From boating to hiking to nature study, the fun you can have at Wakonda State Park is well-known by the locals as well as those who come from all over the country. In fact, over 259,000 people per year visit this 1,053-acre wonderland in the city of La Grange in northwestern Missouri. With six clearwater lakes, you have your choice of what kind of activities you want to enjoy while you are here and which lake you want to do it in. Attach the trailer to the RV for the boat so you can explore all of the bodies of water at the park.
Wakonda Lake, the park’s namesake, has a huge, 20,000-square-foot beach where you can swim, boat, build sandcastles, play volleyball, or just work on your tan. Like Wakonda Lake, Agate Lake also offers a free boat launch so you can get out and enjoy some fishing or one of the water trails. The other four lakes also offer boating, but they have to be carry-in boats with electric motors or oars. You can also rent a Jon boat or kayak at the park office from mid-April until November.
In addition, the park offers 87 tent and RV campsites at two different camps, over seven miles of trails, and miles of lakeside picnic areas. If you have a larger group with you, you can reserve one of the picnic shelters that seat up to 50 people. No matter what you like to do, you can find it at Wakonda State Park.
In La Grange, Missouri, two hours from St. Louis or four hours from Kansas City, you will find the lovely Wakonda State Park, which has six different lakes to choose from. Not far from Interstate 70, you can take one of the state highways to get to the small city of La Grange just past Hannibal or Palmyra, Missouri. You will enjoy a scenic drive along several country roads that have some of the most scenic valleys, rolling hills, and majestic forests. However, you will need to take it easy on some of these roads because they are narrow and curvy, which is dangerous when you are driving a large campervan or pulling a trailer.
Some of the access roads in the park can be tricky if you have a big rig or trailer, especially those with low hanging branches and dirt or gravel roads with potholes. Most visitors will leave their RV at the campsite and walk or ride a bike around the park wherever they want to go. However, some of the lakes and other activities can be a bit of a long walk so the park provides parking lots big enough to accommodate your rig.
Boulder Lake Campground is open all year and has 77 campsites; 65 with electricity and 12 basic. These sites have pads ranging from 25 to 109 feet long. So you know that your camper or RV will fit as long as you reserve a campsite well ahead of time. Four of the sites (three with electric and one basic) are ADA-accessible. If you want to be close to the lake, check out the map on the reservation website to choose and reserve the one you prefer.
Every campsite has a picnic table, fire pit, and a lantern pole and pets are allowed as long as they are restrained or on a leash at all times. There is potable water access by campsites seven, 14, 22, 35, 65, and 76. In addition, you can find vault toilets near sites 30 and 76. The shower house, flushable toilets, laundry room, and woodlot are all found at the entrance to the campsite and the RV dump site is nearby the entrance as well.
Wakonda Lake Campground has 13 campsites that have sewer, electric, and water with two of them being ADA accessible. All the campsites are close to the banks of Wakonda Lake since the campground is surrounded by it. Each site is huge, with the pad length ranging from 68 to 110 feet long and they all have their own fire pit, lantern hanger, and picnic table. In the middle of the campground across from campsites 103/104, you will find the showers with hot water, restrooms, and a playground for the kids to work off some of that energy that is wearing you out. Your pets are welcome here as well, but they have to be restrained or on a leash at all times.
With six lakes to choose from, this park is a favorite to Missouri boaters. Although Agate and Wakonda are the only ones with boat launches, you are allowed to boat in any of the lakes at the park. However, you can only use small carry-in boats with oars or trolling motors at the other four lakes. You can explore and learn about the area by taking a water trail on Wakonda, Jasper, or Agate Lakes. If you forget to pack the boat, you can rent a kayak or Jon boat from the park office from mid-April until November.
From Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day, your family can enjoy a fun day in the sun at the beach on Wakonda Lake. The 20,000-square-foot natural sand beach provides plenty of room to sunbathe, build sandcastles with the kids, or play a game of frisbee or volleyball. The beach is open from 10 AM until 8 PM every day but there is no lifeguard so you will be swimming at your own risk. There are restrooms and a changing house for your convenience. Get out of the RV and spend some time in the sun while you are at the park.
It would be a shame to miss out on the biking trails at Wakonda State Park so make sure you pack your bikes in or on the RV or campervan. The Sand Prairie Trail is a bit of a challenge for bikers as it is a natural surface, but it is a fun and exciting one-mile route to Agate Lake. The Campground Trail is only a half-mile and has a paved surface, so it is an easy ride from the campground to the Jasper or Agate Lake.
All of the sites at both of the campgrounds can be reserved from mid-April until November. However, some are available to first-come, first-served campers if they have not already been reserved. Although you should check with the camp host or park ranger before unpacking. If you cannot find a park employee, follow the instructions on the vacancy card on the pole next to the campsite you choose. The rules for the reserved campsites also apply to first-come, first-served sites.
Don’t just sit around at the RV. Get out and explore the wooded wildlife. If you are not a seasoned hiker and want something short and easy, try the Quartz Lake Trail. The trail starts at the lake parking lot and meanders along the lake for less than half a mile. Another short one is the Campground Trail that connects the campground to the Jasper and Agate Lakes. At about a half a mile, this one is easy as well. If you are up for a challenge, take the Wakonda Water Trail from the shoreline of the lake, past the beach, and on to the eastern loop, which goes past the Wakonda Lake Campground.
With six lakes, you can spend almost every day of the week on a different lake choosing which one you like best. If you are looking for catfish, bluegill, crappie, walleye, or bass, all of the lakes have their fair share. However, Wakonda, Quartz, Jasper, and Agate are the most popular. All species of fish have a size and daily limit that you can ask about at the park office. You must have a Missouri fishing license to fish and carry it with you while fishing. Put the poles in the RV now so you don’t forget to bring them.
