In May of 2019, my husband and I had the opportunity to purchase Camp Cherokee Ridge in Wayne County, MO. The camp was owned by the Girl Scout Council of MO and had been in operation since 1960. This property has meant so much to many people over the years. We want to continue to provide guests the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and learn more about the Ozarks. We are blessed to live in the most beautiful part of the state and want to share that with others! The property is 1234 acres with two miles of the St. Francis River on one side, Sam A Baker on another; then across the county road, the property is bordered by Graves Mountain Conservation Area. This unique property has a horse arena, 14 horse stalls that have been updated with matting and are 10’x10’ fully enclosed and 10×12 gated to the outside. The property had a lot to offer when we purchased it but, we decided we wanted to add even more to it. Since May of 2019, we have remodeled the Lodge; this is an area that groups can gather and watch a movie, play ping pong, or relax in front of the fireplace and read a book. We have built over 8 miles of roads, and we brought in over 1100 tons of sand to build a swim beach for the lake. We have also added access to two separate gravel bars for swimming in the St. Francis River. We have added a gravel walk/bike path around the lake that is approximately 1 mile long. We have limited the light exposure at the campground to take full advantage of the sky at night. We are working to keep the lighting to a minimum so everyone here and the wildlife can still enjoy the park.
We hope to see you soon!
-Lesley Ellis