Sand Spring Resort in Lebanon, Missouri marked the maiden voyage for our Rockwood Roo as we met with several other families for a weekend of camping and floating on the Niangua River. They offer 30 and 50 amp service as well as water hookups and a convenient dump stations. Primitive camping spots can be found as well. While we thoroughly enjoyed the rafting and nights around the fire, overall the campground left much to be desired.
Pros:
River Access
The campground is walking distance to the water and provides ample entertainment for kiddos. While you will not find a beach of sorts, the ability to walk down and put a pole in the water or skip a few rocks is what camping is about!
Rafting / Canoeing
The convenience of being able to rent your raft or canoe from the camp store is a big plus. Pricing is about on par for the area and the equipment was in good working order. The bus ride is perhaps the most terrifying and enjoyable part of the adventure. Huge shout out to the drivers navigating the windy gravel back roads in school busses that should have been out of service a decade ago.
Blast from the Past
We spent some time visiting the pool which was hilariously dated and awesome at the same time. Slippery concrete surfaces, fake boulder walls, and chilly yet refreshing water. The kids had a blast and that is what matters.
Cons:
Standing Water
The entire campground can best be described as a mosquito breeding operation. Large pools of water are scattered about due to inadequate grading and drainage. Additionally, the sites are located on the other side of what can best be described as a shallow lagoon filled with algae. Our back in site was located right next to a fenced off pool of water that was suspiciously close to the dump station. Yuck!
Bathrooms
Thankfully we have a bathroom on our rig. Unfortunately for our friends tent camping, they were forced to use a portable toilet that looked like it had been fished out of the river. At one point in time the campground had bathrooms and a shower house, however, appeared to have been flooded and destroyed in years past.
Road Noise
The campground is right next to a two lane highway and we heard several diesel trucks rumbling by throughout the night. Inside the camper we never noticed with fans running, however, our friend in their tents noted it was a bit annoying hearing local teens spool their turbo power strokes up and down the road.