hawn state park

This place was great. Smaller campground than a lot of state parks. Campgrounds were great. We hiked all the trails, by far the best state park for hiking in MO. Highly recommend it.

Hawn offers a very nice and relaxing trail system full of whispering pine trees. It is just beautiful hearing the wind blow threw the pines - you'll love it. The park is clean with a small but nice children's play ground under the shade of the trees. Lots of people use the trails to walk their dogs. All were courteous and kept their dogs leashed as required. There are a variety of trail lengths - offering even the most fit person a good walk in the woods. The trail along the stream (Pickle Trail?) was challenging because of the many uneven rocks to climb and hop over as well as roots to trip you up. The rocks were slick and a bit dangerous for our young son so we turned around after a mile. Otherwise a beautiful walk. Typical semi-sanitary bathrooms with plenty of stink - bring your own toilet paper. I didn't see any water fountains. Picnic tables were nice - some covered. A standard picnic grill was available at most tables. Go have fun, bring your dog and enjoy the whispering pines!

We decided to travel to Sainte Genevieve to escape the Memphis rain. My husband wanted some place we could exercise the dogs. We did about 4 miles of one of the trails. There were lots of ups and downs, which we like. It reminds us of being back home in KY. There aren't many hills in Memphis.

I haven't been to every state park in Missouri, so perhaps my title is a bit misleading. But Hawn is a fantastic park. Beyond being beautiful, it's just a fun place to hike. The campground is also nice, and we enjoyed camping there in the fall. I would imagine it gets crowded in the summer.

We recently camped for 2 nights at Hawn State Park. It's only about 70 miles south of St Louis, making it a great place for a quick weekend getaway. We stayed in one of the high 20's campsite which unfortunately is located to a small stream, so there were lots of bugs to battle. The site itself was pretty good. Concrete/tar hard surfaces for vehicles go right up next to the picnic table, and the firepit was in great condition. The restroom/shower house was much cleaner than we expected, and the showers had hot water! The chaperones were friendly and very diligent about making safety check rounds. We made reservations using the Missouri State Parks website, which is very comprehensive and easy to use. They have pictures of each campsite so you can pick the one you want. We enjoyed our getaway, and would recommend Hawn State Park to anyone looking for a good camping option within less than 2 hours from the city.Tips:1. The hiking trails were clearly marked and in reasonable condition, but bring plenty of bug spray, and check often for chiggers and ticks, as both were out in full force.2. Be sure to put away all food-containing coolers in your cars before bedding down. The raccoons must be either mutants or on steroids, and they manage to topple our 30+ lb cooler off the picnic table in the middle of the night!

We have been to this wonderful park a few times. We took the WHISPERING PINES trail in October/November and it was gorgeous! We tried this same trail this summer and it was lovely but not as impressive as in the fall! Both times it took us a few hours to walk this trail. It is time-consuming but not impossible for children. Our youngest hiker was 9 when we did it the first time. Camping is enjoyable at this park; we've done both summer and autumn camping here.

A gem we never knew about. We were looking for a place within an hour or so from home and found this park on the Missouri State Park website. What a marvelous campground! We took our two teenage sons and our dog for two nights and had a great stay. Pickle Creek trail was just moderate enough for is to get a decent hike in with our dog. His first trip! The campground is very well maintained with very clean facilities. There were a lot of other families around so the atmosphere was lively. We will definitely be back!

This park is very beautiful with great hiking trails. It also have a nice little creek that is perfect to let the kids play in. It has a small playground with some swings and pits to barbecue in.

We camped at Hawn State Park June 19-22 2014. The Park is clean and quiet. The first small campground loop is great for us older folks that like our quiet. The 2nd campground loop is perfect for families with children with a playground in the middle of the loop. Paved sites with picnic tables, lamp post to hang a lantern or your trash bag at night and a large fire ring. Nice bath house. Campsites are shaded. There is a small stream that flows in the rear of the campground that provides a nice summer wading for kids and kids at heart. The campground host is friendly and helpful. Ice was $2.00 a bag and firewood $4.00 a bundle. Dogs are welcome which is nice at no additional fee. Lovely hiking trails to enjoy. This is one of our favorite Missouri State Park / Campgrounds. Site #41 has full service but is Handicapped only. Other sites have Electric only but can fill up your water before you park and a dump station is available for you. There are also primitive campsites available as well. We paid $21 a night for Electric only. There is a Reservation fee of $8.50 if you reserve online. Discounts are given for Disabled and Senior Citizens. I would recommend and hope to visit again. Enjoy!

I thought I'd take my kids out for a short hike in the woods, got a map, directions, water, snacks, bug spray, compass, even a gps (Ha Ha). Made a wrong turn ended up on a much longer trail, got a little lost. GPS couldn't pick up a signal, the signs were a little confusing, and the map really didn't help to much. It was a nice park with a lot of little creatures and a few medium sized ones. After four hours of walking in the woods with the heat and bugs (ticks) the sun started setting and I had no idea where we were at. We got atop a nice hill and manged to get a bar of reception on the phone then we got the Park Ranger's assistance. I must say that the Park Ranger there was fantastic, I described the area where I was and he knew it and came on out to get us. He even brought water and snacks just in case we needed them. As he lead us out he told us about the local flora and fauna and pointed out creatures and interesting plants that we would have missed. Although we hiked much farther than we intended and we were worn out the trip was worth it all due to the Park Ranger. If you see one tell them thanks from Chris and his Kids.

This is a great park for hiking and camping with interesting trails and rocks. Shaded RV sites. The park is clean and well maintained. Friendly visitors met along the way made it a fun trip.

Beautiful area, great hiking trails, good for camping or a day trip, close to St. Louis. Pickle Creek is great!

After spending a week in St Louis and western Illinois we ventured down to the park. What a difference. We spent only a brief time, but even my wife who doesn't hike much wished we had more time and wants to return the next time we visit Missouri. It is just quiet, wooded hills and streams. Our son and daughter-in-law in St Louis have added it to their list of places to get away from the city to.

Very beautiful layout! I wish we had more time to explore the land but our visit was unfortunately a drive thru. However, the little time we did spend has us wanting more. We will be back to finish that park where we left off.

I have hiked Hawn far more times than I can count. Disregard the poor reviews here, few as they are, some folks just like to complain. I have hiked in the Smokies, on MN's North Shore and in Colorado and Utah so I've seen enough varied terrain to feel confident in reviewing a hiking spot. Hawn is a lovely example of Missouri's Ozarks. The Whispering Pines trail has appeared in Backpacking Magazine as one of the Midwest's nicest hikes. It's the Midwest so don't expect major mountain views. You can expect rugged, rocky terrain meandering through rolling hills with lovely little streams meandering through them. There are several climbs affording wonderful views and the scent of pine is like a heady perfume on much of the trails.