Summer Guide: Kansas and Missouri boast great state parks with as many (or as few) frills as you like

Missouri and Kansas are not generally known as wilderness destinations. Yes, a handful of national monuments dot the two states, but you have to look elsewhere for national parks. Compared with every state west of us, public-recreation land is scarce. With a little effort, however, hikers, swimmers, backpackers, campers and equestrians can still find commendable gems. Start with the state parks. Even for those more accustomed to Glacier, Acadia, or Yellowstone, there’s postcard-worthy land in both states. Best of all, you can get in and out of them over a spontaneous summer weekend — and you can bring your dog.

KANSAS

El Dorado Lake State Park

El Dorado Lake is an 8,000-acre reservoir, off Interstate 35 near Wichita, and people in El Dorado insist it contains the cleanest water in the state of Kansas. I failed to bring lab equipment to test samples, but I can assure you that the park surrounding the reservoir is a relaxing, low-key, roomy expanse oriented to fishers, cyclists and weekend barbecue fanatics. The sprawling lake features a soft-sand swimming beach, paved and unpaved hiking trails, miles of biking trails and bike-friendly roads, several boat docks and a wide range of campsites and lodging. Options include cabins, complete with private bathrooms and supplied kitchens, as well as mini cabins with outdoor grills. Most cabins are dog-friendly. Walk-up, lakeside tent camping is also an option. Information here.

Clinton Lake State Park

Located four miles from Lawrence, Clinton Lake is among the easiest weekend or day trips for Kansas Citians. The lake serves conventional users well — you can rent a pontoon boat to soak up the sunshine, or relax on the sandy swimming beach. But you can also visit the archery range, play disc golf, ride the mountain-bike challenge course or hike the miles of trails around the lake. The park also boasts 383 campsites, as well as seven cabins. As if Lawrence didn’t have enough going for it already. Information here.

MISSOURI

Mark Twain National Forest

With 1.5 million square miles of land, 5,000 caves, a staggering 750 miles of trails, and 350 miles of streams and rivers, the Mark Twain National Forest comprises 11 percent of all forested land in Missouri. The options for hiking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking are almost overwhelming, though one standout is the John J. Audubon trail, a memorial established on land the man hiked himself. Two hundred miles of the soon-to-be-350-mile Ozark Trail are complete, and the area is known for Greer Spring, the largest spring in any national forest in the country. Also a big deal: the Glade Top Trail National Scenic Byway, a gorgeous, winding road from which you can see into the bluffs and mountains of northern Arkansas. And there are roads, bridges and buildings built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Thirty-five established campgrounds and picnic sites are available, and dispersed camping (for backpackers) is permitted along the dozens of trails. Details here.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park

Lake of the Ozarks’ reputation is perhaps unfairly sullied by tales of binge drinking on a pontoon when parkgoers could instead by enjoying peaceful wilderness. So let’s give Missouri’s largest state park full credit here for its considerable outdoors bona fides (while acknowleding that, yes, drinking on a pontoon is fun, too). Dozens of miles of trails meander through and around the woodlands, streams, and bluffs, and serious hikers and backpackers have at their disposal some fine backcountry campsites and yurts. Those less inclined to haul gear can rent cozy appointed cabins or tent it at more established sites. Visitors to Lake of the Ozarks can also tour the impressive Ozark caverns, including the unique cave phenomenon Angel Showers, located within the park. More here.

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park

Located in eastern Missouri just outside the Mark Twain National Forest, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park is ideal for those who enjoy swimming and hiking along with their camping. The “shut-ins” refer to a large, cascading series of natural “slides” and rocky pools formed in the rhyolite of the St. Francois mountains. Originally a volcanic formation, the cliffs and shut-ins were formed by the wear caused by the Black River, and the area teems with swimmers during warm months. There’s also a 13-mile section of the Ozark Trail, as well as a series of horse trails. The area features equestrian, electric and walk-in camping areas, as well as a number of cabins. Information here.