Nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, Echo Bluff State Park is one of those places that instantly makes you want to extend your stay—and that’s exactly what we did! We spent two weeks camping here as full-time RVers, and honestly, we could’ve stayed even longer. This park has it all: stunning scenery, great hiking, a beautiful river for floating and fishing, and a peaceful campground that made it the perfect home base.
Whether you’re looking for a weekend getaway or a longer stay, Echo Bluff has plenty of lodging options, from full-hookup RV sites to cozy cabins and a modern lodge with incredible views. And if you’re into outdoor adventures, you won’t run out of things to do. Think hiking, swimming, kayaking, and even spotting wild horses if you’re lucky!
In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know about camping, cabins, activities, and our personal experience at Echo Bluff—so you can plan the perfect trip to this hidden gem in Missouri!
All About Echo Bluff State Park Campground
35244 Echo Bluff Dr, Eminence, MO 65466
https://mostateparks.com/campgrounds/echo-bluff-state-park
Nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, Echo Bluff State Park is an awesome getaway surrounded by scenic bluffs, crystal-clear streams, and miles of hiking trails. At the center of it all is Sinking Creek, perfect for wading, fishing, or just relaxing by the water. Whether you’re looking for a cozy retreat or a back-to-nature experience, the park has plenty of lodging options. Stay in the modern Betty Lea Lodge with gorgeous bluff views, unwind in a fully furnished cabin, or set up camp at the spacious campground with sites for tents and RVs. No matter how you stay, Echo Bluff is the perfect spot to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort.
Betty Lea Lodge
The Betty Lea Lodge at Echo Bluff State Park offers a comfortable and modern stay with 16 guest rooms and four spacious suites, perfect for couples, families, or small groups. Each room features either one king or two queen beds, and some include a sleeper sofa for extra space. Guests can enjoy cozy fireplaces, a microwave and mini fridge, and free Wi-Fi to stay connected. One of the best perks? Many rooms have private balconies overlooking Sinking Creek, providing the perfect spot to relax and take in the park’s natural beauty.
Inside the lodge is also the Sinking Creek Mercantile shop and Creekside Grill, which we’ll talk about more later.
Cabins at Echo Bluff
The cabins at Echo Bluff State Park offer a cozy, home-away-from-home experience with all the comforts you need for a relaxing getaway. Whether you’re traveling solo, with family, or in a big group, there’s a cabin to fit your needs. The park has one four-bedroom cabin, four two-bedroom cabins, and four stacked duplexes, each with three bedrooms on the first floor and three more on the second floor/loft- perfect for larger gatherings.
Each cabin is fully furnished and comes with a fireplace, TV, free Wi-Fi, and a fully equipped kitchen featuring a stove, fridge, dishwasher, and microwave. You’ll also find fresh towels and everything you need for a comfortable stay. With modern amenities and a rustic setting, these cabins are perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring the Ozarks.
Campsite Options at Echo Bluff
The campground at Echo Bluff State Park has 62 campsites, offering a mix of options for both tent campers and RV travelers. There are walk-in sites that are great for tent camping, and utility carts are available to help haul gear. For those needing more amenities, the campground has electric/water sites as well as full hook-up sites for RVs. Whether you prefer a simple tent setup or a site with all the hookups, the campground provides a comfortable place to stay while exploring the park.
Camping Essentials We Use Everyday
When you live on the road full-time, you figure out pretty quickly what gear is worth having. These are some of our everyday essentials that make RV life (and camping in general) way easier and more enjoyable.
- Camp Chef 2-Burner Stove: We cook outside all the time, and this stove has been a total game-changer. It’s got two powerful burners, plenty of space for big pots and pans, and it’s way better than trying to balance everything over a campfire.
- Power Watchdog RV Surge Protector: If you’re camping with an RV, a surge protector isn’t optional—it’s a must. We’ve stayed at enough campgrounds with sketchy electrical hookups to know that this little device is worth every penny. It protects against power surges, bad wiring, and even has Bluetooth monitoring, so we can check our power status from our phones. Better safe than fried!
- Beech Lane RV Water Filter System: We’ve used those cheap inline water filters before, but once we switched to this heavy-duty system, we never looked back. It seriously improves water quality, reduces sediment, and even helps with taste—because some campground water is rough. Plus, the solid metal fittings mean no leaks or annoying drips.
Echo Bluff State Park Campground Amenities
Echo Bluff State Park has a variety of amenities to make your stay more comfortable. The shower house and dump station are available for campers, and Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the park. If you don’t feel like cooking, Creekside Grill, located inside the lodge, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu featuring classic comfort foods. For any essentials you may need, Sinkin’ Creek Mercantile, also in the lodge, carries food staples, snacks, laundry detergent, beach towels, ice, and souvenirs. Whether you’re looking for a meal, supplies, or a keepsake from your trip, the park has you covered. The lodge also has card paid laundry machines available, which both hotel guests and campers can use.
WiFi at Echo Bluff State Park
One of the most important amenities to us as full-time RVers at Echo Bluff was the campground WiFi- in fact, that’s the reason we ended up here! We originally had booked our stay at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, but once we were set up there we realized we had absolutely no service on both our Verizon and T-Mobile home internet. We ended up making a very frantic last minute change to Echo Bluff after seeing that they have free WiFi in the campground (and by frantic, I meant Josh has a board meeting in like two hours). Luckily, the website was accurate the WiFi was strong throughout the entire campground! We were able to work, do zoom calls, stream, etc. on the park WiFi.
Echo Bluff State Park Showerhouse Review
We opted to save money by not staying in one of the full hook-up campsites, so we used the showerhouse during our stay. One side of the building is bathroom stalls and the other has 4 showers with individual outer doors. Since we were here in the off-season, we had the campground to ourselves for most of our stay, so they stayed pretty clean since it was mostly us using them. They could definitely use some freshening up, but weren’t bad. It’s definitely worth taking the accessible shower, though, because the regular ones have no divider between the changing bench and shower and there is no where to keep your stuff dry.
Creekside Grill at the Betty Lea Lodge
One one of our last nights at Echo Bluff we headed over to the lodge for dinner at Creekside Grill. We both got the catfish special, which was huge portions for a very reasonable price. They have a small menu, but enough variety that everyone should be able to find something they like. The staff was super friendly and the service was great. They also have a small selection of local beers, and not only was it happy hour when we went, but the particular brewery we chose was on sale too!
Off-Season Camping at Echo Bluff State Park
We stayed at Echo Bluff at the end of January into February. During the off-season, there are a few changes to the way the campground operates. They define off-season as December 1 to March 31.
During off-season, there are no reservations for campsites- they all switch to first-come-first-served. You will not have a problem getting a good site, though, we were the only ones there for the majority of our stay. There is no camphost or ranger on site, but the ranger station is set up with envelopes and an iron ranger to pay.
The other important thing to note for off-season camping at Echo Bluff State Park is that the water in individual campsites is turned off for winter, but the frost-free spigots in the campground still work. The showerhouse remains open, but when we were there only half of the shower stalls were unlocked and available to use.
Echo Bluff State Park Camping Costs
During regular season, Echo Bluff campsites are:
- Basic/walk-in $13, Electric/water $24, Full hook-up $34 for Sunday-Thursday
- Basic/walk-in $15, Electric/water $29, Full hook-up $39 for Fridays, Saturdays, and holiday weekends
During the off-season, campsites are:
- Walk-in $12
- Electric/water $17
- Full hook-up $27
Echo Bluff State Park Camping Rules and Policies
- Camping is limited to 15 days within a 30 day consecutive period
- Quiet hours are 10pm-6am
- Check in is 3pm, Checkout is 2pm
- Cancellations made up until 7pm the night before arrival get a refund minus a $10 cancellation fee and nonrefundable $6.50 reservation fee
- Cancellations made on day of arrival lose the fees for one night of camping, plus the cancellation and reservation fees
Activities at Echo Bluff State Park
Echo Bluff is full of activities to do within the park:
- Swimming, wading, and floating in Sinking Creek
- Hiking
- Mountain biking (you can even rent bikes at the Lodge!)
- Fishing
- Playgrounds
- Watching the famous Shannon County wild horses
Echo Bluff State Park Trails
The main trail within Echo Bluff is the Painter Ridge Trail, which is divided into two loops with a total mileage of just under two miles. The cool part about this trail is that there are a few connector spurs that have mountain biking obstacles. This is the perfect trail for beginner mountain bikers to practice their skills!
The Current River trail also starts in Echo Bluff and continues on through Current River State Park to the Current River. The total trail is 5.25 miles one way and 1.3 miles of it is inside Echo Bluff State Park.
The Ozark Trail, a 430 mile regional trail also passes through Echo Bluff State Park for those looking for a long hike.
Things to Do Near Echo Bluff State Park
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