Lower Missouri/Arkansas trip

One fall a few years ago we spent a couple of weeks in Missouri and Arkansas. In Missouri we enjoyed Lake of the Ozarks State Park and the original Bass Pro Shop in Springfield. In Arkansas we camped at Maumelle COE in Little Rock and made a day trip to Petit Jean State Park. Two of our favorites in Arkansas were Mississippi River State Park in the small town of Marianna and Lake Chicot near the Louisiana border. Links to a couple of my posts about the trip are Lake of the Ozarks, , Maumelle and Petit Jean, Mississippi River State Park

Echo Bluff SP just North of Eminence, MO, very new SP, near Current River, wild horses walk through campground.Bull Shoals SP, in AR, below the dam, trout fish, if you get a river front site the occasional breese off the river feels like you opened the freezer door. Great when it is hot.
Lake Ouachita, in AR, very deep, clean lake near Hot Springs.
Lake Dardanelle SP in AR is nice. We used it as base for visiting Petit Jean SP, Mt Nemo SP and Mt. Magazine SP-beautiful lodge but the campground does not have a view.
You may be late for making reservations for Labor Day.
You will have a great time in So Mo or AR beautiful area!
Marcia

Lake Ft Smith has a great campground. The sites are far apart and it's basically on the side of a mountain.

We enjoyed camping at St Francois State park. Electric hookups. Sites are nice and spread out. We also enjoyed camping at Pomme De Terra Lake's Nemo Campground. Electric hookups and nice beach for swimming.

Bass Pro in Springfield,MO is the number one attraction in Missouri. They have just opened a new museum called "Wonders of Wildlife" and a new aquarium. This is much raved about worth the trip. I also second the comment about Blanchard caverns near Mountain View AR. There is a Ozark Fold Center state park in Mountain View also well worth the time. If you enjoy folk music, you must visit downtown Mountain View. There will be musicians all around the square in small groups jamming. There is also a pickin' park just off the square where they jam. This is an amazing town. I like the Ozark RV park because it is next to the state park and you can walk to it.

You mentioned fishing. DW & I always try to spend our anniversary at Roaring River State Park, MO on May 1 (floods pending). It is a very pleasant campground with a great lodge for dining, if you want, and decent trout fishing without boots.
No real tourist spots near other than in Golden, MO the Pioneer Museum which is unbelievable for being housed in a tin building. The exterior is very deceiving. It's more of a hidden gem than a tourist trap.
The park is generally pretty full in the summer months, especially on the weekends/holidays. Probably best to make reservations. We prefer loop 2.

I'll second Iraqvet's post.

I will add anywhere near the Ozark Scenic Riverways, or Arcadia Valley in Missouri.

Arkansas additions which we really liked were the Buffalo River area near Jasperr, and Lake Catherine SP near Hot Springs. Mount Magazine SP is on my list, we haven't camped there yet.

Petit Jean SP in Arkansas and Johnson Shut Inns in SE Missouri. We have stayed at both and I highly recommend them.

Have you tried Blanchard Spring Caverns (northwest of Mountain View, Arkansas)? It's a world-class cavern that doesn't get much publicity because it's operated by National Forest Service, which doesn't advertise. There are two different tours. The town of Mountain View is known for its folk-music festival.

Do you know about Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, south of Eureka Springs? It is a rescue operation that specializes in tigers and other large cats that are no longer wanted as "pets". They have daily tours and an rv park.