10 Best Missouri Places to Cool Off Before Summer Ends

They don't call this the dog days of summer for nothing. Many of us are looking to escape the final big heat waves of the season and there are 10 places in Missouri that are ideal for cooling off when the sun is burning the hottest.

When it comes to Missouri locations where you can cool off, rivers and caves immediately come to mind, but there are other options in the state you should consider, too.

I speak from experience when it comes to many of the Missouri destinations on this list. My dad, uncle and cousins used to go to Bennett Spring State Park to fish nearly every year when I was a kid. I also remember several summers when we would cave hop which almost always included Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City and Meramec Cave. Float trips on some of Missouri's faster-flowing rivers will always be lifelong highlights for me. That's why I hope that you and yours will have an opportunity to explore some of these places. They really are worth the day trip to do.