See the total street journey right here
This Parkersburg, West Virginia to Kansas Metropolis, Missouri section is one slice of the broader The Loneliest Street journey on U.S. 50. You begin within the Ohio River valley, roll by means of southern Ohio’s forested hills, cross Indiana and Illinois farmland, then end in big-sky Missouri with a simple touchdown in Kansas Metropolis. It’s a sensible stretch for campers who like a mixture of brief hikes, fast historical past stops, and campgrounds that don’t require an extended detour off the route. Give your self three days so you’ll be able to cease in a couple of cities and nonetheless arrange camp earlier than darkish. For a whole information to all the Loneliest Street, see our full Loneliest Street street journey overview.
Section Overview
From Parkersburg, U.S. 50 shortly trades riverfront views for rolling Appalachian foothills in Ohio, with frequent curves, brief climbs, and wooded ridgelines. West of Cincinnati, the drive opens into broader agricultural nation throughout Indiana and Illinois, the place the street straightens and the horizon widens. Your largest tempo adjustments are the metro areas, particularly Cincinnati and St. Louis, the place site visitors and lane shifts can add time. Late spring by means of fall is the best window for this section if you need snug evenings at camp and dependable path entry, however summer time humidity and thunderstorms could be intense. Winter journey is doable, however plan for ice and fog within the hills and for fast-changing street situations round river valleys.
Fast stats for Parkersburg to Kansas Metropolis
| Journey element | What to anticipate |
|---|---|
| Whole distance | About 780 miles |
| Estimated drive time | About 12 hours, not counting stops |
| States | West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri |
| Main routes | U.S. 50 many of the method, with metro bypasses close to main cities |
| Advisable period | Three days |
| Cell service | Good total, spotty in hill nation and a few rural stretches |
| Gasoline stops | Straightforward protection, high off close to Athens, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Vincennes, St. Louis, Jefferson Metropolis, Sedalia |
Day-to-day Parkersburg to Kansas Metropolis plan
Day One: Parkersburg to Cincinnati camp base
Mileage and drive time: About 180 miles, plan on 3.5 to 4 hours of driving.
Route notes: Observe U.S. 50 west out of Parkersburg and settle right into a curvier, hillier drive throughout southern Ohio. Count on frequent pace adjustments by means of small cities and some slower sections the place passing is restricted.
Morning stops: Begin with a fast riverfront stroll in Parkersburg, then seize breakfast in Athens, Ohio. If you need a brief leg-stretcher earlier than lunch, detour a couple of minutes to Strouds Run State Park for a simple loop close to Dow Lake.
Afternoon stops: Purpose for Chillicothe for an early lunch and a low-effort historical past cease, then proceed towards Cincinnati. If in case you have additional time, contemplate a quick detour to see the well-known Serpent Mound earthwork, however deal with it as a real add-on as a result of it is going to shift your arrival time at camp.
In a single day: Arrange at a campground east of the town so you’ll be able to keep away from downtown site visitors on the finish of the day. East Fork State Park Campground is a stable choice for tents and RVs and provides you a calmer night close to the lake.
Meals and resupply: Refill in Athens or Chillicothe if you need groceries at camp, then plan on dinner within the Cincinnati suburbs, the place choices and hours are dependable.
Day Two: Cincinnati to St. Louis by backroads
Mileage and drive time: About 340 miles, plan on 5.5 to six.5 hours of driving.
Route notes: U.S. 50 continues by means of Indiana and Illinois with lengthy, regular farm-country miles. It’s a better driving day than Day One, however it might really feel sluggish for those who hit faculty zones and city stoplights on the incorrect time. Go away early to maintain your afternoon versatile.
Morning stops: Begin with a fast breakfast and low on the town, then search for a path hour at Versailles State Park. Even a brief stroll close to the lake helps break up the lengthy drive, and the campground space is an efficient place to reset earlier than heading west.
Afternoon stops: Plan an extended midpoint cease in Vincennes, Indiana, for a quick downtown wander and a historical past break, then proceed towards the St. Louis space. As you close to the Mississippi, site visitors thickens, and lane adjustments develop into extra frequent, particularly throughout weekday rush hours.
In a single day: Camp west of St. Louis so you’re arrange for a better departure tomorrow. Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park is a sensible base with wooded campsites and fast entry again to the freeway hall.
Meals and gas: Gasoline is straightforward to search out all day, however late-night choices skinny out in rural Illinois. Choose up dinner provides earlier than you cross into the St. Louis suburbs if you need a easy camp meal.
Day Three: St. Louis to Kansas Metropolis with a state park end
Mileage and drive time: About 260 miles, plan on 4 to 4.5 hours of driving.
Route notes: As we speak is your Missouri day, with a sooner rhythm on the freeway community and extra site visitors as you strategy Kansas Metropolis. If you need essentially the most constant tempo, use the metro bypass routes round St. Louis, then select between staying aligned with U.S. 50 for smaller cities or utilizing the sooner interstate hall to avoid wasting time.
Morning stops: If you need a fast metropolis cease with out committing your entire day, go to the grounds and museum space on the Gateway Arch early, then roll out earlier than parking will get tense. After you clear the metro, cease in Jefferson Metropolis for a stroll close to the Missouri State Capitol and a riverside break.
Afternoon stops: Break up the final miles with lunch in Sedalia or Warrensburg, then end the section with a simple camp setup close to Kansas Metropolis. Knob Noster State Park is shut sufficient to make a low-stress arrival, particularly if you need a quieter night time earlier than exploring the town.
In a single day: Camp at Knob Noster State Park Campground, or for those who favor to be nearer to Kansas Metropolis eating and museums, use Watkins Mill State Park as a last-night base.
When you favor one thing extra private and rural, Inexperienced Acres at Crimson Brick Farmhouse affords a quieter farm-style keep in central Missouri. Set on personal land with open skies and a slower tempo, it feels extra like staying with pals within the countryside than pulling into a big state park. It really works particularly effectively if you need area to unwind earlier than ending the drive into Kansas Metropolis.
Meals and resupply: Jefferson Metropolis and Sedalia are reliable for groceries and gas. Kansas Metropolis is the place to rejoice, however plan reservation instances round site visitors if you’re arriving within the night.
Campgrounds alongside the Parkersburg Kansas Metropolis route
North Bend State Park Campground sits northeast of Parkersburg and works effectively if you wish to begin this section with a quiet night time within the woods. Reviewers on The Dyrt usually point out the shaded websites and a calmer setting that also feels near city.
Hocking Hills State Park Campground is a robust early-segment cease if you need waterfalls, caves, and traditional Ohio climbing with out a sophisticated detour. It’s usually a 4-star-plus favourite on The Dyrt, with a mixture of family-friendly loops and easy accessibility to trailheads.
East Fork State Park Campground, east of Cincinnati, provides you lake time and a quieter camp really feel whereas nonetheless holding metropolis errands easy. Many campers prefer it as a sensible base for an evening as a result of it balances nature with comfort.
Versailles State Park Campground is an efficient reset level on the Indiana portion of U.S. 50, particularly if you need a fast hike earlier than an extended driving push. The campground setup works for tents and RVs, and it’s a stable alternative once you desire a state park night time.
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Space close to Carlyle Lake is a brilliant Illinois choice once you need water views and wide-open campsites that really feel like a change of surroundings from the street. It tends to attract robust evaluations on The Dyrt for its lake entry and straightforward tenting logistics.
Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park Campground is a wooded base close to the St. Louis space that is smart for vacationers who desire a camp night time with out a lengthy detour. It’s a handy place to relaxation, prepare dinner an actual meal, and keep away from the town middle.
Knob Noster State Park Campground is the overview campground for this section and a pure ending level earlier than Kansas Metropolis. Count on a traditional Missouri state park setup with a peaceful ambiance, and plan forward on widespread weekends when websites fill shortly.
Watkins Mill State Park Campground sits north of Kansas Metropolis and pairs effectively with a last day of museums and meals on the town. The setting is quieter than staying within the metropolis, and it’s a good match if you need yet one more night time of bushes earlier than the following section.
Prime stops and issues to do
Pure highlights close to the route
Hocking Hills is the headline for brief hikes, with traditional routes round Previous Man’s Cave, Cedar Falls, and Ash Cave. When you solely have time for one, choose a single space and do a 1 to 2 mile loop so you’ll be able to nonetheless preserve your driving day on monitor.
Cultural and historic websites
In Parkersburg, Blennerhassett Island Historic State Park is a simple approach to begin the section with native historical past and river views. Farther west, search for fast museum-style stops in Cincinnati, Vincennes, and St. Louis, particularly if rain strikes in and also you need an indoor break.
Outside recreation that matches a street journey
East Fork Lake close to Cincinnati is an easy choice for fishing, paddling, and a low-key night stroll. In Missouri, you’ll be able to add a brief bike journey or riverside stroll close to Jefferson Metropolis with out committing to an all-day detour.
Distinctive stops value parking for
When you get pleasure from quirky, fast pulls, Serpent Mound in Ohio is a memorable cease that doesn’t require an extended hike. In Kansas Metropolis, construct in time for barbecue and one main museum so your arrival looks like a reward, not only a end line.
Journey ideas for this street journey section
Plan your metropolis timing. Cincinnati and St. Louis can add actual minutes with rush-hour slowdowns and building, so attempt to cross by means of mid-morning or early afternoon. Fog is widespread in river valleys, particularly close to the Ohio River and on humid summer time mornings, and winter ice can linger in shady hill sections even when highways look clear elsewhere. Gasoline protection is mostly good, however companies skinny out late at night time in rural Indiana and Illinois, so high off earlier than dinner if you’re rolling into camp after darkish. When you depend on cell service for navigation, obtain offline maps earlier than leaving Parkersburg, then refresh them in bigger cities like Cincinnati and St. Louis.
For official path updates and seasonal alerts in Ohio’s high climbing space, test the Hocking Hills park web page earlier than you arrive: Hocking Hills State Park data.
Different segments and planning assets
This Parkersburg to Kansas Metropolis route is one section of the total cross-country drive on The Loneliest Street. If you’re stitching collectively all the journey, begin with our Loneliest Street street journey information, then pair it with our different section articles to construct a full plan that matches your tempo. For campground availability, maps, and offline-friendly journey planning, contemplate The Dyrt PRO. For accountable tenting journey practices, the Go away No Hint Heart for Outside Ethics is a stable refresher earlier than you hit the street.
The Dyrt is the one tenting app with all of the private and non-private campgrounds, RV parks, and free tenting places in the US. Obtain now for iOS and Android.
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