Council Bluff Recreation Area

The Council Bluff Recreation Area is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors. The Wild Boar Ridge Campground and sheltered picnic area sit next to the largest lake in the Mark Twain National Forest, with ample opportunities for camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing and swimming. Boating is a popular pastime on the lake, though all boats must operate at a no-wake speed; two boat ramps provide access to the water. Canoeing, swimming and fishing are also available, and anglers can expect a variety of freshwater fish including bass, bluegills, catfish and crappies. The 12-mile Council Bluff Trail encircles the lake, with spurs to the campground, offering scenic views of the lake and a look at the Mark Twain wilderness. Waterfowl hunting is permitted on Council Bluff Lake, and the nearby Enough Fields provide upland game opportunities. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the heavily wooded area. The campground offers multiple single-family, large group and walk-in sites for tent and RV camping, each equipped with tables, lantern posts and campfire rings or circles with grills. Large group sites can accommodate up to 50 people, and a nearby paved, roofed picnic pavilion with multiple tables and grills can hold up to 75. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Electricity is not available, but some sites will accommodate RVs up to 40 feet. Some sites are first-come, first-served. The beach has accessible flush toilets, drinking water and coin-operated showers, with a small play area with a slide and climbing structure adjacent. In southern Missouri, Council Bluff Lake was created by a dam across Big River. It is 440 acres in size and 87 feet deep in places. Chapel Hill Beach, at the eastern end of the campground, provides 54,000 square feet of sandy beach, and visitors can either walk or drive to the lake. The Trace Creek section of the Ozark Trail is just west of the recreation area.