Trout Lodge is great for getting away and making family memories. Our family has twice gone to Trout Lodge for Thanksgiving. The family rents a cabin, drives in from all directions, spends several days, then departs til next Thanksgiving. This year we mostly rode horses and painted ceramics in the Arts & Crafts studio, but there are plenty more activities for guests to participate in. The All-Inclusive resort's food is okay, it's nourishing and inclusive of a variety of diets. It's cafeteria style so you get to decide for yourself. Our cabin was large, warm and very accommodating for our extended family. Although there are no TV's, the internet access was adequate to stream movies on a projector tv. But we try to get everyone to disconnect during the day. read more

We celebrated our daughter's wedding at Trout Lodge this past weekend. What a wonderful weekend. Ryan Carr-Senior Guest Experience Director and his staff were absolutely fantastic. They took care of everything we needed and were always so gracious and friendly. I would definitely go back for a vacation to experience the activities that are offered and to enjoy the beautiful scenery and lake. read more

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"The Trout " is a fun family time, be adventuresum, Art studio is great & YMCA is very lucky to have Taylor working there- Super knowledgeable & Superior Customer service . Fun Thanksgiving weekend in Lakeview Cabins. Food is not the highlight, but they have many Buffet choices. Reservation staff needs direction, even after 4 emails & confirmations, Our 4 Cabins rooms were not correct read more

We go to Trout Lodge for Memorial Day every year (14 years running) and we are very impressed by the recent improvements in food and service while maintaining the charm and fun we love. I would normally recommend TL to others but with caveats; those caveats are gone now and I wholeheartedly recommend Trout Lodge to active families looking for a fun weekend away. read more

Our welcome, the campfire, the Sunnen Lake and the beach., archery (the man helping us was very good, and we enjoyed meeting with and making new friends. read more

Well, it could be a really great place..If.. 1) The cabins were updated. We stayed for 2 nights last summer. Worst mattresses ever. Ever. Dirty, thin worn carpeting. 2) Food is horrible. We have been on lots of cruises. The buffet food on a cruise is 5 star compared with the poor quality of food served here. And to think the YWCA is built on the concept of fitness, well, there is nothing remotely healthy about any of the food. I simply do not get it. 3)Activities are good. 4) For the price you pay, it is a poor value. We have been YMCA members for many years and looked forward to taking our family here for a long time. It was so disappointing. The employees were great. The cabins are just dumpy. read more

My wife and I stayed at Trout Lodge via coupons we were given in lieu of payment for services.  When we checked out, the receptionist charged us the full price ($300+) and refused to accept the coupon.  This was the third or fourth time we had used such coupons and she refused to listen or seek answers from higher up at the lodge.  We went home and figured we'd get it fixed later as we were given the coupons by a friend who has a degree of influence there.  However it took 6 months to get our refund.  They immediately acknowledged that we should have never been charged and then proceeded to avoid refunding us.  We had to get our bank involved and they finally sent us a check - a check I asked for and they agreed to send 3 months earlier.  Bottom line, they just didn't care about refunding us.  We were loyal customers.  No more.  Our business has also ceased providing services for them. And despite the trouble they caused, not once was a simple apology extended. I have the emails to prove it. read more

This is an excellent choice for active family fun. It is my child's first choice for a weekend get-away. The lodging is definitely not 5-star, but I feel it is more than just adequate. It is superior to family style resorts in this price range. The food is good and there are plenty of options at each meal and variety in the daily offerings. This isn't haute cuisine, but for families of all age ranges it hits the mark. Meals have three shifts, and if you go ten minutes before or after your scheduled time you'll never have to wait in a line. The activities are plentiful. If you are bored, it is because you tried to be, and that is an option. Water sports, bikes, archery and numerous activity options are included at no cost. Some other activities such as horse back riding, skeet and trap, are extra, but the additional charge is nominal. The staff is always friendly and eager to assist. Highly recommended for families. read more

Here's a picture of out first and LAST visit. We checked into our "cabin" which was a prefabricated house, split in half. It seemed ok at first glance. It was in need of a severe update, the grout was crumbling in the bathroom. It was muggy. The deck was filled with spider webs. We love insects, but it's like this place did not even try. But that was ok, we were gonna make the best of it. Then we opened the mini fridge to find several roaches, still not the end of the world but gross. We decided to go to the tiny beach, but soon left as it had more goose poop then sand, and life guards who screamed at kids for splashing. We decided to go eat. The food itself is extremely bland, more concerning is the food handling practices. As the day went on, we witnessed unsafe acts (putting hands in a trash can then serving food right after, not keeping food covered from flies) . It's was nerve wracking. We went back to our room, to find it at 80 degrees despite being preset to 56. The office told us to turn it off for the night, mind you, this is late June. We were extremely disappointed. Finally at 11 pm they moved us to a tiny hotel room, no mini fridge, coffee maker, TV, was two beds and a book shelf. They brought us a filthy mini fridge to put our babies milk in. We decided to check out that next morning, as almost 300 a night (hotel) or 600 (cabin) was not worth this! They give no soap, shampoo, razors etc and site COVID. We had ours items, but food for thought. You will drive 10 miles if the Nick knack country store does not have it, much like the milk we had to drive 10 miles for. No coffee until your designated time. Not in the hotels. Also, no TV. Nothing was offered to us as far as compensation but to be brutally honest my biggest concern was getting out of there. All of the staff was incredibly kind, polite, easygoing. This is 100 a leadership issue. The place could be really fun and cute. read more

I have visited the YMCA of the Ozarks many times in the past 30 years. Each time the place was clean, well-staffed, and had plenty of activities for the children (my children at first and now grand and great-grandchildren). This summer, however (2022) was different. There were fewer activities, especially around the lake, fewer staff, and in general, the employees appeared tired, stressed, or something. My guess is that management is cutting corners or struggling to find adequate staffing. Signs of the times, I suppose. read more

Why can I only give Trout Lodge 5 stars? They deserve at least 5 more!! We go to TL every single year. Without fail. It is family fun. There are no phones or even a tv in the rooms, so it forces you to get outside of your comfort zone! The price you pay for your room per person includes food (which is super!) and lots of activities. (There is a minimal charge for other activities.) Want to take a canoe out on the lake? They've got you covered. Horseback riding? Yep, they have that too. Night hiking? Yep, got it. Archery? Ditto. And they have so much more than that. The list of activities includes so many things that I can't even begin to list them here. Once when we were there it was raining so we headed over to the Art & Crafts building and we painted some pottery. My daughter has a shelf of things she has made or painted at TL. Now for the food. It is served buffet syle and when you check in you will generally pick your meal times (although you can go anytime they are serving food). The food is freshly prepared and it is soooo good. The veggie sticks that they put on the kids buffet are especially good! Yum! They always make sure that they have vegetarian options out too! And if you don't think you can go a weekend without tv, they do keep them in the family lounge areas. But you will probably be so busy that you won't even need the tv. read more

We went first time end of July. Rooms are a little old but comfortable enough. Loved ours opened right outside to lake. Lake is lovely and clean. Activities were fantastic: ziplines, sailboats, banana boat, archery, ropes and towers etc. It was very easy to take boat or tube out. Cafeteria food ok. Nice they have veggie/vegan/gluten free options. Lots of choices. Could use fresh cut fruit at breakfast instead of canned. Separate kid buffet was great. Everyone who worked there was wonderful. Night activities fun and cute. Board games available. Only tip I can think of is wear a sport watch so you can watch the time for activities you scheduled. Also bring chairs to sit outside room if you have large group. Two chairs come with patio. (Also no Verizon coverage..you can get one small bar on hill by country store for simple texting or a call) read more

Very fun and friendly atmosphere. Lots to do for the kiddos ! Beautiful sceneries and setting . We love it ! We will definitely be back again . read more

I've been here many times for family vacations and retreats with various groups. Most recently, we came for my grandmother's 80th birthday weekend. It was a dreery weekend with light rain off and on, but we were still able to do and enjoy all the activities we had planned. The food isn't very good. Actually, its quite disappointing, but my expectations were pretty low. It is something that could be easily improved though with just a little work, and using more fresh, local ingredients. I wish you could opt out of food and bring your own, but alas, it's included in the cost. The rooms could use work as well. I don't care about the lack of a TV, but the bathrooms leave a lot to be desired. The shower head would be fine if you were 5 feet tall, but otherwise you have to lean over quite a bit. The friendly staff and abundance of activities really make this place great. They set up a campfire and reserved a meeting room for our family for cake and games. We had a great weekend, and I'm sure we'll be back again in the future. read more

Great place! You should really go check it out and not because I am a former employee! There is SO much to do and the view is amazing! It is a great place for the family to hang together and you don't have to deal with tv's in the room, although they added a cell tower and it ruined the no phones experience, but if you can get past that, then it will make your stay more enjoyable. If you stay in the lodge every room has a view of the lake, which is great when it is fireworks time! I suggest everything! read more

We recently spent four days at the Trout Lodge for a family reunion (June 2013). This was our second visit, having taken our kids back in June of 2007. This is an outstanding place for a family vacation! Nestled in the beautiful Mark Twain National Forest, the setting is gorgeous. Though it is not a bad drive from either St. Louis or Springfield, you really feel like you have really gotten away from it all. We love the all-inclusive nature -- having our lodging, food and activities all a part of the price keeps us from worrying about how much we are spending on each little thing. Once you get there, you park and walk to the lodge and there's no need to drive anywhere. Pretty much everything is within walking distance. LODGE: The lodge is very nice and comfortable. Each room has two queen-size beds and a fold-up roll away if you need it. We were able to request a crib (pack-and-play type) for our toddler and a refrigerator and both were brought to us at no additional charge. There is a small bathroom and vanity. We really appreciate the fact that there are not TV or phones in the rooms because the tech-free rooms enhance the experience of spending quality time with your family. There is wifi, so you can stay connected to work if you need to just a bit (but you won't want to!). Cell service is not good anywhere on the grounds, so that is a bit of an issue. The only semi-complaint we had about the lodge is that while the rooms and dining hall are air-conditioned, the lobbies are NOT. It was stifling hot when we went to play games in the lobby. Air would be a great addition for families in the hot Missouri summer. The best thing about the lodge is the beautiful lake view that each room has. Each room even has a balcony. Our daughters appreciated the games and books that are available. FOOD: The food in the dining hall is good and we felt it had improved a lot since our 2007 stay. It is served buffet-style and is all you can eat. There are 3 meals a day, and you will stay full and satisfied! There is a little "kids bar" with some kid-friendly options, a decent salad bar that always has fresh fruit, and some vegetarian and gluten-free options. There were always at least two "main dish" type entrees. The best things about the food is that you don't have to do the cooking or cleaning up. All of the staff are just gems. So helpful and available to take care of any needs you have. This is not gourmet food by any stretch, but it is above-average cafeteria food. ACTIVITIES: Most of the activities are included in the price, and there is definitely something for everyone. The swimming beach is very nice. There is a boat house with access to many types of boats -- the funyaks and paddle boats are great fun for kids. We also took a guided pontoon tour of the lake (and they served us root beer floats!). Our kids enjoyed doing archery, going fishing, taking a hayride, swimming, boating, playing mini golf, a bonfire, etc. Most of these activities were included in the price, but there was a nominal fee for the pontoons and hayride. Very affordable and we didn't mind the few small fees that we paid ($1 a person for pontoon is an example). The last time we went, we spent a good amount of time in the Arts & Crafts cabin, which is also fun. The best thing about all the activities is simply that there is something for everyone. The older guys in our group enjoyed the adrenaline thrill of the ropes course and alpine swing, so it's not all just "little kid" stuff. They have all the gear you need for all the activities -- even fishing poles. So you don't need to bring much with you. STAFF: The staff is just wonderful. They employee many young people from around the world who come on a summer exchange program. They were all just delightful, and we enjoyed learning about where they are from. The staff is so friendly and everyone bent over backwards to make sure we were having a great time. Since this was a family reunion for us, there was a representative to organize some special group activities, and we were very pleased with the suggestions and help setting things up. Overall, we just can't recommend Trout Lodge highly enough. It's a great destination for a family vacation -- especially if you don't want to have to do a lot of work and just want to show up and have fun. read more

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The rooms were clean, the price was great, and the staff is always there to help. I love that Trout Lodge has at least one gluten free meal at every meal. Best of all WI-FI read more

For anyone with young children, do not take them to the Halloween festivities. After calling ahead and asking if the festivities were appropriate for young children, we were greeted clowns with chainsaws chasing the hayride. Really? I'm not sure the YMCA would be proud of these activities sponsored in their name. read more

We recently stayed at the Trout Lodge for a family reunion. We really enjoyed our stay! This place is perfect for a family vacation. There are a ton of different activities to do, many of them are free with your nightly room rate. There are some activities like the adventure activities that you do have to pay for, but they are totally worth it. We especially loved the Superman Alpine swing! Definitely an adrenaline rush! The Summit zip line was also really cool. The rooms at the lodge itself are simple yet clean. Your rate comes with three meals per day in their cafeteria. They are buffet Style. The Food is not great but good enough. I definitely recommend this place for your next family gathering. read more

This place was really nice. They have pontoon boats, rock wall climbing, zip lines, mini golf, archery, fishing, horseback riding...you name it! The workers are all very friendly and encouraging to boot! read more

This place could be so much better. The lodge looks pretty when you pull up. Very deceiving. What's wrong? Rooms are TINY!! Even the loft rooms are cramped. Decorations are dated. Don't expect to sleep on those mattresses. The food is disgusting. They couldn't even bother to rinse the garbanzo beans on the salad bar. Yum, slimy beans. The fish? What fish? All I tasted was breading...gross, gross, gross. Bring your own food if you stay. They have complimentary coffee all day, lol, you're gonna need it after sleeping on that mattress. They had a wide variety of activities. The tour on the lake was not 30 minutes. The water slide, rope swing was a joke. You'll see. Wanna play ping pong? They have a board instead of a net. For what this place charges you'd think they could buy a net. Mini golf? There's so much debris on the course. Quit after 4 rounds. Again this place could be so much better if they put in a little more effort, money into the place. read more

This is a really fun place to visit. Even in the off season there are lots of activities to participate in and the staff is very friendly and willing to accommodate. The first room did not meet our needs with my husbands wheelchair and they were quick to give us a different accommodation and followed up on our level of satisfaction. The food is decent; you just have to remember that this is run by the YMCA and is not for profit. It's a good value for what you pay. read more

So, I was a camper at Lakewood years ago (mid 80's) and just experienced their version of Thanksgiving and their attempt at a Pioneer Christmas weekend. On the plus side, the people are wonderful. There is cell coverage (GSM), Wifi, and a wide variety of activities all against a beautiful backdrop that is the Northern Ozark Region of MO. I will say that with a focus on munchkins, if we had any it may have been a better experience. And the rest... Food: Meh. Thanksgiving Turkey was dry, stuffing was worse, potatoes were flake, canned beans... "Normal" meals were equally impressive. Canned fruits and vegetables, limp salad bar options, and lots of heat and serve processed foods. Almost everything looked wither a bit aged or like it had been sitting in a warming oven for some time. Of note, the apparent head of the kitchen, Cindy, while lovely, is the one person I recognized from when I was a camper. Food seemed about the same too... Activities: There are many and they can be fun. That said: 1) the list is apparently buried somewhere on the web site (I couldn't find it without direction) 2) activities seem short. Tough to get many shots in during archery when there is a herd of people. 3) most activities cost extra. 4) schedule is sparse. Arts and Crafts (while well equipped and run) are about the only activity that is pretty much universally available. Most activities are held once or twice a day so while many are offered, availability is rare. 5) other guests. Unfortunately Trout Lodge is not immune from society. As such, other guests, and their egocentric self serving tendencies, can dampen an otherwise good time. Sharing a table where someone is doing detailed craft work with a handful of munchkins and not taking turns were both experienced. 6) Minimum ages and maximum weight limits on certain activities: 250lbs on horses, 280lbs on ropes courses/zip lines/swings with community harnesses (a shared harness is a BAD idea is you know anything about climbing/harnesses. their insurance, their rules, but I'm not getting in a harness I don't know any more than they want you on a harness they don't know. I get it, but rules out about 10 activities.) 7) It'd be great if the people leading the activities knew how to do them and had appropriate supplies and instructions. Rocket building (wood glue for plastic, home grown bad instructions), GPS function for Geocashing (fresh batteries, command of the device functionality/menu tree)... The Pioneer Weekend: AKA, the Pioneer couple of hours. Activities include: Candle making: We don't actually understand the mechanics of getting a string to sink in water... Branding: Hot stick, patch of leather. Same stick turned = different meaning. BS flag. Two or three fun facts and have a good day. Blacksmithing: Hot stick and hammer. Heat stick, hit with hammer. Two or three fun facts and have a good day. Dutch Oven baking: One or two fun facts and a cup of yummy. To be fair, it was far better than the lodge food. And, have a good day. Wood stove cooking: Here are some of the lodge biscuits warmed on a wood stove. Hot cider anyone? Wood drawing/whittling: I will pull a sharp draw knife towards my unprotected core (no leather apron) against a piece kind of secured in the shaving horse. Safety first-ish. With a little more effort and education and this could be amazing. As it is, kind of amazingly bad, certainly not the draw they are selling. General: It has been my experience that YMCAs cannot for the life of them convey information through a publication (paper, web). Activity details were not included in one place, the locations were poorly conveyed and the map did not really clear anything up. When there are multiple archery sites, it'd be great to be able to distinguish between them. Also, if you call something a thing, yet is on the map as something else... basically it is all clear as day, if you already know what you cannot otherwise devise from what they are failing to convey. There are no TV's in the room. This is not the worst thing, unless you want to watch something other than cartoon network with a dozen munchkins that the parents don't want to supervise. Wifi: It exists. AOL in the 90s was faster when lodge is fullish, serviceable when guest count is lower. No phones in the rooms, available at the front desk for local calls and toll free. No Verizon cell coverage to speak of. The bed was not capable of supporting itself, let alone an adult male. There seemed to be a lady bug infestation. Could be worse. There are no check valves in the slop sinks. Seemingly unimportant unless housekeeping fails to turn off the water and a bunch of people try to take a shower. Hot water pressure goes down, cold water back feeds and presto, really cold shower. Showers: The wife almost had to duck, she's 5'3. I'm 6'4. Sinks: located in the room roughly around my ankles (reality: lower thigh, about 4" below my fingers when standing). Perfect for kids and Hobbit read more

My husband and I stayed in a cabin this weekend when we attended my Son's wedding at Edg-Cliff Winery. My review does not pertain to the activities or the beautiful surroundings. My review is based solely on accommodations and the food. First, there are few places to lodge in Potosi, that is why we stayed here. The beds were the worst EVER. I had the most uncomfortable sleep of my life! The decor was strictly 1975. Everything was clean but worn and dated. Our two bedroom cabin had a double bed, bunk beds and a roll away bed in each room. The bunk beds smelled of urine and permeated the entire room. The cabin was a duplex divided by thin doors. We heard every conversation from our neighbors; no privacy. The floors were covered in thin indoor outdoor carpet that was very old. The restaurant was buffet style. We ate breakfast of powdered rubber eggs but the pancakes were pretty good. If you go with activities in mind, I am sure it is great fun for young families. It is not a place to book for a restful night, however. read more

During the days of June 1-2 my fam and I caravanned down to Trout Lodge to work on getting yolked and big (I am ripped! JK but it would be sweet if I was) and also to work on team building. The first person we met there was Farkle. Not going to lie but Farkle is a very ham name. If Farkle was a ham he would have been a honey glazed ham that was basted every 10 minutes. During one team building exercise, a strange man came out of the woods, Jacko, and said there was an earthquake. There was no earthquake he wanted to throw us off our game because we are hosses and nice pieces of vegan certified cheese. What Jacko did was not fair trade nor kewl. We also tried to show off our musical skillz at karaoke, but we were kicked out because it was a private event. I mean is anything really a private event, is karaoke really safe for the Marvel universe. Maybe, but it would be awesome if Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk had a sing off that would be lit like eating Chinese food while enjoying a bubble bath wearing jorts. But a negative was the food. The food was like some non fair trade bro tangs to show off my vainy muscles like McGruber. The food was most definitely not vegan certified, and in my honest opinion is a major deal buster for me. The food was like the last season of American Idol. We ate it but we did not really want to eat it like watching the last season of American Idol (I mean come on American Idol without Randy Jackson is like Iron Man not using fair trade iron for his fair trade suit). In conclusion if your team or wok wants to get swoll on team building I would head to Trout Lodge, but bring your own ham and beef. read more