This long weekend adventure invites you into one of Missouri’s most surprising and dynamic landscapes: the St. Francois Mountains, home to some of the oldest rock formations in North America and a trio of state parks that feel worlds away from the everyday Midwest.
Home to some of the oldest exposed rock in North America, the Arcadia region of Missouri offers a rare mix of rugged terrain and immersive outdoor experiences. It’s a place where geology tells a story, rivers carve their own paths and the Midwest feels surprisingly wild.
Our time will center around three standout Missouri State Parks — Johnson’s Shut-Ins, Taum Sauk Mountain, and Elephant Rocks — each offering a completely different way to explore. At Johnson’s Shut-Ins, smooth volcanic rock channels the Black River into natural pools and chutes, creating an ideal setting for swimming, hiking and long stretches of relaxed downtime. Taum Sauk Mountain brings a sense of scale and accomplishment, with a hike to Missouri’s highest point and views of the state’s tallest waterfall, while Elephant Rocks feels almost surreal, with massive pink granite boulders scattered across the landscape like a natural sculpture garden.
This trip is designed to balance activity and rest, with active days exploring trails, swimming holes and rock formations paired with unhurried evenings around the campfire. This trip will take you to places you never knew existed and is perfect for Wanderers who want to be surprised by what the Midwest can offer.
Adventure Rating: Beginner
This trip is rated beginner because while there is a lot of hiking, it will be beginner-friendly, without much technical skill required.
ACTIVITIES
Spend a whole day at Johnson’s Shut-In’s State Park, where the Black River has carved potholes, chutes and canyon-like gorges into the park’s iconic rock formations. We’ll hike the park’s trails before enjoying an amazing afternoon in the park’s famous “shut-ins”—large swimming holes formed naturally from the river with an almost waterpark-like expanse.
Explore two other state parks (Taum Sauk Mountain and Elephant Rocks), as we hike to Missouri’s tallest point, see the state’s tallest waterfall, and traverse amazing pink granite formations that seem other worldly.
This trip is designed for a fun, simple camping weekend. Take the time you need to relax, read in your tent, enjoy a nightly fire and just wind down with new friends in a new place!
ACCOMMODATIONS & LOCATION
We’ll be tent camping at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, with access to modern bathrooms and showerhouses.
GETTING THERE
If you are flying in from outside of Missouri, the closest airport is the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) (about 2 hours away). You’ll need to rent a car to get to the campground, or arrange carpool with a local Wanderer. Carpooling details are sent pre-trip in the private trip Discord channel. Carpooling arrangements can’t be guaranteed, but we try our best to connect Wanderers for coordination!
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your registration provides you:
Expert planning and two Wander Women guides to help make the weekend as relaxing and fun as possible!
Three nights of comfortable camping at the state park campground
All food for the weekend, (excluding one lunch) including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks and beverages cooked for you by Wander Women guides
Guided interpretive nature hikes at three local state parks
Camping accessories: Camp kitchen, camping chairs, fire kits, first aid kits, dining ware, fire wood, games, coolers
Wanderer swag bag full of goodies
A private trip Discord channel to connect with guides and fellow participants before the trip
Comprehensive pre-trip online guide with detailed logistics, packing recommendations, and trip tips
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Participants will be responsible for providing/paying for:
Transportation to/from trip (we always encourage carpooling and can connect you with other participants to ride with!) and to trip activity locations
Gear: Participants are able to rent camping gear from Wander Women
Sunday lunch in town
State park entrance fees
INVESTMENT
$495
PAYMENT PLAN
We offer payment plans for all our trips, so you can pay a deposit now and the rest over time! WeTravel (our booking platform) easily lets you make a downpayment (this is also your non-refundable trip deposit!) and set up automatic payments for the remainder. For the payment plan schedule, just check the WeTravel page for details. There is NO fee for choosing the payment plan option!
Deposit for this trip: $250