ENJOY A CLOSE-TO-HOME FAMILY CAMPING EXPERIENCE
AT KLONDIKE PARK SEPT. 12-13
St. Charles County Parks Department - Enjoy a fun-filled weekend among the trees, twinkling stars, and flickering campfire at the St. Charles County Parks Department's Family Camping Expo on Sept. 12 and 13 at nearby Klondike Park. Located at 4600 Highway 94 South (between Defiance and Augusta, approximately 14 miles south of Highway 40), the park is less than 30 minutes from a large portion of St. Charles County's residents and offers a wealth of warm-weather recreational activities.
Park Rangers will host this overnight program, where participants will learn camping and outdoor skills while enjoying the natural beauty. The program will begin at 10 a.m., on Saturday with a brief introduction to camping and instructions on campsite set-up. Interactive afternoon sessions will focus upon knot tying, hiking, mountain biking, fire building, Dutch oven cooking, and campfire cooking. Prior to dinner that evening, registered individuals may cast a line in a Cabela's-sponsored family fishing derby. After dinner, members of the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri will provide telescopes to view the stars of St. Charles County. Festivities will conclude Sunday morning with opportunities for more fishing, bike riding, and hiking.
The Family Camping Expo costs just $15 per person, and children four and under are free if accompanied by a paying adult. A limited quantity of fishing equipment, dinner and dessert Saturday, and snacks both days are included; but guests may bring their own materials, if preferred. Participants should also plan to bring a tent, bedding, lunch on Saturday, drinks, a flashlight, personal fishing equipment and bug spray. Advanced registration before August 28 is required, and the program is limited to 75 participants.
A major sponsor for the weekend is Cabela's, which will provide prizes and on-site expertise for the afternoon Fishing Derby. Also providing assistance are the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Charlie's Farm and Home Center, Great Rivers Greenway, Hershey's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Pepsi, Nestle, Uncle Sam's and Coca-Cola. Organizations interested in donating supplies or volunteer support may contact Chief Park Ranger William Brandel at 636-949-1831.
Once the site of a silica sand quarry, the restored parkland is a testament to nature's resiliency and has quickly become a popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. The 250-acre park offers several miles of natural-surface hiking and biking trails, a fishing lake, picnic shelters, a boat ramp along the Missouri River, and access to the Katy Trail. The park also features six cabins and 41 tent sites open to year-round camping - a shower house complete with flush toilets and a small kitchen is open from April to November. For more information, please call the St. Charles County Parks Department at (636) 949-7535 or visit www.stccparks.org.
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