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]
| Echo Bluff State Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Echo Bluff State Park, May 2019 | |
  Location in Missouri  Echo Bluff State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Newton Township, Shannon County, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°18′41″N 91°24′22″W / 37.31139°N 91.40611°W |
| Area | 476.62 acres (192.88 ha)[1] |
| Established | 2013[2] |
| Visitors | 249,223 (in 2022)[3] |
| Governing body | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Echo Bluff State Park |
History
editThe 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
editThe 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "Echo Bluff State Park: Data Sheet" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. November 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ "State Park Land Acquisition Summary". Missouri State Parks. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
- ^ "Missouri State Park Attendance For January - December, 2022" (PDF). Missouri State Parks. February 3, 2023.
- ^ a b "Echo Bluff State Park". Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Missouri's newest state park to open on storied piece of the Ozarks". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 30, 2016.