There are water parks—and then there are parks with water. State Parks Director Bill Bryan says four state parks are in the latter category. Campgrounds at Sam A. Baker and Montauk State Parks are flooded although other areas are okay.
A couple of areas of the Lake of the Ozarks are closed. Bryan says the Cokely Hollow Natural Area and Ozarks Caverns have been closed.
The lower access to Bennett Spring is under water, but the upper entrance to the park remains open. Bryan says people are still fishing for trout there.
Some areas of all of the parks remain open, however. Bryan expects the water to leave quickly once the rains stop.
Later this afternoon, the U. S. Forest Service announced it was temporarily closing severla campgrounds in the Mark Twain National Forest: Lane Spring and Mill Creek in Phelps County; East Gate and Stone Mill Spring in Pulaski County; Paddy Creek Wildernes sCampground in Texas County; North Fork Recreation Area in Ozark County; Noblett Recreation area in Douglas County; Float Camp and Deer Leap Recreation Areas in Ripley County; and Watercress Recreation Area, Carter County.
The NFS expects more rain and moderate to major flooding in those areas through the weekend.
