Missouri Outdoors: Missouri Top State for Camping

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Missouri Top State for Camping

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The people have spoken: Missouri is the No. 1 state for camping in the U.S.

About.com, a reference website maintained by the New York Times Company, announced Friday the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite State for Camping, and Missouri took top honors. Missouri took the website’s gold award, silver winner Montana and bronze winner, Colorado, in an online vote.

“The First Lady and I are proud that Missouri has been selected as a renowned camping destination,”Gov. Nixon said. “Missouri is the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors, so plan to experience our quiet hills, deep woodlands, wide open prairies, and clear Ozark streams on your next camping adventure, and you'll see why the readers picked Missouri as their favorite camping state."

“This is yet another solid indicator that Missouri State Parks is the ultimate destination for your next camping experience,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “Our parks and historic sites offer an impressive glimpse of the natural and cultural beauty throughout our state.”

Missouri Division of Tourism Director Katie Steele Danner credited Missouri’s State Parks and privately-held campgrounds for helping Missouri secure the top spot on About.com’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

“All around Missouri, our campgrounds offer unique and fun ways to reconnect with the outdoors and to create fond and long-lasting memories of trips to Missouri,” Danner said. “We’re proud of all the campgrounds in the Show-Me State and offer a collective ‘congratulations’ for this honor.”

Now in its fifth year, the About.com Readers' Choice Awards honor the best products, features and services across more than a dozen categories, ranging from technology to hobbies to parenting and more, as selected by its readers.

“This year's Readers' Choice Awards program had a record number of nominations submitted across dozens of categories and featured hundreds of finalists,” said Margot Weiss, managing editor, About.com. “We are thankful to all our readers for their participation and congratulate Missouri on their success.”