• Young people floating past yellow flowers

    Ozark

    National Scenic Riverways Missouri

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  • Closings and service reductaions due to Federal Budget Cuts announced.

    The public will experience reduced hours and services provided by Ozark National Scenic Riverways due to the budget cuts that became effective March 1, 2013. Please check back often for further details or changes. List of closed facilities, click "MORE." More »

Ranger Programs

A visit to a national park wouldn't be the same without a Ranger Program! Join a ranger for one of these daily activities. Other "once a summer" activities are listed on our Special Events page. Make sure you check it out!

The budget cuts include eliminating some interpretive programs, evening campfire programs at Round Spring and Pulltite, and Round Spring Cave tours. Please check back to this page for the latest updates or changes.

Alley Mill: You can visit the historic Alley Mill anytime, the grounds are always open. The building itself is open daily from 9:00 to 4:45 during the summer . Tours by request. Free.

The Alley General Store Visitor Center will be open from 9:00 to 5:00 most days during the summer. It may be closed for a half hour during the lunch hour. This replica general store has historic craft items and books for sale, as well as free park information.

Storys Creek School located at Alley will be open daily, from 9:00 to 4:30. Summer only.

Campfire Programs: Join us in the campground amphitheaters to learn about Ozark wildlife, geology, superstitions, history and a whole lot more. Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:30 pm at Big Spring and Alley Spring. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Alley Nature Hike. Join a ranger for a somewhat strenuous hike on the Alley Overlook Trail. 9:30 am Saturdays and Sundays, meet at the Alley Mill's front door.


Kids Nature Discovery. Join a ranger for fun in nature. We might dissect owl pellets, take a hike or wade in the creek and see what we can catch. Sundays at 9:30 am at the Alley Amphitheater.

Alley Community Walk. Take a walk back into time with a knowledgeable ranger. We'll take a look at how life was way back when by visiting the Alley Mill, the One Room Schoolhouse and the General Store. Meet the ranger at the footbridge near the Alley Mill, daily at 1:00 pm.

Junior Ranger Program: ask a ranger or campground host for a free Junior Ranger book. Complete some of the self-paced activities and turn it in at a Campfire Program, the Alley Mill or Park Headquarters in Van Buren and get the Official Junior Ranger badge you've earned!

Other activities: Special hikes, concerts and cultural demonstrations are scheduled from time to time during the summer months around the park. Watch this space, and check bulletin boards when you arrive for the latest offerings!

FREE LOAN OUT ITEMS

You can borrow a few things to make your adventure more fun:

River Exploration Kits, available at Big Spring, Park Headquarters and the Alley General Store. These kits include nets, field guides, bug boxes, all the stuff young minds need to explore nature along the river or at the campsite.

Call 573-323-4236, ext 0 for more information

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Children enjoying a hike with a ranger
Have fun and learn about nature at the same time! Join a ranger for one of the activities above.
 
"Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss". - (David Bolling, How to Save a River: Handbook for Citizen Action)
  • Alley Mill was built in 1894 Alley Mill was built in 1894

    Learn more about the history of the "Old Red Mill" Read More

  • Beautiful cave formations. Beautiful cave formations.

    Hundreds of caves are to be found in the Ozarks. Round Spring Cave is open for tours in the summer.

  • Visiting With Your Students Visiting With Your Students

    Information on field trips, contact information, etc. Read More

Did You Know?

thick stand of rivercane, which looks like bamboo.

Cane brakes are thick stands of rivercane, which is much like bamboo. The endangered Swainson's Warbler nests in these thickets. Many stands have been lost to reservoir impoundments throughout the South, but many stands are protected at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. More at www.nps.gov/ozar More...