Echo Bluff State Park | |
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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 |
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]
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]
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]