| Bennett Spring State Park | |
|---|---|
 Trout fishing 2016 | |
  Location in Missouri Show map of Missouri Bennett Spring State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Dallas andLaclede counties,Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°43′32″N92°51′45″W / 37.72556°N 92.86250°W /37.72556; -92.86250 |
| Area | 3,338.55 acres (1,351.06 ha)[1] |
| Elevation | 1,076 ft (328 m) |
| Established | 1924[2] |
| Administered by | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Visitors | 1,280,932 (in 2023)[1] |
| Website | Official website |
Bennett Spring State Park Shelter House and Water Gauge Station | |
 Historic water gauge station and shelter house | |
| Location | Dallas andLaclede counties,Missouri, USA, nearBennett Springs, Missouri |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1933 |
| Built by | CCC; NPS |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000527 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1985 |
Bennett Spring State Park Hatchery-Lodge Area Historic District | |
| Location | MO A64,Bennett Spring, Missouri |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | 1933 (1933) |
| Architect | CCC |
| MPS | ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942 TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000504 |
| Added to NRHP | March 4, 1985 |
Bennett Spring State Park is a public recreation area located inBennett Springs, Missouri, twelve miles (19 km) west ofLebanon onHighway 64 inDallas andLaclede counties. It is centered on the spring that flows into theNiangua River and gives the park its name. The spring averages 100 million gallons (380,000 m3) of daily flow.[3] The park offersfly fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, and other activities.[4]
In 1837, the James Brice family built a mill at the stream and the spring became known as Brice Spring. The town they built was known as Brice. The family of Peter Bennett soon settled near the spring and started their own mill. Originally, the families were rivals, but they soon intermarried. Both of these mills were eventually destroyed in a flood.
During the Civil War years, another mill was constructed by Peter Bennett. This Bennett Mill was larger and more successful than the Brice Mill. The spring soon took on the Bennett name. Peter died in 1882 and his son William Sherman Bennett took over. The Bennett Mill burned in 1895.
The state purchased the spring and some surrounding areas in 1924-1925 to create a state park. In the 1930s, theCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made various improvements to the park. The CCC built the dining lodge, cabins, trails, roads, shelters, gauge station, and the arched stone bridge across the spring branch.[5] The bridge has 3 distinctive sideways “C’s” to memorialize the men of the CCC who built it. The CCC also channelized the spring branch and constructed the dam just upstream of the stone bridge to make the spring more habitable to the non-native trout. The dam is used to divert water through the fish hatchery and to maintain a constant water level at Bennett Spring to this day.
The park includes two resources that were listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1985:
The park offers trout fishing forrainbow andbrown trout in the natural spring that is the namesake of the park. The fishing area is divided into three zones, each with its own set of regulations.[7] During the regular season, fish may be caught and kept.Catch and release regulations are in effect during the winter months. Daily fishing begins and ends with a whistle or siren. The opening march of the angler can sometimes resemble a Civil War–style battle line as the anglers progress into the water with a rod in hand.
The park also offers 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails, canoeing on the Niangua River, camping, cabins, nature center, dining lodge, and park store.[4]
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