OUR STORY
Psalms 8:3-4
When I look at you heavens, the creation of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have set in place-what is amortal that you remember him or the son of man that you care of him?
For thousands of years, people have gathered around campfires, gazing into the night sky—studying the stars, dreaming of tomorrow, and sometimes speaking with those they have lost. To understand our story, we have to go back to the beginning.
We were sitting in a church that wasn’t our home church, listening to a pastor who wasn’t our pastor, practicing a faith that wasn’t quite our own. As the music slowed, the worship leader stopped singing and began to hum. She made eye contact with me as I sat in the back row. Over and over, she said, “I hear You, Lord. I speak Your words of promise.”
Then she looked directly at me and said that God had a message. She said we would receive the campground we were hoping for—that it had a higher purpose, and that it was not our plan, but God’s. Then she returned to worship. I looked at my son, unsure whether I should feel excited or afraid.
Two weeks later, Fort Niangua became an option.
The journey since then has been rough water—full of waves and hard-earned lessons. We have learned the power of faith, the true meaning of community, the importance of loyalty and friendship, and that family isn’t always defined by blood. God truly did have bigger plans for us.
We moved from the old Fort Niangua to Coastal Country, and then to letting go of what once was. Along the way, we realized we had always been part of something special. Between the two bends of the river, The River’s Bend Campground had been waiting for us all along. She already had a name—we just weren’t listening yet.
Now, we can’t wait to begin this new season with the families who return to us year after year, and to welcome new faces as we step together into the next chapter.
WE PUT NATURE FIRST
The River’s Bend Campground and RV Resort is a wildlife safe haven where we take pride in co-existing with all of Mother Nature and God’s creations.
The River’s Bend is home to a beautiful black bear, commonly seen each spring fishing in the eddy at Cat Hollow or wandering along the riverbanks. He is actively tracked by the Missouri Department of Conservation. For the past four years, we have also been visited by a female mountain lion who roams the property. She appears to den during the winter months and is often seen parading her cubs in March and April before they venture off on their own. In 2024, the Missouri Department of Conservation officially recorded her as Mountain Lion #108.
Birdlife flourishes here as well. The campground is home to three species of woodpeckers, along with cardinals and bluebirds. In early May, birdwatchers are treated to the songs and vibrant colors of painted buntings and indigo buntings echoing across the valley. Along the river, you may occasionally spot the striking scissor-tailed flycatcher darting after flying insects above the Niangua River. This unmistakable bird features a pearly-gray back, salmon-pink sides, and an elegant tail that can reach up to seven inches in length.
The River’s Bend is also home to four documented bald eagles, nesting at both ends of the river bend. On land, guests often encounter herds of white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, foxes, and many other native species. Along the riverbanks and waterways, you’ll find beavers, river otters, painted turtles basking in the sun, Missouri blue herons, small river minks, bullfrogs, and a wide variety of fish.
At The River’s Bend, nature isn’t just something you visit—it’s something you share space with.
