Johnson Shut-Ins State Park is a unique geological feature located in Southeast Missouri in Middlebrook, MO. For those in the St. Louis area, the park is a little less than two hours from the city, making it a great weekend or day-trip getaway. We visited in the summertime on a weekday because we had been told the park can get a bit crowded; however, when we visited there were only a few other people so we definitely recommend visiting on a weekday if you are able.

The state park highlights natural shut-ins, or a valley/canyon that has water rapidly flowing through it. Shut-ins are known primarily in the Ozarks, making it a rather unique feature to Missouri. Visitors have the ability to not only view the shut-ins, but, water levels permitting, go into the shut-ins to swim. Johnson Shuts-Ins are absolutely beautiful and the vast pressure of the water moving through the water is incredible.

Besides the shut-ins, the park features hiking, camping, horse-back riding, biking, fishing, interactive programs, cabins, picnicking, rock climbing, and playgrounds. When we visited we went for a walk and viewed the shut-ins. Water levels were too high for us to be able to go in, but we were able to get lovely views. The hike itself was a bit poorly marked and we found other people aimlessly lost in the woods, but overall we had a nice time being in nature and hearing the loud roar of the shut-ins. We both found Johnson Shut-ins to be a great little vacation and an opportunity to get a small respite for a day trip and thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring.