Council Bluff Recreation Area

Sand Play

Recreation areas with activity Sand Play:

There is a 1.25 acre sand beach in front of the concession stand, that can be busy on a hot weekend.

Kids can enjoy a small playground with a slide and climbing structures on the beach.

There is a paved sidewalk that winds around in front of the beach on a raised up embankment, and there are two sets of wide-stairs down to the beach area.

Amenities at the beach include a concession stand operated by the concessionaire, coin-operated private hot showers, flush toilets, water fountains and outdoor showers. There is one large and one small accessible picnic pavilions with tables and grills.

No lifeguard on duty.

Mountain Biking

Recreation areas with activity Mountain Biking:

• Council Bluff Lake Trail

Council Bluff Lake Trail - 12-miles

The 12-mile long Council Bluff Trail encircles the lake, with spurs to the campground. There are some wet areas on the trail. There are a few places where trams have been installed in particularly wet areas.

Horses are prohibited from this section of the trail.

The trail can be accessed from the Wild Boar Hollow Boat Ramp Parking Lot and Enough Boat Launch, and there is a trailhead in the campground, look for it by the dumpster and horseshoe pit area.

Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail - 24-miles

Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail is located just west of the recreation area.

This section of the Ozark Trail is approximately 24 miles long and is open to foot, mountain bike, and equestrian traffic. From Hazel Creek in the north, it runs south crossing hollows, ridgetops, small streams, and several highways, ending at Hwy. A.

Campground Camping

Recreation areas with activity Campground Camping:

Walk-in Sites – There are two sets of walk-in sites located back in the woods a little bit. One set is located on the north side of the campground, the other is on the south side. They offer a little more privacy than the sites on the campground loop road. There is a small parking area for these sites where you can park and hike in with your gear at each set of sites. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table.

Campground Loop - There is one loop around the campground, with the group campsites located in the middle of the loop. The sites are screened with trees and brush to give a sense of privacy. Each site has a table, fire ring, lantern post and a parking spur.

Coin-operated hot showers available at Chapel Hill Beach. Some loops are one way traffic while others are two-way. Please be aware of traffic direction.

No. of Sites	Single: 39 Double: 7 Walk-in: 9 (park your vehicle and hike into primitive sites for tent camping) Group: 4
No. of Accessible sites	All of the sites, except the walk-in sites, are accessible.

RV Camping

Recreation areas with activity RV Camping:

Campground Loop - There is one loop around the campground, with the group campsites located in the middle of the loop. The sites are screened with trees and brush to give a sense of privacy. Each site has a table, fire ring, lantern post and a parking spur.

Coin-operated hot showers available at Chapel Hill Beach. Some loops are one way traffic while others are two-way. Please be aware of traffic direction.

No electric or water hookup, showers or dump station facilities.

No. of Sites	Single Sites: 39 Double Sites: 7 Group Sites: 4
Vehicle Clearence	No restrictions
Size Restrictions	Up to 40 feet at most sites. Check recreation.gov for specific length restrictions for sites.
Pavement Type of Parking	spurs are paved
No. of Accessible sites	All sites for RV camping are accessible.

Group Camping

Recreation areas with activity Group Camping:

4 group camp sites which can accommodate up to 50 people each. These sites can be busy on summer weekends.

There is one loop around the campground, with the group campsites located in the middle of the main loop.

• Loops A and D you pull directly off of the main loop road to park.
• Loops B and C have their own directional loops with parking.

The sites are screened with trees and brush to give a sense of privacy. Each site has a table, fire ring, lantern post and parking spurs.

Coin-operated hot showers available at Chapel Hill Beach.

Some loops are one way traffic while others are two-way. Please be aware of traffic direction.

No. of Sites	Group sites: 4
No. of Accessible sites	all group sites are accessible.

Lake and Pond Fishing

Recreation areas with activity Lake and Pond Fishing:

There are 2 boat launches on Council Bluff Lake: Wild Boar Hollow and Enough.

Over by the Enough boat launch there is an abundance of lily pads. Because this lake was built due to dam construction there are trees in the lake by this boat launch and around the perimeter of the lake. Once you are in the middle of the lake and by the beach there are few submerged trees from the flooding to create the lake.

If you are using a motorized watercraft it may be preferable to launch from Wild Boar Hollow.

Fishing is permitted year round. Fishing regulations are established by Missouri Department of Conservation.

Fishing Mode	boat, shoreline
Fish Species	stocked with largemouth bass, red-ear, sunfish, bluegill, crappie and catfish
Fishing Platform	None
Water Temperature	cold
Fishing Method	Rod & Reel
Water/Flow Level	87 feet at maximum depth, 440-acres
Status:	Open

Day Hiking

Recreation areas with activity Day Hiking:

• Council Bluff Lake Trail

Council Bluff Lake Trail - 12-miles

The 12-mile long Council Bluff Trail encircles the lake, with spurs to the campground. There are some wet areas on the trail. There are a few places where trams have been installed in particularly wet areas.

Horses are prohibited from this section of the trail.

The trail can be accessed from the Wild Boar Hollow Boat Ramp Parking Lot and Enough Boat Launch, and there is a trailhead in the campground, look for it by the dumpster and horseshoe pit area.

Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail - 24-miles

Trace Creek Section of the Ozark Trail is located just west of the recreation area.

This section of the Ozark Trail is approximately 24 miles long and is open to foot, mountain bike, and equestrian traffic. From Hazel Creek in the north, it runs south crossing hollows, ridgetops, small streams, and several highways, ending at Hwy. A.

Game Bird/Waterfowl

Recreation areas with activity Game Bird/Waterfowl:

Waterfowl hunting is permitted on Council Bluff Lake and the Enough Fields provide upland game opportunities.

Hunting regulations are established by Missouri Department of Conservation.

Picnicking

Recreation areas with activity Picnicking:

Near the beach is a large grassy area with shaded picnic tables. Each table has a trash can and a pedestal grill.

Several of the sites in the grassy area have accessible surfaces or deck. Several of the tables are located up on the wooded hill surrounding the grassy area.

No. of Sites

17 single-family picnic sites

Group Picnicking

Recreation areas with activity Group Picnicking:

Large Pavilion – This pavilion is down a paved road from the beach/grassy area. After you pass the concession stand you continue down the paved road and around the grassy area and will find this pavilion located on the bank of the lake, right next to the water. The pavilion has 8 tables and a group grill. It can accommodate a group of up to 74. There is an outdoor shower, water spigot, and restroom next to this pavilion.

Small Pavilion - This pavilion is down a paved road from the beach/grassy area. You can find it just as you enter the site, on the left. This site is in a wooded area above the paved road. This pavilion has 4 tables, a trashcan, and a group grill. It can accommodate a group of up to 25.

No. of Sites

2 pavilions

Boating - Motorized

Recreation areas with activity Boating - Motorized:

Boat Motors limited to 10 horsepower, or no wake.

Enough Boat Launch is a single-lane gravel launch. Over by the Enough boat launch there is an abundance of lily pads. Because this lake was built due to dam construction there are trees in the lake by this boat launch and around the perimeter of the lake. Once you are in the middle of the lake and by the beach there are few submerged trees from the flooding to create the lake.

Wild Boar Hollow Boat Launch is a single-lane concrete launch with a boat dock. If you are using a motorized watercraft it may be preferable to launch from Wild Boar Hollow.

Type of Craft	Jet skis are prohibited.
Motor Type	Electric or gas motors are allowed.

Boating - Non-Motorized

Recreation areas with activity Boating - Non-Motorized:

Visitors frequently come to canoe, kayak or paddle board on Council Bluff Lake.

Enough Boat Launch is a single-lane gravel launch. Over by the Enough boat launch there is an abundance of lily pads. Because this lake was built due to dam construction there are trees in the lake by this boat launch and around the perimeter of the lake. Once you are in the middle of the lake and by the beach there are few submerged trees from the flooding to create the lake.

Wild Boar Hollow Boat Launch is a single-lane concrete launch with a boat dock. If you are using a motorized watercraft it may be preferable to launch from Wild Boar Hollow.

Status:	Open

Swimming

Recreation areas with activity Swimming:

There is a 1.25 acre sand beach in front of the concession stand, that can be busy on a hot weekend.

Kids can enjoy a small playground with a slide and climbing structures on the beach.

There is a paved sidewalk that winds around in front of the beach on a raised up embankment, and there are two sets of wide-stairs down to the beach area.

Amenities at the beach include a concession stand operated by the concessionaire, coin-operated private hot showers, flush toilets, water fountains and outdoor showers. There is one large and one small accessible picnic pavilions with tables and grills.

The area is not managed for swimming: there are no lifeguards, depth or hazard markers, and the water is not tested.

The swimming area is delineated by buoys and floating plastic pipe.  Outside of this area you may encounter motorized boats.

Status:	Closed