Echo Bluff State Park

Echo Bluff State Park
Echo Bluff State Park, May 2019
Map showing the location of Echo Bluff State Park
Map showing the location of Echo Bluff State Park
Location in Missouri
Map showing the location of Echo Bluff State Park
Map showing the location of Echo Bluff State Park
Echo Bluff State Park (the United States)
LocationNewton Township, Shannon County, Missouri, United States
Coordinates37°18′41″N 91°24′22″W / 37.31139°N 91.40611°W / 37.31139; -91.40611
Area476.62 acres (192.88 ha)[1]
Established2013[2]
Visitors249,223 (in 2022)[3]
Governing bodyMissouri Department of Natural Resources
WebsiteEcho Bluff State Park

Echo Bluff State Park (4.6 out of 5 stars) is a public recreation area comprising 476 acres (193 ha) of land in Newton Township, Shannon County, Missouri, United States.[4] The state park occupies the site of former Camp Zoe, a summer camp for children that opened in 1929. The park was named for the massive cliff that towers over one side of Sinking Creek.[5]

History

The state acquired the former Camp Zoe site at auction from the federal government in 2013 for $640,000. An additional 80 acres was purchased for $455,000.[5] Some $52 million was spent building a new lodge, playground, campgrounds, pavilions, and cabins. Federal grant money totalling $10.5 million helped pay for improving area roads and creating a new bridge over Sinking Creek. The park opened to the public on July 30, 2016.[6]

Activities and amenities

The park features a lodge, cabins and campsites for overnight stays, bluff-top shelter for special events, and 50-seat amphitheater as well as hiking and mountain biking trails.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Echo Bluff State Park: Data Sheet" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. November 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  2. ^ "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Missouri State Park Attendance For January - December, 2022" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. February 3, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Echo Bluff State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "It's not Camp Zoe anymore: New state park gets a name". Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Mo. November 10, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  6. ^ "Missouri's newest state park to open on storied piece of the Ozarks". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 30, 2016.