by Rebekah Icenesse
For nearly seven years, Echo Bluff State Park has accommodated Eminence, Missouri, with stunning scenery and fun, nature-filled activities. Whether you’re looking for a campground, rustic cabins, versatile meeting space, or a beautiful wedding venue, Echo Bluff State Park is an all-year, multi-purpose property – fit for any occasion.
Echo Bluff State Park officially opened in 2016, occupying the former site of the youth summer camp, Camp Zoe. Set on 476 acres and still growing, the property features picturesque panoramas of the unsullied forest, and is located near the popular visitor spot of Sinking Creek, the second largest tributary of the Current River. It is situated hundreds of feet below the park’s namesake- a massive, towering bluff made of Eminence dolomite.
Breathtaking Accommodations
Designed to highlight the natural ambiance of the park, Echo Bluff offers three different types of lodging for guests. The Betty Lea Lodge provides 16 guest rooms and 4 suites. For larger groups, there are 13 fully-equipped cabins that can accommodate up to 12 people each. If camping is more of your style, the Timbuktu campground is available to set up a cozy campsite underneath the stars.
Echo Bluff provides versatile indoor and outdoor venues for a variety of events ranging from corporate meetings and weddings to family reunions and church retreats. “We have three banquet rooms in the lodge, and they can accommodate anywhere from 30-178 people,” says Terri Gibson, Sales Manager for Echo Bluff State Park. “For the outside spaces, we have a bluff-top pavilion that can accommodate up to 200, and medium and small-sized pavilions that can accommodate 20-40 people.”
Open year-round, the summer and fall seasons are usually the busiest for Echo Bluff. “September and October are extremely busy for weddings,” Gibson explains. “We get more corporate type of events in the off-season from November to the end of April.”
Excellent Services
From the on-site catering to the audio/visual equipment, Echo Bluff State Park has everything you need for a memorable event. “It’s really easy and simple to plan [an event at Echo Bluff] because they know exactly what I need,” expresses Greg Harmon, a real estate broker for RE/MAX. Harmon has held his annual employee Christmas party at Echo Bluff for the past two years and will continue to plan his event at the
property. “The service is high-quality, and we’ve had a great experience working with them.”
Nature Opportunities
What makes Echo Bluff stand out as a property for meetings and events is that it provides not only event spaces and excellent in-house services, but also a stunning backdrop and fun activities that can take your meeting directly into nature. Find your spot at one of the 150 picnic tables scattered throughout the park, or take a hike through the wilderness on eight miles of hiking trails where you may even see wild horses roaming. Spend hours floating down the Current River in a tube or kayak or wade in the Sinking Creek for a refreshing cool-off.
Whatever adventure you crave for your meeting or event, Echo Bluff State Park is an impressive site that perfectly combines remoteness and connected accessibility. “We can offer everything here- the meeting space, catering, lodging, [and activities]” explains Gibson. “It’s a one-stop-shop.”
MEET
Rebekah Icenesse is a contributing writer from St. Louis
Contact Information:
Terri Gibson
Director of Sales
34489 Echo Bluff Dr.
Eminence, MO 65466
573-531-7007
tgibson@goexplorus.com
