Bennett Spring State Park

08/23/2026

Thank you to those who joined us for our Spider Sniff program last night! Everyone had fun sniffing for spiders on the trail, and we had lots of new members join the Spider Sniffer Society! 🕷

08/19/2026

Invasive plant eradication is a high priority at Bennett Spring.

In 2026, park staff and volunteers, as well as outside groups, have spent hundreds of hours pulling plants, cutting non-native trees, and restoring sensitive habitats within the park.

Want to help us? Contact the Nature Center to learn more.

08/15/2026

Bennett Spring is at the State Fair!

Come on by the Womans Building to learn about snakes before exploring the DNR exhibits inside. We will be here until 5pm.

08/07/2026

It's Meteor Shower Time again!

As we near the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, Bennett Spring invites you to join us tomorrow (Saturday) night in the field near the splash pad to watch for the colorful meteors!

Beginning at 8:45pm, we will talk about the meteor shower, bright stars, constellations, and more. All you have to do is bring a lawn chair or blanket and come ready to look up at the sky.

Can't make it? Stop by the Nature Center to learn more about stars and how to reduce light pollution at night.

We hope to see you there 🌠

08/05/2026

07/31/2026

Swing by the Nature Center for a program before school season starts!

07/28/2026

Want your very own passport map?

Bennett Spring is giving away posters of all Missouri state parks and historic sites, including stickers to mark which ones you have visited! Stop by the Nature Center or Park Office to request one. Only available for a limited time.

07/21/2026

Starting today, contractors are working on the bridge/sidewalk project at the end of campground 1. The roads (BSSP 1 and part of BSSP 17) will be closed until the road is repaved. The boat ramp and wooden bridge will be inaccessible during this time.

If you have reservations at the river cabins (cabins 80-85), you must enter through the top of campground 1 and go through the emergency exit past the showerhouse. The map below indicates yellow as the path to take to the cabins and red is where the road is blocked.

Please do not enter a construction zone for your safety and the safety of the workers. Updates will be posted as they become available.

07/15/2026

We see an abundance of wildlife in the summertime at Bennett Spring. Enjoy our photo dump of recent finds!

While visiting the park, remember to keep wildlife wild. If you need to report an animal-visitor interaction, please call the Nature Center (417-532-3925).

07/11/2026

You may recognize Dustin as our former park ranger here at Bennett. We miss him in that role, but are glad we still get to work with him! Congratulations, Dustin!

If you’ve noticed our field teams working safer and smarter lately, you can thank Dustin Young, our team member of the month!

Dustin, MSP's safety coordinator, was on a mission to completely revolutionize how we train our field team members. In 2025, Missouri State Parks contracted out our 3-day Safety Academy. It did the job, but Dustin knew we could make it better, more relevant and way more hands-on.

So, what did he do? He took total initiative:
- Got certified: He searched for, found and completed a rigorous, nationally recognized certification course to become our in-house, certified lead safety instructor.
- Improved the training: He threw out the boring old templates and built brand-new, interactive powerpoints, videos and learning games.
- Sharpened the saw: He partnered with the Natural Resource Management Program to bring a brand-new, standardized Basic Chainsaw Training program to the division!

The results? In early February, 30 participants attended the Safety Academy at Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Thanks to Dustin making the content interactive and hands-on, it was an absolute success with rave reviews from attendees!

By stepping up to become our primary instructor, Dustin is saving the division nearly $10,000 a year in contracting fees! Plus, he’s built incredible relationships with our field staff, proving himself as the go-to expert they can rely on for years to come.