Get outside
Things to do
Granite shut-ins and whitewater, national forest campgrounds, three centuries of mining history, and the yearly events worth planning around — all within the county. For places to stay, see the business directory.
Shut-Ins, Rivers & Public Lands
Granite shut-ins, Missouri’s only whitewater river, and national forest camping.
Silver Mines Recreation Area
A Mark Twain National Forest recreation area on the St. Francis River, named for the abandoned Einstein Silver Mine, worked for silver, tungsten, and lead from 1877 to 1946. Four campground loops hold 70 sites (11 with electric hookups) plus a group site, and three day-use areas sit along the river. The Silver Mines Trail follows the river past granite and felsite bluffs to Millstream Gardens; the Riverside Trail leads toward the old mine, which is gated. The St. Francis is the only river in Missouri the Forest Service calls whitewater, and it draws kayakers at spring high water. The campground is open March through October; day use is open year-round, with a $5-per-vehicle fee.
Millstream Gardens Conservation Area
A 916-acre Missouri Department of Conservation area off Highway 72, about 8 miles west of Fredericktown, built around the Tiemann Shut-ins on the St. Francis River. The river and its wooded corridor are part of Missouri’s Natural Area System, and at high water the shut-ins become chutes and rapids; the Missouri Whitewater Association has long held its spring kayak races here. Before 1979 the land was a private tourist attraction with flower gardens and a replica pioneer village. Hiking, fishing, hunting, and a shooting range; no camping. Open 4 a.m.–10 p.m.
Amidon Memorial Conservation Area
A 1,878-acre Missouri Department of Conservation area on the upper Castor River, reaching into Bollinger County. Its centerpiece is the Castor River Shut-Ins Natural Area, a granite gorge where the river squeezes through the rock (no glass containers there). The rest of the area runs from hardwoods to shortleaf pine and cedar glades, with hiking trails, fishing for bass and sunfish, hunting, and camping in designated sites. From Fredericktown, take Route J east, Route W south, then County Road 208 east.
Historical Sites
An 1899 courthouse, a Civil War battlefield, and Missouri’s first lead mine.
Fredericktown Courthouse Square Historic District
Downtown Fredericktown around the Madison County Courthouse, built in 1899 to a design by St. Louis architect Theodore Link. The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and the square around it in 2009. Nearby, the U.S. Post Office (155 S Main Street) and the old Missouri Pacific depot (406 Villar Street, now a restaurant) are also on the National Register.
Mine La Motte
About 6 miles north of Fredericktown, the site of what a state historical marker calls the first lead mine in Missouri. French colonists led by Philip François Renault began mining here around 1720, making it one of the oldest European settlements west of the Mississippi. It was named for Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, governor of French Louisiana, who had hoped the ground held silver. Mining went on, off and on, for more than two centuries, including lead, nickel, and cobalt. Today it is a small unincorporated community.
Battle of Fredericktown
On October 21, 1861, Union troops under Colonels Joseph B. Plummer and William P. Carlin defeated the Missouri State Guard under Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson just outside Fredericktown. The Union victory consolidated federal control of southeast Missouri; afterward, Union soldiers burned at least seven homes in town. The Fredericktown Civil War Museum downtown tells the story.
Museums
Two downtown museums on the county’s Civil War and mining history.
Historic Madison County Museum
A museum in historic downtown Fredericktown on the region’s mining history and more. Call or check locally for hours.
Fredericktown Civil War Museum
A downtown museum on the area’s role in the Civil War, including the 1861 Battle of Fredericktown. Call or check locally for hours.
Annual Events
A few yearly traditions worth planning a trip around.
Azalea Festival
Fredericktown’s big spring festival, held the first full weekend in May at Azalea Park and run by a volunteer board that puts the proceeds into local parks. It has been going for more than 60 years (the 62nd was in 2024). Expect a carnival with rides, arts and crafts booths, live music, food vendors, a car show, a truck and tractor pull, a pet show, and a Sunday parade.
Missouri Whitewater Association Spring Races
The Missouri Whitewater Association’s annual kayak races on the Tiemann Shut-ins at Millstream Gardens, traditionally the third weekend in March, when spring rains bring the St. Francis River up. Check the association for this year’s date and water levels.
Madison Market
A monthly market on the second Saturday, in the parking lot of the Justice Center in Fredericktown.
Verify before relying on this. Compiled from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service, the City of Fredericktown, and each venue’s own site. Hours, fees, and regulations change — check directly before a trip, especially for hunting and fishing seasons and limits.
