First Impressions – It was a long rainy drive south starting from central Missouri. Convinced that camping was the only option, I sent clear sky vibes hoping that the rain would stop. There were moments that the landscape became rocky. I kept forgetting that the Ozarks were a riverway, not a mountain. The GPS guided me toward “Two Rivers.” There was a small convenience store in a trailer. At the doorway was a large, chubby german shepherd. I asked the woman at the convenience store where the National Park Visitor Center was. “I don’t know what you want from me, but this isn’t it,” she replied. Thankfully, we were able to figure out that what I was looking for was Van Buren, MO and we were right outside of Eminence, MO. It was time to turn around.
Toward Eminence, MO, I saw a strip mall of old buildings that reminded me of an old western town I would expect to see in a cowboy movie. Near the back end of the strip mall was a parking lot that seemed to house a collection of RVs and campers. It appeared that it was an intentionally western-themed RV park.
After some fiddling with the GPS, I made it to the visitor center in Van Buren! It was a nice large building with some historical displays. There was a small bookshelf with some items you can buy. Excitedly, I stamped my passport book and went off to the camping grounds near Big Spring. It was still raining, but I made do.
Museum 
Turkey 
Trees
History (summarized from the NPS pamphlet) – The Ozarks were home to many Native American families and tribes. Unfortunately, by the late 1800s, these native families were removed from their homes in the Ozarks and sent to reservations. Around the mid-1800s Scot-Irish settlers took over the Ozark area and established themselves there. With the start of the Railroad market, the forests of the Ozarks were sacrificed for the need for steam-engine fuel. The market was in full swing until it suddenly stopped. The tourism economy around the Ozarks began to grow. In 1964, The Ozark Riverway was the first nationally recognized scenic riverway. It officially consists of 134 miles of rivers and high-volume springs. The heart of the riverway is the Jack Fork River. As a whole, this riverway park is prized as a protected outdoor recreation area.
Recommendations – Definitely bring bug spray and set aside at least a few days to explore the different springs. Each of the campgrounds and river sites is a far drive from each other, so planning ahead is worth the time. There are some hiking trails, however, I believe you would get the most out of the area through water sports. There is in fact one mountain view near the Buck Hollow site. If interested, this national riverway also neighbors the Mark Twain National Forest on two sides.
Happy travels!
