Have been to Ozark Outdoors several times and have always enjoyed ourselves! A few notes: 1. always make reservations ahead of time, they have an online booking system 2. bathrooms and shower houses are VERY clean! bring quarters for the showers 3. Decide if you want to be in the family or late night camping areas....late night campers can stay up very late and get pretty roudy! 4. be ready for crowds! there are 3 major resorts that put in on the river in the same area...that's thousands of floaters! We've always brought our own kayaks for Ozark Outdoors to transport for us! It's worked out very well! We park at the beach, they drive us up the river with our kayaks, and we float back down to the beach! The price is pretty high for this, especially since we are bring our own equipment. read more

Workers not respectful of customers belongings. Went yesterday and did the Hwy 8 float. First on the wfender on the trailer was rubbing the tire so had to wait 20 minutes for someone to bring a sledgehammer to bend it out. Then the worker broke the speed control off my kayak that controls my motor. And told the guy helping him unload it I don't give a F*&$ that guy might give a F*%# but i don't. doubt i will use them for a shuttle again. read more

I had a great time floating! My only critique would be for some way to get service on the river and in more parts of the resort. I read on their site that its a pain point they are still working through. We had a very large group (40 people) go yesterday, and some of us got separated with no means of connecting with one another via wifi or mobile service. I think if walkie-talkie rentals were available, that would be better than nothing. read more

Ozark Outdoors Resort - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Leasburg, Missouri

Decided to visit with family (wife, teenage daughter, and 76 y.o. father) this Saturday afternoon, after completing a peaceful hike at Onandoga S.P., to consider camping later in the week. We politely, respectfully drove into the campground on the MAIN LOOP, around 5-10 mph, and checked the condition of the campsites. We noticed a few other campers present throughout the campground. Our windows were rolled down. Near the primitive campsites, a white vehicle rapidly, aggressively approached us from the left, rear of our car. Horn blaring. RECKLESSLY drove right up onto our rear bumper, then swerved to the left to try to force us over. The man rapidly approached us from his vehicle and accosted us with multiple, rapid fire questions what we were doing and why we were there. WHILE HE WAS AGGRESSIVELY INTERROGATING US, HE WAS CROUCHED FORWARD, POSTURING THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO DRAW ON US. I COULD CLEARLY SEE HIS LEFT HAND ON A FIREARM IN HIS LEFT POCKET - the handle of the firearm was clearly visible. The silhouette of the gun was clearly visible in his left pants pocket. Any reasonably intelligent person would have seen as we drove at a near walking pace on the main loop that we were not there to cause any problems. Any REMOTELY INTELLIGENT person would have instantly realized that we were just a family checking out potential campsites. Any reasonable person would have also considered this RECKLESS ACT OF AGGRESSION as a threat on their family. I was concerned for the safely of my family and myself. An embarrassing act of overreach. The "security guard" identified himself as "Dave." We will NEVER give this place our business again. I will NEVER risk taking my family here again. This place probably does not want your family here either... read more

Courteous and respectful customer service, placing the clients' concerns and needs as their primary focus.

Great gift shop and things always run smoothly. It's a lovely time on the river there too.

We have camped and floated all over Missouri. OOR is definitely around the top of the list. From central MO they are super close. The campgrounds, cabins, and condos are all very clean, manicured, and well kept. During our most recent visit we found the staff friendly, although not very knowledgeable when asked general questions about checking in and the tube loop. Also, the check-in process takes a very long time, especially on Friday evenings, and they did not ask us about anything we had planned for the weekend. So if you reserved a canoe or the tube loop tell them when you check in or else you will have to go back and do it. Which will take a lot of time out of your day. We will definitely go back, but next time we will do things different. read more

This is a great resort for floating or just having fun! The check in process is very easy. The general store has everything you may have forgotten. We have stayed in the big cabin (with 16 people) and in the smaller 4 person cabins. All were clean and exactly as described in the website. The restaurant onsite has a good "bar food" type selection and was pretty quick! Overall would definitely recommend! read more

Very rude outfitters . They do not give any advice on weather and essentially you float at your own risk. We came on a day with an impending storm and had already prepaid for our kayaks. They refused to refund or credit our money and told us they wouldn't advise about the weather or look at forecast. They also said once we were in the water, we had to complete the entire float because they wouldn't come get us, even in a storm. I would NOT recommend this outfit. They do not care about your safety. In addition, they only provide flotation cushions and no lifejackets. read more

Great resort for the river. The staff is very friendly. Been going here for about 6 years now. Won't ever go to somewhere different!!

Took my 11 year old granddaughter & Two on her friends for a few fun filled day in a deluxe Koch Kabin the first week in June We were very respectful of the property & rules. Cleaning up after ourselves, trash taken out after breakfast & dinner. Thorough look around before leaving, we left the place pretty much the same as arrival. 3 weeks later I get a CC charge of $250 for property damage. When I called them, they said the place was trashed, garbage everywhere, including cigarette butts, ashes & the place reeked of smoke. I DON'T SMOKE!! they wouldn't back done...response was "we know you did it whether you are going to admit it or not" Refused to provide proof. I suspect someone entered after we left & had a party. read more

2nd time here and my review holds for both. The grass needed to be mowed, our fire pit was filled with trash. Shower was cold water, but hey they are NOW free. The bar and grill never seems to be open. If you want to purchase ice there is only a large available for $8.00! Place is a joke for the money. read more

When we first looked to see about getting a trip together with family and friends we looked for good weather in late June of 2025, and thus we booked a three night trip with a couple of large rafts for getting family and friends together as both a late 16 birthday celebration a get together of friends and family who move far away and a memorial to one in the family that passed, granted I never new them as I was coming solely as a friend of the one who's birthday we were celebrating, little did we know a few days prior to our trip there was torrential downpour in rivers feeding into the Merrimack River, off of witch this is located, and when we checked in one of the organizers of the event mentioned all the rain, were the front desk mentions that if we wanted to move if the ground was wet we could but assured us that our spot next to the river, granted at the time the river was down at least a 20-25 foot drop off below us, and thus at arriving to our location, granted we were the only ones in the location that weren't packing up as there was a group who was next to us that then left the day we got there. Instead after painstakingly setting everything up as there were five tents and lots of unpacking as we had a total of 13 people over two spots booked for us. After setting up we had a brief period of time to hang out and set up, as we got there on the later end, around 11:00PM in the night we meet the great man that is safety man Dave, into witch after introducing himself asked if we were informed that we went supposed to be in our spot by the lake that we where in, and we obviously said no as the front desk told us it was fine, safety man Dave informed us that we needed to move further inland as for the flooding and being the great man that he is helped us move all five of our tents luggage that had been unpacked a pavilion thingy, I don't really know what to call it, and our many boxes of food and coolers to a couple of spots further inland. Where it took our inter group and safety man Dave until around 1:30 AM to get everything settled in to our new spot. However this was the least of our concerns three the night as we owe many thanks to safety man Dave. It still does not improve. After waking up in the morning, we found the river to be vastly flooded, our inter precious campsite would have been overtaken in a flood, thus why we owe so many thanks to safety man Dave. Thus after everyone woke up to find this more disappointing news came in we would no longer be able to do the one thing that we came here for to float down the river swim fish hang out with every etc. would now longer be possible as the river was too dangerous, witch it obviously was, not really any complaints there, instead we tried to make the most of our time, but as the untied Leroy's we came their for, and having a few kids on the younger side, and with the heat that was supposed to cool down later in the trip, it quickly became miserable. And with the stress of the water still rising and inching ever closer to sweeping are more inland campsite away, and nobody from the company informing anyone of what was going on, instead a couple wen to go back to the front desk to ask about what was going on, and possibly getting our money for not being able to go floating down the river was told that they, in a very rude and disrespectful tone, needed a manager to do anything and there was no manager in at the moment they would call them and see what they could do, thus after coming back and telling us this, we stood it out for a hour or two watching in the heat the river continue to rise ever closer to our campsite and at this point the river was only about 5-10 feet away from our more inland campsite as below us that was supposed to be more campsites became the river. It is important to not that we watch they "rude" lady who told us their was no manager drive whilst ignoring us trying to wave her down and giving us as I would describe it here a dirty look, and continued to drive to check out how much of the campsites were covered but the river. At this point we decided that we could get a better experience at this point in my own back yard, to pack up and leave before we could get trapped buy the roads that were quickly flooding as well as we found out by not the employees but a member of our party that needed to go to the near is Walmart. Thus after yet again taking everything down and packing up and hearing no news about anything besides our fellow campers, started on the road but before leave we stoped by the front office, as we were leaving to not only tell them that we were leaving but also to try and get our rightfully deserved money back as we were only staying one of the three days we paid for and none of the two rafts we paid for and as the total came out to over $300 we wanted our money back, at least the parts we paid for and never used. Talked to a nice young lady at the desk, and upon hearing what we were telling the young lady at the read more

Long post warning! I've debated whether to post anything or not, but I realized we deserved better and others should know. A "heads up" post, if you may. My husband and I bought our first camper in 2017 and began our camping journey. Since he was still working, we stayed closer to our home area. We discovered Ozark Outdoors Resort in Leasburg and made reservations. We fell in love with the place and the owners. Found ourselves rotating solely between this place and another one close by. When covid hit, my husband began working virtual and Ozark had WiFi capability. We were there an incredible amount of time. We told everyone we knew about the resort and recruited numerous new campers to it. We came to love the staff and vice versa. I fed many of the guys when they'd be out maintaining the grounds, and several knew our outdoor fridge was stocked with waters and sodas for them to grab at any time. A few years ago, the owners sold the resort. A sad moment for sure, but we loved the place and continued going. The new manager ran off many long term, loyal campers and we watched the number of empty sites increase every weekend. We hung in there anyway. A new owner took over, along with a new manager. We saw some really positive changes happen. We convinced numerous campers, who had left and refused to camp there anymore, to come back and give it another try. As time went on, the vacancies still increased and it was really sad to see that even holidays and special events couldn't fill the sites anymore. Their biggest events, the Bull Float and Spooktacular, that previously would sell out within what seemed like a few hours, could no longer sell out at all. More and more vacant sites were showing. We would hear the complaints and problems others were experiencing, but we stayed out of it and continued enjoying it. There were many years and times we camped at Ozark for about 12 weeks out of the season and numerous times we were the only campers in the entire place. Not once did we ever cause any problems, nor did we ever receive any feedback of any issues. We had great relationships with all of the workers. This year, our first reservation was for May 1st through the 5th. As the day approached, the rainstorms hit. We called the morning we were to leave and inquired as to the conditions of the resort. We were told it was fine. We arrived, checked in, drove to our site. As we were driving to the section in the back we had reserved, we noticed the entire place was in bad shape from the flooding. Roads and sites were covered in thick sludge-like sand, our site had 5 small hill-like mounds of gravel going across where we would pull in and park, and according to workers at the bathhouse, the restrooms etc were closed due to flooding, along with no WiFi available. We didn't blame them for the flooding, as it was out of their control. But, everyone with reservations that weekend should've been informed and given the choice to still camp in those conditions or receive a credit toward a future date. We were told none of this. We returned to the office to let them know the sites were not ready for campers and we would not be able to stay due to the conditions. We received no refund, nor credits toward future camping. We should've been told the truth when we called that morning, but weren't. Fast forward to today, May 17. Sixteen days later. We got a phone call from Holly, the manager. She informed us that we were banned from the resort permanently. We were dumbfounded. We figured she must've dialed the wrong number. We asked what was going on and she informed us "the decision came from higher up because we've done nothing but complain about something everytime we camp"!! Nothing could be further from the truth and their lying about it was worse than being banned. We wrote reviews on google today after being banned and they replied to them with more lies. We've been nothing but loyal and good patrons for over 8 years and this is the result. I'm not telling anyone to stop camping there. What I am saying though is to be careful. Don't think it can't happen to you. Loyalty and good patronage doesn't pay. Ozark Outdoor Resort and its management has gone downhill the last 3 years and treating customers like this will only hurt their business. They've managed to run off so many campers and it's really sad to see what the original owners put their heart and soul into being destroyed by shabby and dishonest management now. read more

The only Highlight of the trip was John the bus driver, who kept us laughing the entire ride to our drop in, even warning us about his wife sunbathing somewhere on the river and to tell her to go home- lol. BUT... I flew in from Arizona to go here with family. Every time I come to Missouri we go floating, here or at a place similar.The problems started at checkin - they didn't have our groups correct info and the woman helping was a bit spicy with us. The next day the power went out multiple times - which they said the entire county was out - but it wasn't. My family has and was here the year before and the power went out then as well - so if this is a regular occurrence, perhaps the following would be a good suggestion... For a property that is listed at $61M in value (and currently up for sale) you'd think they could afford to install & maintain its own on site generator to provide power to its clients who pay over $100/night for a campsite and nearly three times as much for a cabin. My dog and many others, were in the campers when the power went out, and luckily, I was At my site when the power went out - but a majority of guests were floating or not on site when the power went out, leaving their belongings and pets at risk in the heat. Anyone reading this should dispute the charges with their credit card company for services not rendered - especially if someone in your group suffered heat related illness, including your pets. Obviously this isn't the first rodeo with no electric, and obviously someone isn't making bright business decisions to keep clients/guests happy, healthy and wanting to come back. Also, a supposed road block was also set up outside the camping grounds by local law Enforcement - essentially holding campers hostage if they choose to leave because they could not use the services they paid for, I.e. shower house, power, wifi, use of the mercantile, etc. That alone creates panic, anxiety and this review to be more then a simple "had a great time" Ya'll campers beware, if Pay out the butt, you still Camp at your own risk folks and for the prices at Ozark Outdoors, I'm not willing to take that risk again. read more

We stayed in a Kozy Kabin. It was cute and clean, however, we were not made aware that there would be no kitchenware (cooking or eating utensils, dishes, cups/glasses, dish soap, towels, washcloths). There aren't even cabinets to store these items had we known to bring our own. Management should make it clear on the website and when booking that you need to bring these supplies. (They conveniently have them available for purchase at their store, which seemed like a racket). In addition, the floors looked clean, but after being barefoot for a few minutes, our feet were black on the bottom. The location of the cabin was convenient, but due to the other issues, it was not worth the money. read more

This was my fourth trip to Ozark outdoors. Going alone: My first trip solo for the day kayaking!! Everyone had the same intentions so I never felt alone. Lots of folks from the St Louis area we all had a blast. Kayaking: Nice day! the water was perfect and always the perfect depth. No shallow places. No need to get out and drag the kayak, which I really appreciated... THANK YOU MOTHER NATURE. Camping: I've been camping, tent camping here before with my dog and my Meetup group... So I was very familiar. Want to check in They give you a map and it's easy to find your campsite. I usually bring a broom and trash bags playing the area. Store/Registration: The store pretty much has everything almost like Walmart. Cooking equipment. They deliver meals to your tent or RVs or cabin site Friday and Saturdays if you want the extra charge. Thank you for got anything I'm sure they'll have it at that store which is also the registration. There are eight restrooms near the registration/store. They accept all forms of currency. Handicap accessibility: I don't believe the registration / store is considered handicap accessible because the ramp is at a high angle with gravel. (I could be incorrect). Swimming pool: I've never seen the swimming pool. I'm curious as to where it is. Fun/Relaxation: Yes! Yup! And sooo much fun! Stay hydrated...drinking in the heat...ouch read more

See all

Where to I begin.... If I could give this place zero stars I probably would. We originally chose this place because of the family friendly things it had to offer, however, we were quickly disappointed when the first day we got there and we were told check-in was not allowed until 3pm but all the activities and things to do shut down at 4pm. That immediately made our whole first day there a complete waste. The next major disappointment was when we seen our cabin! We were charged over $400.00 per night for a 300 sq ft cabin. Their website stated that it was a 6 person cabin, although this is a big stretch in our opinion. There were 3 extremely small full size beds that 6 people needed to share, and the eating table only fit a max of 4 people, the kitchen only comes with a fridge and microwave, and the shower is the smallest you can buy. To say that we were less than impressed is an understatement. Motel 6 would have been nicer and more spacious than these cabins! The next disappointment was the tubing portion of the trip. We opted to do the tube loop for our family, which by the way is an extra $30.00 per person on top of the outrageous amount to stay there. Anyways, the tubes themselves were in very poor shape and had visible mold and mildew on the outside. Fast forward to riding the tubes..... there seemed to be lots of confusion on who was going to pick up shuttles of people and bring them back to camp, in fact one time we were forgotten all together and ended having to walk. In a nutshell, I would not recommend this place to anyone! Out of all the places we have traveled and things we have spent our money on over the years, this was by far the biggest waste of time and money. read more

Full service camping and resort on the Meramec river. My only complaint was the bathrooms were so far away, but they were extremely clean so it was worth it. They all had vents blowing ac into them too so you didn't sweat to death while doing your business. I didn't see one spider or other creepy crawly in there. The showers cost 50¢ for 5 minutes, but found out that some "5 minutes" were different depending on the shower. Make sure to bring in extra quarters just in case. They have a ropes course on the property and "canoehenge" which is fun to walk around. They have 2 beaches on the river to splash around, and also a pool. The mercantile has everything you could want or need while you're there, except beer, but a 15 minute drive into town will solve that problem. We all enjoyed our stay at Ozark Outdoors resort and can't wait to go back! read more

See all

Let me start off by saying, this was not our first time camping and floating at Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort. However, it was one of the worst experiences we have had. There were multiple factors that made this trip extremely stressful. First, our raft was half way deflated by the time our float was over. We made it work but it was hard. We then realized there were patches all over the raft from being used so much. I understand saving money but why put floaters on a raft that will not last at least 5 hours? This is just the beginning of our horrible experience. Later Saturday evening, around midnight, I noticed our light was on in our SUV. I got up from my chair to go check it out. As I walked around the corner, there was a man in the passenger seat projectile puking on the dashboard. As I walked up to the man, I noticed he was wearing an Ozark Outdoors work shirt, which means he is an employee. Clearly, he was intoxicated and out of it but how and why, were you in our personal vehicle puking? To make matters worse, the worker is 15 years old!!! We involved the owners of the camp and made them aware of what had happened. As much as we appreciated the apologies, we were only comped for 2 of the 4 women we were with. With this horrible and disgusting incident, you would think we would get comped for everything. Also, we did not even get the chance to explain how our raft was deflated because the front desk did not bother to ask if there was anything else they could help with. We were so stressed out, we did not want to make an issue. As a major business, I am baffled they did not make sure everything was taken care of. Especially since their employee whom I'm assuming was on the clock, was only 15 years old and intoxicated, breaking an entering into our vehicle and then had the audacity to act like he did nothing. Needless to say, our experience was not the best. Everything that happened was uncalled for and extremely unprofessional. I wish we all had a better experience but crap happens. Unfortunately, the situation was handled poorly by the resort and I personally think we all were in a calm state of mind after these horrible incidents. I just wish the staff would have cared more to make our horrible experience better. Also-- we could have easily involved law enforcement for the underage employee being intoxicated in our vehicle but we chose not too. read more

Ozark Outdoors Resort - Our raft after our float - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Leasburg, Missouri

So we used to love this place and had been MANY times and all the people were very nice, chill, understanding. But since it has switched owners, we will not be back. In particular Ron and Ray were rude to us for no reason and threatened to come mess with our campsite when we asked them not to touch our things!!! Talk about rude, there were also insults from one of them without provocation. No one from our group will ever return. I suggest the Huzzah read more

It was nice prices were kinda wild but we had a blast. We had two hotel rooms and a cabin. They were clean nice stayed cool on temp. Just a bunch of flies read more

Stayed in the campground. The Bad: PAY SHOWERS, campground was only half full and there were LINES for the toilets and showers, they need more facilities, the sinks for shaving etc are outside with people walking past you, this place is so huge that some of the campsites are literally 1/4 mile from the nearest shower house, no cell service and they charge $10 a day per device for wifi, they mulch the trees wrong. The Good: campsites are more spread out than most campgrounds, they have a section were groups of sites are arranged in a square so you can camp with friends creating a group area, lots and lots of trees, you can take your dog into the river, big camp store with lots of selection, the guy who ran the ropes course was super nice. read more

Great place to get away and unwind. We stayed in the smaller cabin and very much enjoyed the AC. The float trip was amazing and our dog loved playing in the water. Highly recommend! read more

Ozark Outdoors Resort - Sweet Poppy tired after floating all day. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Leasburg, Missouri

I'll be honest the campground is nice. The problem is the staff doesn't wanna deal with people they are rude and it takes forever to get an answer. I assume they deal with a lot of jerks but we aren't all that way. The confusion of the float times and trips is kind of a joke the bus to take you to the float was super unorganized. We probably Won't ever come back. read more

I normally visit Ozark Outdoors with a large group of guys every year, but this year was the trip to remember. I'll first start off by commenting on Ozark Outdoors as a campground. The owners really do a wonderful job with this place. There are lots of activities, the store has basically everything you need, and the staff is very friendly. I camped last year and enjoyed my time, but I think I'm getting old and instead decided to stay in the Deluxe Kozy Kabins this year. Let me tell you, that choice was definitely worth the extra money. If you can find three or four people to split it with, definitely check out the Deluxe Kozy Kabins. The cabins have heat and AC, a shower, beds, a fire ring, picnic table, a small deck, a refrigerator, etc. I guess you aren't really camping, but it's the closest to camping you can be while remaining very comfortable (in my opinion). Now let me talk about the flood that had me thinking I would be stranded for multiple days. A couple of weekends ago, there was a huge downpour and a group of us guys stayed at the campgrounds for way too long. The routes out of Ozark Outdoors ended up flooded, and well there was no way out. The staff did a great job informing us on what was going on and had vehicles stationed at the different paths to help campers that were able to get out, get out. The ones that got left behind, the staff ensured us a place to stay, fed us, and tried to make us feel as comfortable as possible. They also informed me to park uphill because the parking lot would be flooded the following day. Thank God for that, because the next morning when I woke up, well there wasn't a parking lot. There was a river. Tera and Bear did a great job getting my friends and I out the next day. There were a few options, one was to boat us out to Onondaga State Park and the other was to go through some backroads and have us picked up at a bigger city. We ended up going through the backroads, where Cody (one of the staff members) led a caravan of cars. It definitely felt like a scene from Jurassic Park. Everyone got out safely, and I was able to retrieve my car the following week when the water levels receded. It's times like these when your true colors shine, and I couldn't have been more impressed with the Ozark Outdoors staff. They were very professional and knew exactly what to do during the flash flood. I will definitely be back and will recommend the campground to others! read more

The whole experience was terrible! We are experienced campers and floaters, we used Ozark Outdoors services for the first time. I bought gift certificates for a Christmas present, four canoes total. Day of float they charged $23 more for each canoe because they said prices went up, in other words did not honor the original price. They told us they were putting us in on the Courtois which is what we requested. They took us to the Huzzah instead ( without telling us) instead and dumped us off with literally thousands of rafts. An extremely crowded and chaotic float not suitable for children, no warning canoes would be impossible to navigate thru the hoarders of rafts. All they care about is getting your money and not your experience. read more

I am not one to make a review good or bad but this experience at Ozark outdoors was one of the worst experiences of my life. Last year (under the old ownership) we stayed with a large group and had zero issues. We had an amazing time and the staff was incredible so we decided to come back this year to do THE EXACT SAME THING. We had an issue with our booking that could have very easily been fixed without any issues had the customer service been at all what I expect as a paying customer. When asked for the manager at about 8:30 Friday night Kim C replied that this business is owned by a corporation and they do not have managers. We went back to our campsites and the park ranger (Shawn) came over and was extremely nice and appreciative of us for coming and booking with Ozark Outdoors. The next morning when we went back to resolve the issues, I asked again to speak to the manager. Kim C was miraculously promoted to manager over night. When I asked for the corporate phone number I was told they have no communication with their corporate office. Kim C continued to go on and called my entire family thieves. I have worked in customer service for the last 11 years and have never ever heard of anyone in this line of work being able to talk to customers that way and still have a job. Kim C told me that if we have a problem with our booking and the service we received we should go to a different resort next year and told us we should go to Bass River Resort if we wanted good customer service because they (Ozark Outdoors) could treat us however they wanted to whether we liked it or not. Once we finally got on the water we had a great day with family that we would have had regardless of what company we booked with. When we got off the water the bus driver (Matt) was incredible. He helped us load up our stuff and took us back to our campsites. If you are thinking of booking with Ozark Outdoors I would recommend just staying home or going as far away from them as possible. I said it once and I'll say it again - Kim C - you have no business working in customer service. read more

We're new-ish floaters who love being on the river. The floating trip offered through this place though? It was an expensive and nerve wracking nightmare. We were informed to stay right past a bluff. Having never been there, we had no clue where the bluff was and thought it was at the beginning. So, me, my husband, and our kids, 11,15,17, stayed right until after the beginning. Then we hit the rough waters... All was fine, until we had no idea where to get off. According to another floater, the sign to show where to get off was blocked by trees, which is why we didn't see it and wound up in a terrifying scenario. My daughters and I got swept away by the fast current and wound up getting stuck in trees. Me and my 15 year old managed to get out eventually, but my 17 and 11 year old were not so lucky. My 17 year old was swept off her tube and wound up having to cling to a tree. Another boy from another group came up to try and help her, but he, too, lost his raft and got stuck. Thankfully he was able to get away safely. My daughter, though, was not so lucky. She continued to cry in terror, waiting for help, clinging to the tree. With no life jacket on (because they were barely offered and not enforced) she nearly drowned. The water was too high and too rough, partially because it had been raining for two days prior, yet we were not warned how bad it was. We are out of towners, who float on smaller rivers in Illinois, and have never experienced a situation so dangerous. My 11 year old fell off as well, went under the water for a minute, at least, and lost her glasses. Thank god my husband was there in time to grab her before she was swept off into the current even more. Eventually my older daughter was able to let go of the tree to grab a raft to hang onto until my husband got there to help, but it lasted minutes, when it felt like hours. My husband, who is a big man, even struggled to stay afloat while helping both our girls to higher ground. Thankfully we all got to the beach area... but the sad part was, nobody, staff wise, seemed to really realize (not to mention care) what happened, even after we explained things. They kind of just shrugged and laughed it off, and couldn't understand why we didn't want to go on the tube loop again--Hello! Two of my kids almost drowned!!! Excuse me for not wanting to subject them to that again. In the end, what needs to happen here is the staff needs to be trained better. The man who "talked to us prior" mumbled and slurred as he spoke, so everything he said kind of went over our heads. The life jackets need to be accessible, not to mention mandatory for kids under 18. Had I known it would've been like this, I would have 100% made my kids wear one. What should have been an awesome experience ended up being a nightmare, that had us terrified for our kids lives and wishing we could've saved the 110 bucks. At this point, a simple apology from the company is all we want, and better safety rules so this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future. or even end tragically for another family. read more

That was the worst float trip experience I've ever had. Three different outfitters putting people on the river at the same location. Too many rafts to navigate our canoe. Why not tell us about the hundreds of rafts going in and direct our group of canoes to a different float. I will not use this place again. read more

New owners refused to honor "frequent floater" cards, wiped out hundreds of dollars in accumulated credit. Not enough staff, lines are way longer than they used to be. Seemed disorganized. Hidden 'fuel surcharge' fee appears to vastly exceedsactual cost of fuel. Didn't follow their own posted policies. And one of the highest priced resorts of their type in the state. read more

This is by far the nicest campground within a few hours of St. Louis. Just got back from our 7th annual float trip at Ozark Outdoors and we are never disappointed. Every year we return we are excited to see the new improvements to the property. The staff and owners of the property do everything they can to make you feel at home, and that, along with the beautiful riverfront views have made it our only destination for outdoor fun. Our group of 25 was spread across the campground so the young adults could be rowdy in the late night area and we could enjoy nature in the camper area. While we enjoy tent camping in the summer Ozark Outdoors also has cabins, chalets and hotel rooms for the colder weather or less adventurous. For a real treat, try them out in the off season for a very quite and relaxing get away.. read more

See all

Ozark Outdoors sucks. Don't go there. They are overpriced, nickel and dime you for every little thing , the camp sites are cramped, uncomfortable and uncared for (especially for tent campers) . The "family" camp area is just a slightly quieter version of "party" camp area which is unbearable unless your a drunk and horny frat or sorority person. I made the mistake of taking the family (to the family camp area) and my kids were exposed to all sorts of unsavory people doing all sorts of unsavory things. I will NEVER return and will always encourage others to go elsewhere. There is plenty of competition in the area who offer similar accommodations for less money and enforce their policies. read more

Very rude customer service, it took 1 hour for a service that should of taken 15 minutes. Very unorganized, would not recommend,will not return. read more

I've been to other camp/float destinations in the area, and this is the first where I actually felt like my money was well spent. First off, the place is really a resort of sorts. Upon arriving they have a huge lodge, with a store that you can buy food (and everything else you forgot to bring along the way) and other necessities. There are plentiful bathrooms that are actually clean. Next door there is a restaurant as well. They really excel at quick and efficient check-in. I had my reservations and paid in advance, so upon arrival, they checked our group in, and printed out tags for our vehicles. Same thing for floating - we showed up, and the bus was there and loading us in 5 minutes. Ultimately, if you're looking for the "party" atmosphere - lots of friendly people, drinks on drinks, etc; this is a great spot to do it. The campsites are close together so you can easily meet your neighbors, there's music going all over the place, and I even saw a few fireworks. The river was the same; lots of rafts, music, people helping your group out when you get stuck. Overall, a solid weekend party. I will definitely be returning (hopefully this summer and not next!) tl:dr - Want to party, camp, and float? Go here. read more

This is one of the best in the area. I have been to several and I don't think I will go anywhere else. We have stayed in the motels and they are nice and clean. The area is kept up really nice and I always see staff cleaning bathrooms and the area. The staff are really nice and friendly. We love the tube loop for myself and my family. It is a lot of fun and we always take the bus to bring us back to go around. Will make it an annual tradition. read more

Ozark Outdoors is one of my favorite places to camp and float because they're very organized. They also have a late night party section of campsites with a 2am quiet time. If you don't like loud, drunk parties into the wee hours, book yourself a room in the main cabin or in the family area. Another plus is that the no-quiet zone is near the river so you can walk down from your campsite and dip your legs in whenever you feel like it. Take a look at the campsite map on their website so that you can request a site near the water (or ask). The main lodge has pretty much everything you could ever need, but it's very overpriced, so be forewarned. There's also no cell phone reception (except for a little section up by the cabins), so make sure everyone knows how to get there. We usually take the 4 mile "Scotia" float which goes down the Huzzah river. Perfect for partiers. We stopped many times along the way, turning our raft upside down to make a slip-n-slide (something we had seen on the previous trip). The float was the perfect length and it stops back at Ozark Outdoors so you don't have to ride the bus back once you're drunk. Ozark Outdoors is always my first choice for camping/float trips. read more

I don't know where to begin with my disappointment in this business. Last week, I learned that a family member was in the hospital and not likely to make it. We waited one long week until she finally was able to rest in peace. However, this may be the least family-friendly, customer-service oriented business that I have ever encountered. The Monday before the weekend of the scheduled float trip with Ozark Outdoors, we learned of my husband's grandmother's condition and decided that we may be having to attend a funeral instead of floating this past weekend. So, we called and asked that they cancel and kindly refund our money due to the extended circumstances and the delicate nature of the situation. Between my sister-in-law, my husband and myself, we spent 3 days trying to convince them that we should receive at least a portion of our money back. I paid in full several weeks in advance on my credit card. However, after having to call back several times to speak with someone about the matter, I was told it was too bad that I didn't have 7 or 8 days advanced notice to cancel. They offered a "master credit" account that would enable us to put the money toward a different float trip with them. But, by this time, I was through dealing with this business. Additionally, I did not want to go through the hassle of collecting the money from the others who were supposed to go on the float trip and did not (2 of which were family members also dealing with the death). I reported the company to the St. Louis Better Business Bureau and sent them a certified letter, but have not received a response. The last contact I had with the business was with a manager (I assume), who told me that "my attitude" was not going to get me anywhere. This was after several phone calls and days of stress in dealing with the terminal illness of a family member. I am sorry that my attitude was not good in this situation. My advice to anyone who attempts to use this facility: beware. You may not have advance notice to give for a family emergency like we had and will be out about $300. read more

This place is definitely disappointing. It's rundown and dirty, things are not in good shape. When you walk in the store to register you get the impression it's a nice place but it's all downhill from there. The only time you will see an employee is when you leave to go on the river but they don't have any uniforms or nametags so you don't even know who works there. The rafts are gross as they go from one person to the next without even being sprayed off. Not only are there not enough restrooms or showers but you have to pay to shower! And don't be deceived by the online prices as they charge for each person staying at your campsite. A lot of the campsites have no shade and there's not any restrooms close by. Even my teens don't want to come back. What a waste of money. read more

Decided to give this place a try for our annual float trip and decided to do the 11am 9.5 mile float. The facility looked well run and put together when we arrived, which gave us a good feeling! That was short-lived though, because after we checked in and signed the waiver form, they had our reservation down for 2pm with a raft much smaller than what we requested. Even though that was a minor annoyance, they were able to work with us, upgrading our raft size and getting us on our way. We were directed down to a parking area to unload our coolers, etc. and sat on a bus for about 10 minutes, before heading up to the float take-off area. Once we got to the take off area, things ran a lot more smoothly. We got set on our rafts and tubes and took off. The river was running high, so it only took about 6.5 hours for our float. We had a great time on the river, but, at the end, the "docking" procedure, things got hectic...people getting off rafts, filling garbage bags, tubes taken from us, etc. I understand that is was a Saturday in the middle of the summer, but I wish things could have run more smoothly overall. read more