Finger Lakes State Park

About this park

Finger Lakes State Park, built on the site of a former coal strip-mining operation, is one of only two parks in the entire Missouri state park system dedicated to off-road vehicle recreation, where the roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with surprisingly peaceful rolling hills reshaped by decades-old mining activity. The park's motocross track and extensive ORV trail system draw riders from across the region for a style of recreation found at very few other state parks anywhere in the country. Beyond its ATV reputation, Finger Lakes offers the challenging 3.8-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail for paddlers, giving quieter recreation options equal billing alongside the park's motorized activities. A pump track and swimming beach round out a notably diverse amenity list for a park whose identity centers so strongly on its off-road vehicle trails, and the park's numerous small lakes, remnants of the old mining pits that give the park its "Finger Lakes" name, support fishing for bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish. A spacious campground shaded by leafy trees has a way of converting day-trip ATV riders into overnight campers, drawn in by the hilly, forested terrain surrounding the more developed riding areas. Single-day and multi-day ORV permits, purchasable online or at the park office, keep the riding program organized, and the park's dual identity as both a serious off-road destination and a conventional camping and paddling spot gives it a genuinely broad visitor base.