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Big Spring Lodge, Cabins Rehabilitation Lags At Ozark National Scenic Riverways

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Published Date

April 12, 2021

Much work needs to be done before Big Spring Lodge and Cabins at Ozark National Scenic Riverways can fully reopen for guests/NPS

Delays continue to swirl around rehabilitation of the historic lodge and cabins in the Big Spring District of Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri.

While the National Park Service had hoped to begin rehabilitation of the Big Spring Lodge and Cabins back in 2019, that work has been pushed off until at least this coming October.

This area of the park includes a historic dining lodge and 16 historic structures, with rental cabins and other features that were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934-1937. The facilities house an existing concession operation that dates back to their construction and is the park’s only dining and lodging operation. A concessioner uses the historic lodge and cabins to provide visitors with a unique and rich experience in one of the most heavily visited areas of the park during the summer months.

However, decades of use, maintenance backlog, and a record-breaking flood in 2017 caused deterioration of the cabins and dining lodge, resulting in human health and safety hazards, as well as the potential loss of historically significant structures. Other improvements include recreation area repairs, boat dock renovation, and utility system upgrades.

The Park Service plans to rehabilitate the historic structures and landscape, recreation area, boat dock, utility systems, and other features, allowing the park to reduce operation and maintenance costs, improve visitor and staff safety, reestablish a concession contract, improve visitor experience, and improve accessibility by bringing Cabin 413 and the boat dock into Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards compliance.

While the lodge, cabins, and boat dock will be closed during restoration activities, Big Spring, the campground, pavilions, and nearby hiking trails will remain open throughout the course of this project. The park intends to begin construction of the project in October 2021, which is anticipated to last 16 months.

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Comments

Submitted by Patricia Childs on April 16, 2021 - 12:29pm.

Looks like a great place to visit


Submitted by Connie Kelley on January 2, 2022 - 6:44pm.

It's a same these cabins have been closed this long! We camp at the Big Springs every year and my family use to rent several of the cabins every year! The cabins closed a few years before the flood due to maintenance! Hopefully they will continue to work on them and get them back open for people to rent ! And the lodge had a chef the food there was excellent! They also need to get electricity back at the pavilions


Submitted by MO Mule on January 13, 2023 - 11:42am.

Any news on the progression of the updates to the cabins?  No one seems ready to venture an end date to the improvments.

 


Submitted by Gloria Flottmann on September 21, 2023 - 8:44pm.

It appears a robust crew is hard at work in the restoration process.  And estimate on the completion date??


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