Campground 1 sits in St. Joe State Park near Park Hills, Missouri, in the heart of the Old Lead Belt region. This 50-site RV campground is a hub for exploring the park's 2,000 acres of ORV trails, four spring-fed lakes, and miles of hiking and biking paths. Sites are shaded and flat, with pull-through options, clean showers, and campground Wi-Fi to offset poor cellular reception.
The park has two campgrounds capable of accommodating campers with ORV or horse trailers. Campground 1 (sites 1–50) is described in supplemental sources as shaded, flat loops suited to trailer and ORV campers.
Historical Significance
The park occupies part of the Old Lead Belt, once the world's richest known lead deposit area. Mining operations in the early 1900s left behind the quarries, sand flats, and dramatic terrain that now define the landscape. Missouri Mines State Historic Site sits 3.6 km away, and Bonne Terre Mine is 13.6 km south.Weather and SeasonsSummer delivers the fullest range of activities. Daytime highs sit in the mid-70s to low-90s °F, and warm lake temperatures make swimming and boating comfortable. Trail systems run with extended hours, and park services are fully staffed. Expect crowds on weekends from June through August. Fall cools things down and paints the forests in rich colors, ideal for scenic rides without the heat. Winter keeps ORV trails open November through March with reduced hours, but other amenities scale back seasonally.
Natural Features and SceneryThe park sprawls across a landscape reclaimed from early 1900s lead mining. Four spring-fed lakes cut through forests, sand flats, and weathered quarries. Trails wind past piney glades, rock formations, and old mining remnants. Fall brings dense foliage. Summer reveals desert-like expanses near the sand flats. Deer move through the woods at dawn and dusk. The terrain is rolling, sometimes rocky, with scenic overlooks along the trail system.
Geological RegionOld Lead Belt region
Scenic ViewsWooded trail scenery, rolling terrain of the Old Lead Belt, lake views and sand/rock features along some trails.