Echo Bluff State Park, The New Crown Jewel.

[jdmidwest]

Ancient Kings built temples, pyramids, and other monuments to themselves.  Missouri has really overdone it on this one.  Some of the best concrete roads in the state.  State of the art architecture and design.  A luxury bridge over a small crick.  Huge lodge with meeting rooms and dining facility.  Condos.  RV sites packed in side to side out in the open.

Thanks to a feller that had one party too many, Mo has built some park.

Why did they put guard rails along the road that are already rusting on opening week?  Most everywhere uses galvanized material that resists the elements.  Were they trying to make it look "rustic"?  I have a pic of an overlook where they used 3" square steel with a powdercoat inner grate.  The steel tube is rusting already, I warned the better half not to lean on it.  Why didn't they finish the metal?

Overall, I was ashamed that someone spent so much money, my tax dollars and yours, on something so fickle.  They really overdid it.  And there is only a little crick running thru it.

 

[Greasy B]

I drove by the new entrance for the first time last week, in my opinion nothing to be proud of.

The rusty steel is probably COR-TEN, in a while the rust will stabilize,  won't rub off and protect the steel for a very long time. Well maybe I am proud of the wise use of materials.

[Gavin]

Have a reservation there. Nice to have a full RV hookup in that area, but think we will be floating outside of Echo Bluff when we visit. Think they have only been open for a week. To soon to tell. 

[jdmidwest]

19 minutes ago, Gavin said:

Have a reservation there. Nice to have a full RV hookup in that area, but think we will be floating outside of Echo Bluff when we visit. Think they have only been open for a week. To soon to tell. 

Unless they bought out another vendor in the area or "made" a new livery license with the feds, you will have to float with a different camp.  I guess you could drag a boat down the little crick to get to Current River if you are dedicated enough.

Those RV sites I saw looked pretty brutal.  I am sure the pad and hookups are first class, but no shade or privacy from other campers.  I did not make it to parts of the park, the overlook we were at showed another portion we did not drive too.  Maybe the primitive side, if they have one.

[Gavin]

No worries. Will have some friends along to self shuttle and the folk's at Carr's are right down the road @ Round Spring. Sink in creek runs through there. Nothing worth fishing but the sinks are kinda cool. Creek actually runs through a bluff. In one side out the other. Barren fork is not far if you want to catch small wild trout.

[Gavin]

Stayed their this weekend. Massive lodge and first class cabins. The store didn't sell much more than souvenirs, ice and beer. The RV sites are mostly full hookups in full sun. They have a dozen or so primitive walk in sites in the woods those looked better. Didn't try the restaurant. Limited indoor seating but a large amount of patio seating. Nice, but no character. Looks like a bass pro in the middle of nowhere. Guess it fills a need for luxury cabins and full hookup sites in that area because every site & room appeared to be full on Saturday night. Dont think that I'll stay there again. 

[Jerry Rapp]

I will be first.  Total cost?  Annual maintenance cost?  Anyone know? That money could have been used to employ more agents to protect our resources.  But I will say, several folks in my neck of the woods have already went there and said how nice it is.  A lot of different user groups out there for sure.

[jdmidwest]

Yup.  A mere reported 52 million to start. 

http://www.stltoday.com/travel/missouri-s-newest-state-park-to-open-on-storied-piece/article_a9201707-0e36-5659-a3ad-05686a93ff57.html

You would think there is public information out there on an operating budget for a tax payer funded project, but it does not just jump out in a Google search.  I did see a blurb about a 15 million request that was shut down by House, but upheld by Senate.

 

[Gavin]

Think it will stay full. Beats every other for bells and whistles within 20 miles on Hwy 19. Won't make the money back soon...but it was public funding. No note, brand new, and packed full. Hope the grass will grow on that red clay that is everywhere soon. It is what it is.

[Al Agnew]

1 hour ago, Jerry Rapp said:

I will be first.  Total cost?  Annual maintenance cost?  Anyone know? That money could have been used to employ more agents to protect our resources.  But I will say, several folks in my neck of the woods have already went there and said how nice it is.  A lot of different user groups out there for sure.

Keep in mind this is DNR, separate from MDC, so no "agents" as such in DNR.  However, point is taken that it would be nice to have a few more inspectors around the state to police gravel mining, etc.

Supposedly they plan to have a canoe livery there by next year.  Don't know how they are working it with ONSR as far as permits and quotas for rentals.  I highly doubt they will put in canoes on Sinkin Creek--not enough water during the peak floating season, though in the past it's been a nice little float in the spring from the Sinks down.  Last I heard, though, access at the Sinks is problematical.

Did they go overboard on facilities and cost?  Probably.  I believe Greasy is right that the rusted steel is Cor-ten, should last a long time and blend into the landscape better.  I question the money spent on the huge lodge with meeting rooms and store, etc.  But some of the stuff they did is, in my opinion, good even if expensive--do it right the first time and you shouldn't have to fix it down the road.

Lodge has 20 rooms, 13 more units in nine cabins, 72 campsites.  There is an amphitheater with tiered seating.  Eight miles of trails.  All that on 430 acres.  1 3/4 miles of the creek, which enters Current River a quarter mile below the park. There's the very cool bridge over the creek  Showerhouse and restrooms are open year-round.

The info I got didn't include the cost of the whole thing, but it said that since 2009 they have spent $69 million in upgrades to the whole state park system, with another $10 million currently being spent through a bond issuance.  This info is coming from the Conservation Federation.  They also note that an economic impact study in 2012 estimated that state park visitors spend about $778 million annually, with overall economic impact of $1.02 billion in sales and more than 14,000 jobs.  Take those figures however you wish.  But there's no doubt that the parks are mostly very popular, and a lot of money is spent in and around them.  Heck, Hawn State Park a few miles from our house, which we take walks and hikes in all the time, is mostly full every weekend spring through fall, and about all there is to do there is hike and stare at the scenery.