Spring in Missouri is turkey season for hunters and trout-park season for anglers, with state parks running campground programs (all read 2026-10-30).
Each row below was read on the page named in its last column on October 30, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm with the operator before you go. Items we could not read are listed under What We Could Not Verify.
Background
- Katy Trail State Park runs 240 miles between Clinton and Machens with 26 trailheads and four restored depots. (mostateparks.com)
- MDC says fall color season lasts about six to eight weeks; this page does not give a spring bloom timeline. (mdc.mo.gov)
What to Do
| Place | Town | What It Is | Hours or Price as Printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring turkey season | statewide | MDC prints a youth weekend followed by a three-week regular season for spring turkey (dates are 2026 as printed). | Apr 11-12 youth; Apr 20 – May 10 regular (2026) | mdc.mo.gov |
| Trout parks season | Maramec Spring Park, Bennett Spring State Park, Montauk State Park, Roaring River State Park | The four trout parks are open for the regular trout-park season starting March 1. | Mar 1 – Oct 31, 2026; hours vary by park | mdc.mo.gov |
| Spring Turkey Managed Hunt applications | statewide | MDC lists a February application window and a March results date for managed spring turkey hunts. | Applications Feb. 1-28; results March 15 | mdc.mo.gov |
| Missouri State Parks interpretive programs | statewide | State parks list campground programs, interpretive programs and an Explorer Program on their events page. | not stated | mostateparks.com |
What We Could Not Verify
- MDC old URLs for turkey/trout/eagle subpages returned 404 (used working pages instead)
- Katy Trail NPS page (nps.gov/katt) returned 404, so the Nov-March water shutoff could not be re-confirmed on a fetched page
- Climate normals by month for St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield: climate.missouri.edu connection reset; weather.gov/lsx printed no normals
- Spring wildflower or bloom dates: not found
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
When is spring turkey season in Missouri?
The MDC turkey page prints Apr 11-12, 2026 for youth and Apr 20 – May 10, 2026 for the regular season. Check MDC each year for new dates.
When do the trout parks open?
The printed 2026 trout-park season began March 1 and ends October 31.
Where do I find park events?
Missouri State Parks lists upcoming campground and interpretive programs on its site.
Sources
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/things-to-do/spring-in-missouri/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.