Babler Memorial State Park
Guide

Missouri State Parks want guests to get outside and enjoy the beautiful wooded scenery. Because the parks encourage outdoor activities, many of the facilities have more than one area for recreation. The Babler Memorial State Park has more than 200 picnic sites and three large picnic shelters for guests to use. Some of the picnic areas are day use areas, and others can be rented ahead of time for larger group activities. Many of the picnic areas are close to either restrooms, water, and play areas such as a playground or a multi-purpose court for tennis, basketball, and other sports. Many of the picnic areas have grills and fire pits. For information on reserving a shelter, visit the park’s website or stop by the Visitor Center upon your arrival.

Babler Memorial State Park is known for its diverse bird population. The park keeps an extensive birdwatching checklist so avid birders will have a comprehensive list of the birds sighted within the park’s boundaries. Bring your bird watching supplies, and either print your checklist before you arrive or stop by the park office and get a copy of the bird list before you head into the heavily bird populated areas. A few of the birds seen in the area are owls, waterfowl, loons, hummingbirds, bald eagles, heron, and starlings.

During the summer months on most weekends, the park hosts interpretive programs at the campground amphitheater. The programs are created to inform and entertain guests of all ages. In addition to the special weekend presentations, the park also hosts several special annual events built around nature and the species of the area. The Visitor Center has an up-to-date list on the events taking place inside of the park, so guests are encouraged to stop by and see what is happening during their stay. If you prefer to explore on your own as a way of learning about Missouri State Parks and historic Sites, the Visitor Center also has a self-guided explorer program. For information on either program talk to a member of the park staff.

Because the plant and wildlife are so diverse at Babler Memorial State Park, the park has a variety of plant and wildlife checklists that nature lovers can pick up upon their arrival. Aside from birdwatching, guests can search for a host of vertebrates and invertebrates. While you are looking for animals, why not see if you can locate some of the wildflowers, woody plants, vascular plants, and other plant types that are both native or transplanted to the area. If you are a planner and want to research ahead of time, you can download the checklists before your arrival and become familiar with the items you will search for out on your nature and animal quest.

The park has a well-marked, multi-use trail system. Bikers, hikers, and equestrians can find a path suitable for both the activity as well as the level of challenge. The trails are color blazed, so navigating the trail system isn't difficult. The park has information on the trails for guests, or if you prefer a detailed description of the terrain, length, difficulty, altitude, and GPS locations of each path, visit the park’s website and choose the interactive map to see what kind of trail will meet the needs of everyone in your party.

The Visitor Center is a seasonally operating facility that offers visitors much more than a place to pick up park information. While the facility does offer books, maps, brochures, and souvenirs, it also has large displays and interactive exhibits for guests to learn about the history and the animal and plant life of the Ozarks. A viewing area gives guests opportunities to use binoculars to search for birds and other wildlife. If you want to learn more about the history of the park, ask when the 15-minute slide presentation takes place. Stop by the Visitor Center and chat with a park ranger, and you too can become an expert on the Babler Memorial State Park.