Come Play in Nature’s Water Park

Johnson Shut-Ins State Park is a natural wonder that is well worth the drive from St. Louis County. The shut-ins are a magical section of the East Fork of the Black River where the river rock refused to yield—so the water rushes between vertical outcroppings that form chutes, waterfalls, puddles and pools. Bring your swimsuit and some river shoes, because the best way to experience Johnson Shut-ins is knee deep in the cool water.

Johnson Shut-Ins State Park is located about 80 miles south of South County and will take about an hour and forty-five minutes to get there, depending on your route. You can get custom directions to the park at its website here.

You’ll enter the park at the northern section, where a new day-use area was constructed after the 2005 Taum Sauk reservoir disaster. Stop by the interpretive center here if you want to learn how the park was changed by the 1.3 billion gallon flood that rushed through the park. Upstream from the shut-ins the now peaceful river is a typical Missouri stream—wide and shallow with a gravel bed. You can access the river here for swimming or fishing. There are plenty of picnic benches and a restroom.

The southern area of the park is where the real fun is located, but come early because the parking lot here is “limited access.” This means that once the 100-car lot fills up, the gates close and no one can get in until someone comes out. It might sound unfair, but the limited access also means that the shut-ins don’t get over crowded. Hot summer weekends are going to be busier, so you might want to visit during the week to avoid a line at the gate.

You can guarantee your spot at Missouri’s best swimming hole by staying the night—this park has about 90 campsites from basic tent camping ($13 a night) to RV camping with electric and sewer ($26 a night). There are also six cabins you can reserve ($75 a night) if you can’t stand parting with your AC.

The park has excellent amenities—for a state park, of course. There are three stores, one for each day-use area and one in the campgrounds. You can pick up souvenirs, toys, snacks, cold drinks or forgotten swim gear at any of the shops. The store nearest the shut-ins also has changing rooms so you can change into your river clothes and back into dry ones when you’re done.

A word about what to wear at the shut-ins. First, remember that it’s a fast moving river, not a water park swimming pool. You’re going to encounter plenty of rocks that are either painfully sharp or smooth and covered in slick river moss. You don’t want to wear your brand new swim suit—in fact, an old pair of shorts and a tank top will do just fine. River shoes are a must, not just to protect delicate tootsies, but because the swimming access is a quarter mile down a trail. Flip flops might get you down the trail, which is thankfully paved, handicap accessible and well shaded, but once in the water loose shoes could get sucked right off your feet where the current is stronger. You’ve been warned.

The shut-ins are family friendly, with quiet pools perfect for little ones and deeper swimming holes for stronger swimmers. There is no life guard on duty, so you much keep a watchful eye on your own swimmers. Little kids may need help scrambling over slicker rocks, but older kids will delight in hopping from rock to rock to find their perfect spot.

Disposable containers, food and pets are not allowed on the trail or inside the shut-ins. If you plan to picnic, you can find a table in the day use area.

If you don’t plan to swim, the trail to the shut-ins turns into a boardwalk with magnificent views of the river, the rocks and the frolicking swimmers. There are several overlook areas with benches where you can hang out and enjoy the scenery. Though the trail is handicap accessible, the shut-ins are not.

If you come, pack a picnic or grab a snack from the park store, because the nearest fast food is in Farmington, about 30 miles away. , another great state park, is 14 miles away and well worth including in your daytrip of natural wonders.