DNR
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At a glance... 2800 Pimville Road |
573-431-1069 Park Office |
Acreage: 8,242.98 |
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St. Joe State Park is located in the heart of the old
"Lead Belt" of southeast Missouri where much of the nation's
lead ore was extracted for more than a century. In 1972, the
St. Joe Minerals Corp. ceased operations and subsequently
donated the land to the state in 1976.
Today, the 8,238-acre St. Joe State Park is Missouri's third largest state park, with approximately 2,000 acres set aside for the state's premier off-road vehicle (ORV) riding area. Contact the park office for more information about the special rules and regulations that apply.
The park also features two campgrounds capable of accommodating campers with ORVs and horses, a hiking/bicycling trail, equestrian trails, picnic sites and lakes for swimming and fishing. Visitors can explore several thousand acres of woodlands or spend their days relaxing in the great outdoors.
The historic mill buildings, where St. Joe Minerals once processed the lead ore, still stand nearby and have been designated as Missouri Mines State Historic Site. There you can enjoy an excellent mining museum featuring a large collection of geological specimens and antique mining and milling equipment.
Note about park visitor health and safety:
The park's location in the old "Lead Belt" and the associated mine tailings used for off-road vehicle riding represent a unique management challenge. The Department of Natural Resources continually looks for opportunities to make any needed health and safety improvements to the park to ensure visitor safety while continuing to make this recreational opportunity available. Signs like this one, posted at multiple locations throughout the park, provide more information.
The following attachments include a letter from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) about an evaluation of adult off-road vehicle recreational use at St. Joe State Park and maps that show the result of a 2008 sampling of the tailings area that indicate the average level of lead at various locations. The map also indicates other features, including trails.
DHSS Letter (PDF file, 401 KB) |
Site Sampling Map - All Levels (PDF file, 4 MB) |
Site Sampling Map - Levels >=600 (PDF file, 590 KB) |
