Lake Wappapello State Park in southeastern Missouri occupies 1,854 acres along the shore of Lake Wappapello, combining waterfront and land-based recreation. Centered on a reservoir created in 1938 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the St. Francis River for flood control, the area later took shape as a state park when Missouri began leasing shoreline land in 1956. It offers swimming, fishing, boating, two campgrounds, and trails used by hikers, bikers, backpackers, and equestrians. Its importance rests in how a flood-control project also became a long-standing public outdoor destination.