You have the weekend free, just one tank of $4-per-gallon gasoline to burn and a desire to camp that burns even hotter.

Take heart, because there are a number of places to camp within an hour or so of your own back yard.

Missouri’s state parks provide a rustic getaway for tent campers and RV campers alike. They also provide an affordable way to get away from the pressures of the week.

“A lot of people don’t realize what they have in their own state,” said Sue Holst, spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the agency that oversees the state park system through its Division of Parks.

Holst said the agency has been trying to stress in its information that camping in any of 39 state parks and historic sites amounts to an affordable vacation.

A half dozen state parks are within about an hour of St. Joseph, all of which offer camping and allow reservations.

The closest is Lewis & Clark State Park, nestled along one of the many Missouri River oxbow lakes. The park, located south of Rushville, is among the quieter and more peaceful in the state park system. That makes it a favorite among many local residents, including campground hosts Nick and Linda Collier, who also call St. Joseph home.

“They just leave their RV here; fortunately, they really enjoy staying here,” said Supt. Jim Brigman.

That park offers 70 basic and electric spots, while just down the road at Weston Bend State Park, 37 more campsites are available. Weston Bend is among the newer parks in the state’s system, the 1,133 acres having been acquired in 1980.

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park, located near Lawson, offers a peek into history as well as 96 well-appointed campsites.

During summer months, the site’s Living History Farm Program offers visitors the chance to watch an 1870s family live, work and play.

Tours are given of the Waltus Watkins home and Watkins Woolen Mill. The mill is a National Historic Landmark and is the only 19th century textile mill in the county with its original machinery still intact. A 3.75-mile paved bicycle trail is also available around Williams Creek Lake.

The feature attraction at Wallace State Park, just south of Cameron, is peace and quiet. Located amid the rolling farmland of Northwest Missouri, this 502-acre, wooded park offers recreation and relaxation — as well as 88 campsites divided into four separate campground areas.

Crowder State Park, located just west of Trenton, is designated as a Northeast Region park, but remains a relatively easy drive from St. Joseph. Crowder Lake, located in the center of the 1,912-acre park, provides swimming, boating and fishing opportunities to those who want to hang their hats — if only for a few days — in one of the 42 campsites.

Big Lake State Park, located near Craig, is another of the state’s parks located along an oxbow lake. This park is nestled alongside a thriving village that has kept Big Lake from enduring the same fate as many of Missouri’s shrinking oxbows.

“We’re the best-kept secret in Northwest Missouri,” one park employee boasted.

She may be right. While many parks might offer a camp store or a few cabins. Others might not have those, in favor of a restaurant or swimming pool.

Big Lake State Park has it all, plus more, on a 407-acre site that features 76 campsites.

A major facelift of the lodge was completed in April, with meals again being served to hungry diners. New docks are now in place, the the convenience store does a brisk business. Those who can’t seem to shake the bonds of civilization can even visit the Internet cafe, which makes Big Lake one of just three in the state park system with WiFi connectivity.

While it’s not part of the state park system, Mozingo Lake Park gives campers top-notch amenities near Maryville, Mo. The park sprung up around Monzingo Lake, the city’s watershed reservoir project begun in 1994, and includes 70 spacious, hard-surfaced RV pads overlooking the lake. Like most of the state parks, a modern bathhouse and laundry facilities are conveniently located at the campground. Trailer dump stations are located near the bathhouse, and primitive tent camping is available.