Bennett Spring State Park
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The OFFICIAL page for Bennett Spring State Park, located in Lebanon, MO, United States
More than 100 million gallons of clear, cool water gush from Bennett Spring each day and form a spring branch stocked daily with rainbow trout waiting for lucky fishermen. Fishing may be the main draw, but the park also offers many other amenities such as a dining lodge, campgrounds, cabins and hiking trails. Whether you are a traditional fishing enthusiast or someone seeking a place to relax and refresh, Bennett Spring State Park has what you need to make every trip one to remember
05/31/2026
What a fantastic start to camping season 🏕
More than 115 people joined us for "Venomous Snakes of Missouri" last week, and we kept the momentum going yesterday with another triple-digit crowd for "Missouri Raptors," presented by the Dickerson Park Zoo. Thank you to everyone who attended!
Make sure to check out our previous post for upcoming June programs. What programs would you like to see this summer?
05/28/2026
Join us in June for nature programs all month long.
05/22/2026
The splash pad is OPEN!
Thanks to many generous donations, we have built and painted several much-needed sun shades!
The splash pad will be open every day from 9am-5pm until Labor Day weekend.
05/12/2026
Our fly tying programs last weekend were quite special as many kids learned to tie their first fly!
Thanks to Mike, our Nature Center volunteer, for hosting these programs; as well as everyone who stopped by to check it out.
If you are visiting Bennett Spring, stop in the Nature Center as we often tie flies each weekend!
05/08/2026
The Bridge Trail is OPEN!
The trail has been re-routed and more accurately reflects what is labeled on park maps. The trail is blazed in orange and partially overlaps with the Oak-Hickory and Whistle trails.
For your safety, please do not walk across the bridge on this trail. The bridge remains closed.
ROLLING ALONG:
These two dung beetles were found at Bennett Spring last week!
In diurnal species, the male beetle offers the female a ball of dung. If she accepts, she sits on top of the ball and spins around, orienting herself. The male then pushes the ball in the direction of the sun as the female guides him. They roll the ball away from the dung pile to avoid competing beetles, before burying the ball with their eggs. The young larvae eat from the ball until they emerge from the soil as adults.
Did you know that dung beetles were the first insects that were found to use the Milky Way for navigation?
04/24/2026
Visiting Bennett Spring in May? Join us at the Nature Center for a program.
04/21/2026
GARLIC MUSTARD:
This invasive plant takes over bottomland habitats typically near springs, creeks, and streams. It produces chemicals like sinigrin and other cyanic compounds which prohibits other plants and seeds from growing around it, allowing the invader to spread quickly without competition.
Each April, garlic mustard blooms and can easily be pulled out of the ground. Naturalists and volunteers have pulled over 40 large trash bags full of garlic mustard this season...and we aren't finished yet!
Learn more: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/garlic-mustard
04/15/2026
Join Bennett Spring in celebrating International Dark Sky Week! We will have programs on dark skies, light pollution, and nocturnal wildlife all summer long. More information to come.
May 24: Star Party 8:30pm
June 13: Firefly Frenzy 8:30pm
July 25: Moth Mania 8:30pm
In the meantime, turn down your lights and look up at the stars!💫
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Lebanon, MO
65536