![]() The very first access stairwell that you come upon descends into the "toddler" area, no deeper than 2 1/2 to 3 feet but mostly 6-12 inches in depth, at the bottom of the stairwell, there is a 1 1/2 foot drop, onto very very slippery moss covered rock. The shut ins however are NOT manmade! The water is clear, in the rushing current areas its impossible to see the giant boulder that takes the depth from 15 feet deep to 3 feet and then to 15 feet again. Not flip flop shoes, or cheap water shoes, tennis shoes- This is rock climbing, with a rushing current, extremely unpredictable depths, and NOT an activity for small children in the faster currents. However, they do allow non-disposable jugs etc, so plan ahead! The 1/4 mile walk to from the shut-ins parking lot is almost fully shaded, and very nice, but by the time you realize you need something to drink, its an adventure just to climb out to get to a stairwell access to then walk that 1/4 mile to the lot. They strongly discourage taking any disposable or glass drinks, and down in the shut ins there is no drinking fountain readily available. It was 100 degrees on the Sunday that we visited. 13 year old boys both loved it and didn't want to leave- they were definitely better equipped for the faster current in the main shut in area. Hadnt been to the shut-ins for about 30 years and decided to take our two kids 9 & 13 with 2 of their friends. It is quite amazing and feels like you are in the mountains here. ![]() Water creates chutes and rapids and branches out among the rock field. It was fun to jump around the smoothed down the surface of the dark rock. A shallower area can be found at the front of the rapids and a deeper area can be found farther down for older kids. Judging from some mothers with kids on a pebble beach, it will be fine to take him since he could spend most of his time in the swimming holes that surround the rapids. My main objective today was scouting the area for a future trip with the kid. I wore my flip-flops, but water shoes would also work. So on my day here has the medium rapids and I can expect some tugging from the water.Įxplore this area with some kind of footwear unless you want to scrape or cut your foot on the rocky terrain. Rapids high, red flag, rapids medium, yellow flag, and the green flag is low rapids. Nearby the store there is a sign of danger. Each of the campsites has shower houses close by and there is even a campground store located in the center of the camping area in case you need some basic supplies.The shut-ins are the most interesting natural water slide in Missouri and the rock here is smooth so mind your step and the rapids move fast. Johnson Shut-Ins offers a variety of camping sites from walk-in, basic, electric, sewer/water/electric, and equestrian electric/water campsites.Īll sites are reservable on a first-come, first-serve basis so it’s best to book early and for weekend reservations it is mandatory to book two nights. Halfway through the hike, we came across a beautiful waterfall that we stopped at to rest before continuing on to finish to the lower half of the Shut-Ins. However, if you decide to continue on the Shut-Ins Trail the journey is about 2.25 miles round-trip and offers many scenic spots to stop along the way. Our favorite trail is the Shut-Ins Trail which starts at a level boardwalk and takes you to a view of the shut-ins from above (0.3 miles) so if you aren’t up for a lengthy hike you can go this far and stop. What to Expect: Open to hikers and horses, heavily wooded and far from paved pathways.Goggins Mountain Equestrian Trail (Yellow Trail Markers) What to Expect: Heavily wooded forest, view of the St.Horseshoe Glade Trail (Orange Trail Markers) What to Expect: Overlook views and access to the scour channel. ![]() What to Expect: The Shut-Ins main trail, many information pavilions, boulder field, and views of the Shut-Ins.What to Expect: Boardwalk for wheelchair access that takes you to a view of the Shut-Ins, some difficult rock staircase areas that offer scenic views from above, a few water features.One of our favorite outdoor activities is hiking, especially when there is something to look forward too that makes the hike worth it! The Johnson Shut-Ins State Park has a few different trails to choose from with varying levels of difficulty and length View from our hike at Johnson Shut-Ins State Park. ![]()
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