Missouri River. A short, steep trail leads to the spring site, and a picnic shelter can be reserved for $25 a day. The state posts no hours; call 660-837-3330. See the site’s page.

Katy Trail State Park (all four counties)

The 240-mile rail trail from Clinton to Machens, open sunrise to sunset, passes through all four counties. Trailheads by county, with mile markers:

• Boone: Hartsburg (153.6), McBaine (169.5) and Rocheport (178.3).
• Howard: New Franklin (188.2).
• Cooper: Boonville (191.8), Pilot Grove (203.3) and Clifton City (215.4).
• Callaway: Portland (115.9), Mokane (125) and Tebbetts (131.2).

Free maps for your trip

• Missouri highway map: MoDOT says the official state highway map is available free of charge. Request one on that page or call 1-888-ASK-MODOT.
• Fishing and hunting booklets: The Missouri Department of Conservation lets Missouri residents request free print copies of its fishing and hunting regulation booklets.
• Park and trail maps: Missouri State Parks says trail maps for every trail are available. Each park’s page above is the place to start; Boone’s Lick’s page links a historic site map.

The state does not provide camping along the trail, and water is shut off and restrooms close at trailheads with modern restrooms from roughly November through March. See the trail’s page, and for parking and shuttles read our Katy Trail parking guide. Camping on Conservation Department land near the trail will need a $5 permit from March 2027, as we reported in MDC campers near Rocheport will need a $5 permit. Rocheport visitors may also like our Rocheport food guide.