Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest F or years, Rural Missouri readers have shown and told us how much they love Missouri State Parks by entering the Missouri Snapshots Photo Contest. And what's not to love? You can take your bike out on the Katy Trail for either a leisurely afternoon ride to the next trailhead or test your endurance and take on the entire 240-mile trail over a couple of days. Outdoors lovers can brave whatever Mother Nature throws them on March 1 at Bennett Spring for opening day of trout season. And anyone looking to spend the night can choose to sleep under the stars or inside one of the beautiful cabins at Echo Bluff. The entire system is widely regarded as one of the finest in the United States. And best of all, there are no admission fees to any park in the system thanks to their funding through half of the one-tenth-of-one-percent parks, soils and water sales tax. And Missourians sure do take advantage of all the parks have to offer, with more than 21 million visitors in 2018. Missouri State Parks and Rural Missouri joined forces for the ninth consecutive year to bring the Editors' Choice Our staff selected this image of Dillard Mill by Chris Williams for our Editors' Choice award and to grace the cover of this edition. contest to you, our readers. It was another banner year as shutterbugs from across the Show-Me State - and beyond - entered photos that were some of the best the judges had seen in the contest's history. Category staples such as Fun on the Water and Capture the Beauty - traditionally the most entered category - remained popular. The Making Memories category showed off some of the best activities to reflect upon after returning home. The results of the contest can be found on the following pages. Winners of each of the five categories will receive a $500 personalized Missouri State Parks prize package with the second- and third-place finishers being awarded a $100 and $50 gift card respectively. You can learn more about Missouri State Parks online at www.mostateparks.com or by calling 800-3346946. More content inside our digital edition www.ruralmissouri.coophttp://www.mostateparks.com http://www.ruralmissouri.coop