The Natural Swimming Hole In Missouri That Will Take You Back To The Good Ole Days
With the many lakes, rivers, and streams throughout Missouri, there are tons of great spots for a swim. If you’re looking for a spot that will bring back memories of splashing in the streams on a hot summer day, there is no better spot than one of the famous Missouri shut-ins. If you’re not familiar with a shut-in, it’s an Ozark term used to describe a river that is naturally confined within a deep, narrow channel. More than ninety shut–ins are located within and around the St. Francois Mountains region of southeast Missouri. While the most famous in Missouri is likely Johnson’s Shut-Ins, there is another great shut-in that is worth exploring this summer.
During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date.
Located in rural Fredericktown near the Mark Twain National Forest is Amidon Memorial Conservation Area. This beautiful nature site has been open to the public since 1993 and features hiking trails, fishing spots, hunting opportunities, and swimming!
The pink granite shut-ins are simply stunning and make the perfect spots for a natural waterpark. At times, especially after rainfall the current can become pretty swift so always wear life jackets and be cautious of the elements.
If you're not much of a swimmer, the site offers many other attractions too. You can explore the near-by wilderness and look for the two historic cemeteries or keep hiking down stream and explore Hahn’s gristmill.
Try a new swimming hole this summer and visit the Castor River Shut-Ins on the next hot summer day. The stunning waterfalls and the rarity of the pink granite shut-ins makes the trip totally worth while. However, it's also just a lovely and much less crowded than Johnson's Shut-Ins.
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
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