Mark Twain State Park takes its name from the famous Missouri author-humorist whose real name was Samuel L. Clemens.  Established in the 1920s through the efforts of the Mark Twain Memorial Park Association, it was transferred to the state in 1924 and is the third oldest state park in Missouri.

From Paris, Mark Twain State Park is located near Florida, MO, 13 miles east on Hwy.154, 3 miles north on Hwy. 107, and 1 mile east on County Road U.

Mark Twain State Park overlooks the 18,600-acre Mark Twain Lake.  Although the park is located in the Salt River Hills north of the Missouri River, an area carved through the glaciated plains in northeast Missouri, the area contains many plants characteristic of the southern Ozark Region.  The 2,775-acre park features camping, a group camp and picnicking, and the lake offers boating, swimming, and fishing.