Favorite State Parks Near St. Louis, Missouri

Awhile back we went camping at one of Missouri's state parks near Bonne Terre. We had camped there a few times in the past and not only enjoyed the hiking trails and fishing, but also got a chance to take a tour through one of the old lead mines in the area. There was one slight problem this time however: skunks. It seemed like the park had been overrun with them. At the visitor's center where we checked in and paid our camping fee, there was a sign asking if any of the campers had experienced any unusual contact with the furry striped mammals. I didn't pay very much attention to the sign until the sun started going down on our first night. We had cooked some food and had dinner, but afterwards we cleaned everything up and disposed of the trash properly in a large metal trashcan with a heavy covered lid that was up by the side of the road. At first we noticed one skunk perched on top of the can. We watched him sniff around and thought it was kind of cute. Before long he was joined by a companion and then another and another. Pretty soon they were everywhere. We thought of shooing them off, but then thought better of it. A skunk has never sprayed me, but I have been around dogs that have been and the horrible stench still lingers in my mind. We left them alone and they left us alone, but needless to say, we left the next morning for some potentially less smelly location. As we left, I remember seeing another sign that said black bears had returned to the area and I thought to myself that maybe they would eat some of the skunks. But they probably try to avoid them too.

The state of Missouri has some 83 state parks. They offer a wide variety of activities for the entire family; everything from camping and fishing to boating, horseback riding, and hiking. Below are a few of my favorites. And none of them have a skunk problem, as far as I know.