Swimming holes in Missouri

Sourced below, last checked November 4, 2026. Confirm with Missouri State Parks before you go.

Off-season notes for November 4, 2026. The state's status map lists Cuivre River State Park as closed (its posted reason is a deer hunt that ran Oct 30 to Nov 2, so the listing may be out of date), a boil order advisory at St. Joe, and off-season restroom closures at Lake of the Ozarks. Lake of the Ozarks will also close its Public Beach 1 area (beach, shelter house, boat ramp and day-use area) and its campground from the evening of Dec 4 through Dec 7, 2026 for a managed deer hunt. None of the six parks below is on the statewide hunt closure list. [9] [10]

Missouri does not charge entrance fees at its state parks, so every spot here is free to enter. The classic swimming hole is Johnson's Shut-Ins, where the Black River pours through chutes and pools carved in rock the park calls billions of years old. For sand and a lake, Lake of the Ozarks State Park has two beaches. None of these parks has lifeguards.

Missouri swim spots (checked November 4, 2026)
Entry fee	None at Missouri state parks [1]
Lifeguards	None; swimming in park lakes and streams is at your own risk [2]
Johnson's Shut-Ins	Shut-ins close to visitors when river flow reaches 75 cfs; no food, coolers, alcohol or pets [3]
Lake of the Ozarks SP	Two sand beaches (Public Beach 1 off Hwy 134, Grand Glaize off Hwy 54); change houses; no pets on beaches [4]
Sam A. Baker SP	Wading, tubing and swimming in the St. Francis River and Big Creek; day use 8 am to 10 pm [5]
St. Joe SP	Swimming only at Monsanto and Pim lakes; no cans, glass bottles, coolers, fires, alcohol or pets at the beaches; change house and vault toilet at each beach [6]
Echo Bluff SP	Swimming, wading and floating in Sinking Creek, a Current River tributary [7]
Cuivre River SP	Beach on Lake Lincoln with a change house; swimming at the beach only; no pets [8]
St. Joe advisory	Boil order advisory until further notice [9]
Lake of the Ozarks advisory	Off-season since Nov 2; flushing restrooms closed [9]
Lake of the Ozarks closure	Public Beach 1 shelter house, beach, boat ramp and day-use area, plus the campground and yurts, closed evening of Dec 4 through Dec 7, 2026 for a managed deer hunt; normal operations resume Dec 8 [9]

Johnson's Shut-Ins

The best known swimming hole in the state in Missouri. Read our full Johnson's Shut-Ins guide for the flow rule, parking and current status.

Ozark creeks and rivers

Sam A. Baker and Echo Bluff are river and creek parks: the state describes several splashing areas in the St. Francis River and Big Creek at Sam A. Baker, and Sinking Creek at Echo Bluff. River conditions change, so check flow before you go:

Water data

USGS 07061270, East Fork Black River near Lesterville: 14.7 cfs, 1.11 ft gage height at Nov 4, 2026 7:15 PM CT (provisional, captured when this page was built).
USGS 07037500, St. Francis River near Patterson: 75.6 cfs, 4.65 ft gage height at Nov 4, 2026 7:30 PM CT (provisional, captured when this page was built).

Readings show flow or level, not water safety.

Lake beaches

Lake of the Ozarks has two sandy beaches, St. Joe has beaches on Monsanto and Pim lakes, and Cuivre River has a public beach on Lake Lincoln, each with a change house. St. Joe also allows certified scuba divers in pairs who check in at the park office. Swimming at St. Joe and Cuivre River is limited to the marked beach areas. Each park page links to its beach hours; we have not confirmed winter beach hours, so call the park.

Other Missouri advisories

Not on this list but worth knowing: the status map warns visitors and pets to avoid the lake at Wallace State Park because of harmful algae, and Stockton, Pomme de Terre (part), Long Branch, Mark Twain, Robertsville and Dr. Babler state parks close for managed deer hunts between Nov 4 and Nov 11. [9] [10]

Ozark neighbors: Arkansas (Buffalo National River) and Oklahoma (Turner Falls). Other pilot state: Texas.

Common questions

Do Missouri state parks charge an entrance fee?

No. Missouri DNR says the state does not charge entrance fees to its state parks.

Are there lifeguards at Missouri state park beaches?

No. The parks say swimming is at your own risk.

Is Cuivre River State Park open?

Unclear. On November 4, 2026 the state status map listed it as closed, citing a deer hunt that ended Nov 2. Call the park before you go.

Sources

Missouri DNR: State parks Gold Medal finalist (no entrance fees). Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Johnson's Shut-Ins swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Lake of the Ozarks swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Sam A. Baker swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: St. Joe swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Echo Bluff swimming, fishing and floating. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Cuivre River swimming. Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Park and Site Status data (map layer). Last checked November 4, 2026.
Missouri State Parks: Active advisories. Last checked November 4, 2026.