Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

Johnson's Shut-Ins is a state park in Reynolds County in southern Missouri where the East Fork Black River flows through narrow channels of hard rhyolite rock. The water shapes natural pools, slides and rapids across an area of more than 3,550 hectares (8,781 acres) of forested hills.

Joseph Desloge, an industrialist from St. Louis, bought the land in several steps starting in 1918 and donated it to the state of Missouri in 1955. The area had previously been farmland of the Johnston family and other pioneers who settled here from the 1840s onward.

The name comes from John Johnson, a 19th-century Scotch-Irish settler whose family lived and worked in this area. Visitors can walk to the small Johnston family cemetery, where simple headstones tell stories of early frontier life.

Swimming and playing in the shallow rock channels is possible in warm weather, but the current can become strong. The park offers several campgrounds with different levels of facilities, hiking trails of varying lengths, and a small store for food and gear.

A severe flood in 2005 destroyed nearly all facilities when a nearby dam broke and a mudslide swept through the park. The rebuilding brought modern buildings and improved trails, while the natural rock formations remained largely unchanged.

Location: Missouri

Inception: 1955

Operator: Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Website: https://mostateparks.com/park/johnsons-shut-ins-state-park

GPS coordinates: 37.54190,-90.84190

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:26