The Ozarks are Rolla's backyard and the best day trips take you into the hills and rivers surrounding the city. The Current River — one of Missouri's finest float streams — is about 60 miles south, accessible from Akers Ferry or Pulltite campground within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Float trips on spring-fed rivers are the defining Ozark experience: clear, cold water and steep wooded bluffs.
Meramec State Park, 30 miles northeast on the Meramec River, has caves open for tours (Fisher Cave) and is a popular float river. The town of St. James, 10 miles east on I-44, has several winery tasting rooms in Missouri's wine country. The Dillard Mill State Historic Site, about 35 miles south, preserves a well-restored nineteenth-century gristmill on the Huzzah Creek.