Van Meter State Park
Missouri tribe fort at the park
Location in Missouri Show map of Missouri Van Meter State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Saline County, Missouri, United States
Coordinates	39°15′32″N 93°15′43″W / 39.258817°N 93.261933°W / 39.258817; -93.261933[1]
Area	1,104.63 acres (447.03 ha)[2]
Elevation	663 ft (202 m)
Established	1932[3]
Administered by	Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Visitors	30,732 (in 2023)[2]
Website	Official website
Van Meter State Park Combination Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Marshall, Missouri
Area	Less than one acre
Built	1935 (1935)
Built by	Civilian Conservation Corps; National Park Service
MPS	ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR
NRHP reference No.	85000537
Added to NRHP	February 27, 1985
Van Meter State Park Shelter Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Marshall, Missouri
Area	Less than one acre
Built	1935 (1935)
Built by	Civilian Conservation Corps; National Park Service
MPS	ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR
NRHP reference No.	85000538
Added to NRHP	February 28, 1985

Van Meter State Park is a public recreation area on the Missouri River in Saline County, Missouri. The state park consists of 1,105 acres (447 ha) of hills, ravines, fresh water marsh, fens, and bottomland and upland forests in an area known as The Pinnacles The park has several archaeological sites, a cultural center, and facilities for camping, hiking, and fishing. It is managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.^[4]

History

The park and surrounding lands were once the home of the Native American tribe known to French settlers as “Oumessourit,” or Missouri Indians. Signs of the land's first occupants include the remnants of a Native American village, known as the Utz Site, a sizeable earthworks named Old Fort, and a mound field. Utz Site and Old Fort are included in the National Register of Historic Places.^[5][6]

The park originated when Annie Vanmeter deeded 369 acres to the state in 1932.^[7] The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park from 1934 to 1935. The large shelter house and the small shelter house in the Walnut Grove that survive from that era have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.^[8][9][10]

Activities and amenities

The area's native history is interpreted in the park's cultural center through exhibits and murals.^[1] Park recreational activities include camping, hiking, and fishing on an 18-acre (7.3 ha) lake.^[4]

References

External links

• Van Meter State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources
• Van Meter State Park Map Missouri Department of Natural Resources

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