Mark Twain NF, southern MO

Take a look at Big Springs Park at Van Buran. It is a wonderful place.

You might want to check out Echo Bluff SP. It's Missouri's newest SP that just opened this summer. I haven't been there yet but it's looks like one of the states best.

Thanks - I didn't realize they had replaced the bridge. This morning I was in street view and saw the same iron bridge I saw five or six years ago. There is a trail road that runs on the east side of river at that bridge I need to run back on and check it. The BRADDY FORD Historic name is down that trail. Since it has our name has to be us from the 1800s... I don't know if the Braddy house was on the East or West side of the river. I'm betting it will be on the West side as that is where several farms are now... The East side is probably MARK TWAIN land...

Before I knew about the BRADDY FORD name I went down the north side of the bridge with another trail and walked North for a short distance... Saw sign of folks camping on that side...

Be sure to let me know where you end up camping on your trip in that area...

Roy Ken

Not sure exactly what you are looking for but we really enjoy Johnson Shut-Ins and Elephant Rock State Parks. If you're into wineries, there is a pretty big one in St James.

Doug

It can be pretty cold there that time of year. They have more ice storms than snow there so be aware that it can get slick for a couple days at a time. Good luck on the family search, my wife and I just got back from doing one in Tennessee and Kentucky.

had a place near Route E where it crosses over the St. Francis River where an old iron bridge is still being used today...

The old bridge sounded interesting, but satellite view of Route E crossing the river shows a nice new concrete bridge. The neat thing is the street view still has the old iron bridge though.

Now if I see any headstones while in the area, I have a name to be looking to find.

I too am looking for a good spot for a base camp along the ST FRANCIS RIVER. I need to find the exact location of BRADDY FORD Historical Place off of State Highway E that comes out of Millcreek just south of Fredericktown, MO.

Doing some DIGGING UP BONES in our family tree...

I see MARBLE CREEK CAMPGOUND not too far from this area.

My Early BRADDY's had a place near Route E where it crosses over the St. Francis River where an old iron bridge is still being used today... I have never found the old homestead and hoping to find a couple of tombstone where it once was. I have found just a few miles from where I suspect it is located where one of the BRADDY BOYS married into a local family. Lots of old info on the family boys but not much on Benjamin BRADDY who moved into this area in the early 1800's... I descend from one of the boys named Jesse BRADDY who moved to southern Illinois in 1860s...

I too have an OFF-ROAD POPUP camper and don't mind staying off grid for weeks at a time. The MARK TWAIN National Forest is in this area... I would love to setup on the BRADDY homestead area with permission from who owns the land now... Hoping the BRADDY FORD historical place maybe is a river crossing on the St Francis or perhaps another large creek feeding it near the Iron bridge crossing on E Road...

MARK TWAIN has some outstanding photos on-line...

Roy Ken