JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JUNE 4, 2025 – Looking for something to do in northwest Missouri? Check out the Junior Naturalist programs at Big Lake State Park. Scheduled throughout June, these educational programs invite youth to learn about the park, nature and the world around them.

  • June 7 at 6 p.m. – Big Lake – How did it get here?
    Come join the state park team to learn how Big Lake got here. Guests will use a giant sand table and make their own models of Big Lake to take home. Participants will also go on a hunt to see what types of fish, amphibians and birds live at Big Lake.
  • June 14 at 6 p.m. – Plant and Tree Investigators
    Go on a hunt for all the different plant life at Big Lake. Participants will use microscopes and plant books to identify what they find and will also make a plant and tree book to take home.
  • June 21 at 10 a.m. – Fun Morning at the Lake
    Visitors will go on a scavenger hunt to look for and identify animal signs in the wild. They will look at what microscopic animals live in Big Lake and then make sun print books to take home. To wrap up the morning, they will play a fun animal game.
  • June 28 at 6 p.m. – Surviving in the Outdoors
    Find out how to build a fire to keep warm, cook food and enjoy it while camping. Participants will learn how to build and use a fire safely, and then they will enjoy eating s’mores and singing some fun camp songs and listening to a campfire story.

Big Lake State Park is located at 204 Shore Drive in Craig.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Brown cantilever sign with Big Lake State Park, MO Dept of Natural Resources. Trees line the left side, and sign is near the road on a grassy area.

Contact Information