U.S. Forest Service - Mark Twain National Forest Red Bluff Recreational Area Closed This Summer

U.S. Forest Service - Mark Twain National Forest

Red Bluff Recreational Area Closed This Summer

Major construction at Red Bluff Recreation Area (Red Bluff) will be paving the way to a better experience for future campers. To ensure these improvements can happen, Mark Twain National Forest will need to keep the site closed this summer.

“The Forest Service is investing approximately four million dollars to make Red Bluff an outdoor recreation destination for our visitors to enjoy for decades to come,” stated Forest Supervisor Sherri Schwenke.

Through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), The Forest has received the funding necessary to make this project a reality. This investment will modernize and enhance services at Red Bluff. The new camping loops will offer more electric hookups for both RV and tent campers. A shower house, which the site previously did not have, will be installed for campers to clean up after a day of playing in the river. A dump station will be added to Red Bluff to make it even more convenient for RV use as well—especially since there are currently no other dump stations nearby. All new installations will follow ADA standards, making it more accessible than ever before.

There will be three loops in the new camping area. The north loop will have twenty-four sites, plus a host site—all of these will have electricity available, and all could fit a camper/RV. The new dump station will be accessed from this loop. The new shower building will also be located at the north loop. The shower house will have four restrooms and four showers available for campers. The group loop will have nine sites with electricity and one new double vault toilet. The south loop will have fourteen additional campsites, all with electricity. The south loop will also have two new vault toilets. Having electric hookup options at so many sites will make it nice and quiet as people with RVs will not need to run generators. Pines Overlook will stay non-electric for people wanting a traditional camping experience.

Five years have passed since the record-setting floodwaters of 2017 enveloped Red Bluff and damaged the pavement, campsites, and restrooms. Recreation staff developed a plan to move this facility to higher ground, and this project is part of that plan. This will improve camper safety, increase accessibility, and eliminate maintenance costs associated with repeated flooding.

A contract was awarded last fall for this improvement project and work has already begun. Currently, heavy equipment is moving dirt to create the new campsites. Electrical, plumbing, and water systems will be installed this spring. The shower house and other structures should be added later this summer. Paving the new camping loops, along with grass-seeding and tree-planting, will be the final step of this project. If weather permits, the contract should be complete by the end of fall. Red Bluff is expected to reopen for public use for the 2023 recreation season.

Because the site only has one access road and the construction will include a lot of heavy equipment operation, Red Bluff will need to be closed to the public and removed from the reservation system at Recreation.gov for the 2022 recreation season. Anyone with current 2022 reservations will have their money fully refunded.

The Forest Service expects the project will increase visitation to Red Bluff in the future. The construction project itself should also stimulate the local economy. Frontier Services is the company that was awarded the contract. They are a Missouri-based company and are utilizing other Missouri-based companies for much of the subcontracted work. A local timber company was already used to clear trees from the new camping loops and spurs.

Potosi - Fredericktown District Ranger Becky Ewing will be monitoring the project and will keep the public updated on the status as things move forward. Her team will also utilize this current construction window to engage the public in determining what amenities will be placed in the day use area adjacent to the river, where campsites used to be located.

Ewing shared, “I apologize for any inconvenience this closure will cause anyone; but it will be worth it in the long run for public safety and in avoiding future campground closures related to flooding.” She added, “I am also very excited to see this project moving forward, thanks to GAOA funding; and I believe it is going to really improve visitors’ recreation experience at this site!”