Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park

Park Information

Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park features remnants of the Missouria Indian village that sat at the Great Bend of the Missouri River, marked on a map by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673. A hand-dug earthwork -- Old Fort -- and several burial mounds lie within the park’s boundaries. The state’s American Indian history is interpreted in displays and exhibits at the park’s Missouri’s American Indian Cultural Center. For outdoor enthusiasts, the park features hiking trails and an 18-acre fishing lake. Trails lead visitors through the Oumessourit Natural Area with views of the freshwater marsh and through bottomland and upland forests. The park’s lofty trees shade picnic sites, picnic shelters and a campground.

Park Hours

For temporary closures related to weather, stewardship activities and maintenance, as well as temporary trail closures, click here to visit our Park and Site Status Map.


On the following days (actual or observed), staff will not be available and park buildings will be closed: Thanksgiving Day; Nov. 29, 2024; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve; New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; and Presidents Day. 

Park Grounds

  • 8 a.m. to sunset, daily
Lake Woolridge Road
  • November through March
    The road to Lake Wooldridge is closed.

Park Office hours

Please note that there will be times when the office is temporarily closed while staff are working on the grounds. The office telephone is monitored for messages during office hours.

April through September (on-season)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday and Thursday through Saturday

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

October through March (off-season)

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday and Thursday through Saturday

Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Missouri's American Indian Cultural Center hours

April through September (on-season)

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday through Monday

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

October through March (off-season)

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday

Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday

Closed Monday through Friday (except holiday Mondays)