Find Adventure In Sedalia, MIssouri

Lodging

·         Missouri State Fairgrounds (Sedalia)

·         Georgetown County View Estate (Sedalia)

·         Annie & Abel Van Meter State Park (Miami)

·         Knob Noster State Park (Knob Noster)

Points of Interest

·         Katy Depot/Katy Trail (Sedalia)

·         Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site (Sedalia)

·         Missouri State Fairgrounds (Sedalia)

·         Arrow Rock State Historic Site (Arrowrock)

·         Sappington Cemetery  (Nelson)

Activities

·         Shopping and Historic Site Seeing

·         Hiking & Biking

·         Fishing

·         Horseback Riding

Events

·         Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival  (June)

·         Fourth of July Celebration (July)

·         Missouri State Fair  (August)

Dreaming of your next adventure?  Sparkle Adventures offers custom adventure travel planning services for your next adventure.  Just need ideas?  We have lots of ideas to help you plan your outdoor adventure. 

Sedalia, Missouri is home to the Missouri State Fairgrounds and the Missouri State Fair every year in August, but there is so much more adventure to find all year round in Sedalia!  Bike the Katy Trail, explore history at the area’s historic sites, or go hiking, fishing, or just enjoy nature.  And, the Missouri State Fairgrounds hosts events all year long.  Find big adventures in Sedalia, Missouri

The Missouri State Fairgrounds offer camping all year long – but it is a very busy place during the state fair, so you’ll want to know the procedures before you go during that time.  Campsites are available on a first come, first serve basis and open 24-hours every day. “You are welcome to pull in to the public overnight camping area, day or night. All types of camping units, including tents are easily accommodated. Campgrounds are on grass with several trees, if you prefer some shade. No water is available October 31-April 1, pending weather.  There are 2,348 sites (1,048) with sewer hook ups, 30 amp electricity, 50 restrooms, 33 showers, 4 dump stations. RVs or tents welcome and handicap accessible.”

Love outdoor adventures but prefer a glamping option – The Georgetown County View Estates was built in 1869 by Elisha W. Brown a Sedalia banker. Mr. Brown died in 1870 and was buried on the 80 acres. The County of Pettis bought the house and the 80 acres in 1894 to be used as a poor farm. It was abandoned in 1988. In 1990, the property was purchased from the county and today operates as Georgetown Country View Estates Bed and Breakfast. As a bed and breakfast, they offer a quiet getaway featuring continental/full breakfast, TV, pool, hot tub, pool table, private baths, in each room and exercise rooms.

Camping and big adventure is also available nearby at Annie and Aben Van Meter and Knob Noster State Parks. 

“Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park features remnants of the Missouria Indian village that sat at the Great Bend of the Missouri River, marked on a map by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. A hand-dug earthwork — Old Fort — and several burial mounds lie within the park’s boundaries. The state’s Indian history is interpreted in displays and exhibits at the park’s Missouri’s American Indian Cultural Center. For outdoor enthusiasts, the park features hiking trails and an 18-acre fishing lake. Trails lead visitors through the Oumessourit Natural Area with views of the freshwater marsh and through bottomland and upland forests. The park’s lofty trees shade picnic sites, picnic shelters and a campground.”

“Knob Noster State Park is a tranquil retreat of open oak woodland with a few patches of prairie along both sides of the meandering Clearfork Creek. It’s a place for fishermen to wet a line, for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders to get some trail time, and for families to spend quality time together. The park also features an oxbow slough, which has been officially designated as Pin Oak Slough Natural Area.” 

Wherever you decide to stay for your adventure to Sedalia, Missouri, big adventure awaits in this railroad town. 

 Sedalia, Missouri was a town formed by the railroad and the Katy Depot is a walk back in time.  “After being abandoned by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad in 1983, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources received title to the depot as part of the 200 mile Katy Trail State Park. Sedalia’s Historic depot has been transformed from an elegant waiting station to a place where the community can once again exchange knowledge and information and renew old memories of days gone by. “ Whether you want to explore the history of Sedalia, Missouri or begin your adventure – the Katy Depot serves the community as a historic site, visitor’s center and trail head for the Katy Trail. 

 “Whether you are a bicyclist, walker, equestrian, nature lover or history buff, the Katy Trail State Park, the longest developed rail-trail in the country, offers opportunities for recreation, a place to enjoy nature and an avenue to discover the past.  The park, built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy), is 240 miles long and runs between Clinton and Machens with 26 trailheads and four fully restored railroad depots along the way. Trail users have the opportunity to wind through some of the most scenic areas of the state with the majority of the trail closely following the Missouri River. The park also takes users through a slice of rural history as it meanders through the small towns that once thrived along the railroad corridor and reflect the rich heritage of Missouri. Information at the trailheads makes a ride or walk on the Katy not only a healthy adventure, but also an educational one.”

The next stop on our adventure in Sedalia, Missouri – “With a commanding view from atop a bluff, Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site is one of the best representations of early 20thCentury sensibilities in the Midwest. Walk through the 31-room, 12,000-square-foot lodge built atop two natural caves by Sedalia lawyer John Homer Bothwell. You will marvel at the owner’s eclectic tastes and how a country gentlemen furnished a recreational lodge for himself and his friends. Most of the furnishings in the house are original. The property also has a three-mile hiking and mountain biking trail.”

Or “Stroll through the history of a once-bustling river town that’s now the serene village of Arrow Rock.  You’ll walk streets lined with the architecture of the historic “Boone’s Lick Country.” At Arrow Rock State Historic Site, you may wander into the historic J. Huston Tavern, which dates back to 1834 and provides a dining experience in the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River. View displays of historic furnishings in the old kitchen and upstairs bedrooms. You can visit other historic buildings, such as the Old Courthouse and George Caleb Bingham’s house. You can learn about the history of Arrow Rock and the “Boone’s Lick Country” through exhibits and audio-visual presentations in the visitor center. The historic site is part of the larger Village of Arrow Rock, which features quaint stores and several antique shops.”

And our last stop on this adventure – “Sappington Cemetery State Historic Site houses the grave of a prominent area doctor, Dr. John Sappington, along with two Missouri governors. Gov. Meredith Miles Marmaduke became Missouri’s eighth governor for nine months in 1844 after the death of Gov. Thomas Reynolds. Claiborne Fox Jackson, a strong supporter of the Confederacy, was beginning his term as Missouri’s 15th governor when the Civil War began and he was driven from Jefferson City.”

Besides the Missouri State Fair in August, Sedalia Missouri is host to the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in June and a grand Fourth of July Celebration.  The Missouri State Fairgrounds hosts events all year long. 

The first Missouri State Fair was held September 9-13 in 1901. Since the first Fair in 1901, thousands of Missouri families have made the annual “pilgrimage” to Sedalia.  This 10 day fair in August is packed with activities for everyone.  

“The four-day Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival is packed with rattling good fun, concerts feature Ragtime Legends and Festival Favorites, the free open-air venues feature the up and coming ragtime performers, symposia provide insights into musicology and offer continuing education credits, special events include the Joplin Footsteps Tour and the ever-popular Cakewalk Dance. The Scott Joplin International Ragtime Music Festival is recognized as the premier cultural arts event celebrating this musical heritage.”

The Sedalia Fourth of July Celebration starts with a parade and picnic and ends with Fireworks at the Missouri State Fair Grounds. 

Whenever you go to Sedalia, Missouri, big adventure awaits. 

Sparkle Adventures offers custom adventure planning services for your next adventure.  We do the planning; you have the fun!  Check out  our adventure planning services and pricing at www.sparkle-adventures.com  and get your next adventure started today.