I've been going to One Eyed Willy's for years now. I've been on a 10-15 person bachelorette party…read moretrip, two 30+ person college student/young adult trip, as well as a one-day non-camping float with my husband and I. My most recent was one of those giant group trips this past weekend. I've also floated at NRO and some crappy site around Steelville (Green's maybe?). There's definitely a reason we keep going back to OEW's and will continue to do so. First of all, Brian, the owner, is a super nice guy. We hadn't made it down there in about 3 years, and he still remembered me "Last time I saw you, you just got engaged!". Though not great at answering e-mails (just don't bother), the staff is quick to return phone calls if you leave a voicemail. The campsite itself has a nice layout, and they keep improving. Port-o-potties are serviced often, and they have a small shower, bathroom, and store close to the campsite (previously they were only available way up the hill, so thumbs up on the improvement!). The showers and bathrooms were clean and well lit, unlike some other places I've been. By the time we booked, the aluminum canoes were all gone, which is usually how we go, because they're cheaper. Now, no longer being the broke college student, I will ALWAYS pay the measly $5 extra for the fiberglass canoes. Molded seats...worth every penny. Remember that. In general, the Niangua is a great river to float on. Decent current, good sand bars, and nice cold water! And if you're going to float the Niangua, go to One Eyed Willy's!

I've stayed at one eyed willy's a few times. It's a clean campground with adorable cabins! The…read morecabins are kept clean and the staff there are very hard working and very friendly! The owner of the campground goes out of his way to make sure you have what you need. The little shop at the entrance has a lot of cute decor and clothing. I will definitely take my family there again!

My first time camping, and I could not have asked for a better camping/kayaking experience! Thank…read moreyou RFC&C for a wonderful time! To ensure we have a campsite site and kayak during Labor Day weekend, we made reservation online. Each person is charged $10 a night. And Kayaking is $20 per person. There is also a small processing fees. So 2 nights of camping & 1 kayak came roughly to $92. I am not sure if the price is varies on the time of the season. Check in was super easy. When you pull into the camping site, there is a friendly elder gentleman who will guide you to office to check in. At check in, you will pick up your car pass and pool wristband. Yes! They have a clean pool and open bar!!! Less than 5 minutes of check in, then you are off to picking your campsite. Campsite is very clean and spacious. My favorite part is that they have clean restroom and shower room! I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to shower after all day in the sun and in river water. One of the cleanest shared shower I've ever been to. And they have flushing toilets!!!! They also have portable Johnny's throughout the campsite so you don't do your business in the trees or bushes. I am looking forward to our next trip.

This would have been our 6th year here for our annual girls float trip. Two of the past three years…read moreour reservations have been screwed up royally. In 2024, we reserved early, which we do every year and is a benefit to being returning customers. Never had an issue doing this in the past. Nobody ever bothered to call and tell us the card was declined and we needed to call them back to ensure our reservations. A week before our scheduled trip I called them to verify because we usually get an email welcoming us to our upcoming stay. That email never came. When I called to verify everything, they had no reservation on file at all. Here we are, a week before we have people coming from as far as Texas for a 3-day float, with no reservation. We were told they emailed us to let us know that the card was declined. No email was ever sent, and even if it was, why wouldn't you call your customer? As luck would have it, nobody had reserved our usual cabin, and we were able to still make our trip on the planned weekend. This year, we again did the early reservation. I can't even remember why I called them a couple of months later; I had a question about something and was told that the dates I was inquiring about were not the dates of the reservation. Excuse me? We have 11 people coming, some of which have already made flight plans. This time, our usual cabin was already booked. Now we have to change cabins. Every year we have been coming here, we arrive on a Sunday and leave on a Wednesday. Three nights, every year for 6 years. So when we had to change cabins nothing was said about the new cabin only being available for 2 nights. We were supposed to be there a week from today and again, I had not received the welcome email. Concerned because we had issues with this original booking, I again called to confirm. She confirmed arriving on July 5th and departing on July 7th. I was floored. No, arriving on the 5th, departing on the 8th. They had booked the Tuesday night, and this cabin was not available for our 3rd night. Now I'm absolutely livid by this point. For the second time this year I go into panic mode. What am I supposed to tell the rest of the group? My wife walked into the room and heard the tail end of the conversation, and I looked at her and asked, what do we want to do, cancel and find another location? The manager, whom I was on the phone with literally yelled at me and said, "Yes, we need to cancel this reservation. That is fine with me." I said hold up a minute; I did not tell you I wanted to cancel. Immediately started yelling again that I had just told her that. I said no, I was asking my wife what we should do. I stated I needed to check with the rest of the group who had already paid their portions of this trip. I told her I would call her back. I was certain with such short notice we would not find another place to book a reservation, but at the same time, I knew if we continued with our two-night stay with Riverfront, that we would be treated unkindly seeing how I was being yelled at by the manager. Fortunately for us, Riverwood, located nearby had an opening. The only thing they had available was going to be $450 per night. A 4-bedroom, 2 bath, beautiful cabin. Unfortunately, this was three times what we had paid at Riverfront. The owner made us an incredible deal giving us almost $900 off the price for us to stay there. I was so relieved to know that I would not have to disappoint our group by cancelling the entire trip. Then I go to call Riverfront back to cancel the reservation (the manager is the one who wanted to immediately cancel us not even 30 minutes prior, to find they were only willing to refund us half of our money. You just offered to cancel us 30min prior and are now only willing to refund half? What a crock of #$*#. Needless to say, they have lost our business for good, and we will now only be staying at Riverwood. The interesting thing was when I am speaking with the owners of Riverwood and told them the story, they stated this wasn't the first time they took an emergency reservation because Riverfront had screwed up. This was a long review, but beware, as a previous review mentioned, they will offer to refund and then only give you 50% back. Theft in my opinion.

Came here for a mid-week float trip. Very quiet & well kept resort, everything extremely clean. We…read morestayed in a cabin, which had everything you need to cook nice meals, freshly washed linens & extra blankets. Beds are full size cots, which are uncomfortable but is in line with the camping experience. Went on the 6 mile float trip, our first time doing a canoe & taking our dog. Very relaxing river, only had 1 dicey moment with some tree branches. Saw bald eagle nests, & a bald eagle fishing in the river right in front of us. Met great people on our trip, great convos. We had lunch on a rocky beach. The beavers running around the property were funny to watch. Had a great time, very relaxing. Highly recommend, would come back.

Beautiful, clean resort! Got here on a Tuesday Very quiet…read moreand peaceful. Had the pool to ourselves. Super friendly staff. The place is very well maintained. Fire pit, grill and pic nic table at each site. Bugs are minimal. Lots of big shade trees. I've never seen a prettier, cleaner shower house (although small). That's okay. I'm not looking for a crowd

Very beautiful campground but everyone around us was smoking Mary Jane's and I had my 14 year old…read moreniece with us and we couldn't enjoy outside at all. Partly our fault because we didn't realize that it was not allowed and we should've called it in. So if it really bothers you, definitely call it in. I don't care what people do in their private residences, but I don't want it around my niece and as we packed up in the morning, my trailer reeked of it. The bar and grill was closed too even though it says it's open so that was very disappointing. We were only there to spend the night, not really on vacation, but I would definitely go back if I was on vacation.

Pulled in and got to choose our spot. It's really nice that they've got short term and long term…read moreseparated without issues of short term noise through Labor Day weekend. They even had a Food Truck out serving Funnel Cakes, Fried Oreo's, and Lemonade. I noticed they started up their Gem Mining thing for the kiddo's too! It was nice seeing the camp grounds full of families having a lot of fun Labor Day weekend without incidence. Beautifully updated shower house and laundry room. The shallow side of the pool is roped off from the 7ft side. There's a recreational room, bike track, swings in the trees, fire pits on each lot, tether ball's, multiple play grounds.

Campground was nice :-) but I will mention two things... our trashcan was full when we got there,…read morethe owners might wanna double check trash cans before people arrive :-) and we requested a shower key when we got there and were told that there weren't any available at that time?? Everyone there should have access to a shower key? Other than that again nice campground :-)

Review Summary: This place needs to be shut down! Read if you want but it's long…read more.. Maybe I'm just new to the MO camping experience but this is unlike any campground I've ever been to. This is basically just a place for professional hippies to hang out at all summer and fund their hippie lifestyle by renting out canoes and cabins - they don't care if customers are satisfied as long as they have SOME money coming in. Now I have to say I don't have a problem w/ hippies. I am from Austin but this was a whole new level. We get there around 2:30 to check in and the office is locked w/ a sign that says back at 12:00. (Hippies don't believe in wearing watches.) Then the couple helping didn't seem to realize that anyone was even staying that night even though I made the reservations 2 months prior. We had to wait an hour for our cabin to be cleaned and actually get into it. We got into our cabin and it still wasn't very clean - the guy could have swept the floor. And for $70 a night you'd think there would be a small kitchenette. There was certainly room for one. We asked about WiFi because I (stupidly) didn't make sure my Spotify music was in offline mode and one girl (the nicest one from NY) said the password was $2.00 so when we came back later another guy was like "here is it..." with out charging and while I was circling the building trying to get my signal back another creepy girl was like "there's no phone service and we can't give out the WiFi since we have 5 other computers - it would be too slow." Really? I didn't think true hippies believed in technology?! Actually, she said "there's no service" in a "no one will hear your cries when we eat you tonight!" tone. Clearly these people aren't clear on the rules of the camp. Then for our float we had to wait 1.5 hours after the shuttle time and as we were waiting on one bus the crowd was crazy. I don't mean college-kid, drunk and silly crazy. I mean, are you sure your trailer isn't in flames right now from all that meth you've been making in there?? OMG I've never been so out of place in my life. One guy, missing most of his teeth [whatever was left was black], decided somewhere along the way that women would actually show him their tatas for Jello shots. "Um...you're gonna have to fork over a LOT more than that dude!" I JUMPED off when a guy came on and said there was a kid bus! Our neighbors were pretty cool and we talked about it later that night about how they should have bailed also. Did I mention the park brake on the bus didn't work so they used a heavy wooden block to keep the bus in park?! That HAS to be illegal. The one good thing was our cabin was far from everything else (including the river - no bueno) so things weren't so bad when it was just us but dealing with these people and the majority of the other floaters was just a nightmare.

We did a family mini vacation, 14 of us. We got cabin 9 cus it sleeps 18. The cabin was beautiful,…read morethe outside are and covered porch was great. It rained the whole time we were there so we spent a lot of time on the porch. I loved that there's NO internet/wifi! That meant a lot of talking and playing pong and cards. It was wonderful to just connect personally! The river was fun other than the rain making a few of us very cold. Now a few suggestions. The cabin needs more items stocked. Like.... Toilet paper and trash bags. We had to call and ask for some. Maybe a pizza cutter, the knives provided were very dull. And I thought maybe there'd be a washer and dryer available, nope! I highly suggest taking the back bedroom (by the side door) out of there and putting a washer and dryer there. All our clothes were soaked all wknd cus of the rain. Thanks NRO for a fun family weekend !

Tried to charge me the same price ($60) for transporting my personal canoe and myself/wife as they…read morewould as if I was renting a canoe from them. Their own website clearly states the proper charge for this service is $40. The NRO website advertises the Bennett to Rendezvous Point float as an 11 mile float. My GPS put it at 9.65 miles. Less time on the river than we expected based on actual mileage. The staff on the river, those getting getting to and from the office/river, were great.

We had a great time at NRO. We saw hummingbirds on the porch by check-in. We liked that we got two…read morenights free primitive camping with purchase of a float. We stayed Saturday and Sunday night over Memorial Day weekend. We had great weather. We also were able to bring our dog and he did great floating. Our two year old loved it, as well. Our raft was great. We liked that we could purchase fire wood at the shop. I gave four stars rather than five because there could be room for improvement. The campsite picnic table was a little old and flimsy, so basically we used it to set things on but sat on our lawn chairs instead. Not the campsite's fault but there was a very noisy motorcycle that drove through the campsite at 4am waking everybody up. Also, we knew ahead of time it was party central in campground A so we knew what to expect and stayed away. We found a nice spot away from the partying. Just be prepared to see a little craziness floating. Overall, we had a good experience. My son liked riding the busses to and from floating!

Niangua River Oasis is one of the closer float trip options for anyone living in Kansas City. It's…read morea little bit of a drive to get to, but this is a place where I've had a lot of fun. Beware of the turn off from MO 64 and the gravel road you have to take to get to it as traffic can be fast and people drive crazy. It's pretty well signed so you won't have much trouble finding it. Also there is a VERY STEEP hill that you have to go down to get to the office and the riverfront. Very Important Note: GLASS is BANNED by Missouri State Law on the River. (Not the capmground though.) Plan Accordingly. Float Trips: NRO has several options of canoes / rafts to choose from. Classic Aluminum Grumman / Osagian canoes, 4 and 6 person rafts, kayaks (which are a blast), and yes they offer private shuttles if you have your own canoe or kayak. NRO used to offer 3 different float lengths but they have stopped offering the float that puts in above Bennett Springs. They now offer just two floats, NRO to Rendezvous Point which takes about 4 hours, and NRO to Oldham's Riverview which is pretty much an all day float. The longer float has less rapids and more deep pool areas if you want to spend a little more time just letting the current carry you. The NRO to Rendezvous Point float has rapids, deep pools, and is not the same from year to year as the river changes it's course in some spots. Pickup after your float is usually prompt, and you ride back in big yellow former school buses that will make some of you glad you're not in school anymore! Camping: Yes they offer nice but expensive cabins. I've tried them, it's not for me. The fun is in the campgrounds. A CAUTION for parents: The campgrounds especially on the weekend often turns into a big party atmosphere. It can be a problem if you want the kids to sleep. If you want a quiet camping experience especially on weekends you might want to look elsewhere. Showers: The showers aren't bad, the hot water keeps up with demand. The problem is they don't always have enough shower stalls to meet the demand so sometimes you have to wait. Camp Store / Office: They have basics, a few odds and end fishing and expensive camping supplies, ice, and firewood. Service can range from friendly to surly. Don't be an idiot, you won't get treated like one. Law Enforcement: The Dallas County Sheriff, MO Highway Patrol and MO Water Patrol, along with Conservation Agents patrol NRO's campgrounds. They have set up checkpoints on the water to look for underage drinking or other indulgences. They operate "waterjet boats", give them 2 inches of water and they can travel upstream without fuss. For the most part they won't give you trouble, but there have been occasions where they have a seriously bad attitude. If you encounter this make sure and contact the appropriate agency and complain when you get home. Summary: $40 will get you a wonderful day on the water that you will enjoy. Don't forget the sunscreen, that Ozarks sun will sneak up on you after spending 4 hours on the water. A sunburn while riding in a bouncy school bus heading back to camp is no fun!.

The campground itself was nice... we had a site right on the river. But that is where the positive…read moreaspects stopped. To start we were told we could sign in at any point during the day on Saturday (Labor Day weekend) but they were not at the office from 10-6 so we had no idea what campsite we were supposed to be on. We ended up having to flag down a bus driver to help us. The modern showerhouse was filthy and gross. The staff was not very friendly and made me think they were trying to screw us on prices for everything since they almost wanted to haggle. Don't let them fool you by telling you they can set up a float to fit your needs... there is only one float and it is 9 miles long. That can make for a very long day. The campground is secluded all right, it is 7 miles down a dirt road off the main highway. There are plenty of other places that are MUCH better and MUCH closer and nicer than this place.

Wow it has been a decade since I went back to Bennett spring state park. This place looks the same…read moreoverall, which is good. Who doesn't want fresh air and a break from the hustle and bustle of the major city. This place has great fishing. You can see plenty of people trout fishing and all the trouts swimming in the clear water. Nature at its finest. If you are ever near Lebanon Mo, I definitely recommend to visit this great place if you are a nature lover.

Do not come here for tent camping. These campgrounds are not hospitable for tent stakes. We bent 5…read morestakes and spent two hours trying to find a spot that would work at our sight (310). The ground is full of rocks and gravel. We saw some people that were able to pitch their tents, but they were few and far between. I'd say it was 95% RVs, 5% tents. Additionally, come to find out that our sight was right under electrical lines, which is not safe to sleep under, and on a curve with no barrier protection. So your choices are sleep under the lines or worry that an irresponsible driver is going to run you over. We talked to the supervisor on duty who gave us the option to switch to a different sight that they keep open for these situations or get a refund on one of the two days we reserved (there were no other sights available here or any other local campgrounds). Checking out the alternative sight, we found that is was basically all gravel with a small patch covered in leaves. Who knows what was under them but it wouldn't have been big enough for our tent. We sat for a moment to decide what we wanted to do and a woman in an RV next to us came over and we find out her friend had reserved the sight but couldn't make it so she cancelled. So the sup fibbed in telling us they keep one sight open. In the end, we had to turn around and drive the 3.5 hours home. They need to update their site to advise if a sight is not pitch-able for tent camping. Oh also, there were way too many people fishing. Apparently this place is crazy popular and there's a fisherman every 5 ft or so. Does not make for a good time.