Hickory Ridge Campground is located in Danville, Missouri, about an hour and a half away from St. Louis. A total of 90 RV sites are available, many of them offering full hookups and shade from trees around the park. Every site has a fire pit and picnic table, and a number of the sites can accommodate tent campers. A cottage is also available with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom. Some of the other amenities around the property include a fishing pond, playground, saltwater pool, coin-operated laundry, and restroom and shower facilities. The owners hope that each guest will “have a good night’s sleep and enjoy themselves,” as many guests usually stay at the park while traveling to other nearby locations. While at the campground, guests can also explore nearby Graham Cave State Park or Whetstone Creek Conservation Area, where hiking trails, rivers, and lakes can be found.
Situated in Danville, Missouri, is the Hickory Ridge Campground, with 90 RV sites available for reservation. Trees around the park offer shade to many of the sites, particularly during the summer months. Most of the spaces at the park are equipped with full hookups, and all have a picnic table and fire pit. Should someone prefer tent camping, every RV space can accommodate them. According to Bev, one of the park’s owners, the most popular sites among guests are Site 30 through Site 33, both of which offer 50-amp service and are pull-through spaces. Bev also mentions that this could change because of the new sites they are currently constructing at the park. A cottage on the premises that has two beds, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom can also be reserved. The cottage is connected to the campground’s store at the front of the park.
When describing what is sold in the store, Bev says it has “most everything a camper might forget or want” during their stay. This includes some RV supplies, snacks, drinks, and other similar sundries. This main building is also where the property’s coin-operated laundry facility, bathrooms, and showers are located. A separate building further into the park provides guests with additional restrooms and showers should they wish to use those instead. Other amenities available to guests include fishing in the campground’s fishing pond, swimming in the seasonal in-ground saltwater swimming pool, and a playground for those who may have children with them. Those with dogs can also make use of the business’ fenced-in dog park. A number of hiking trails start within the park and extend into the surrounding wilderness along various routes.
Near Hickory Ridge Campground is Graham Cave State Park, which is most notable for its access to its namesake, Graham Cave. More hiking trails can be found within the state park as well as river access for fishing either along the banks or in the river on a boat. Slightly further away is the Whetstone Creek Conservation Area, where those who are interested in outdoor activity can find even more trails and lakes within its significant acreage. Aside from natural attractions, the city of Hermann, Missouri, is home to a number of wineries that some guests can travel to during their stay. The campground is also approximately an hour and a half away from St. Louis, Missouri, a destination that Bev says some patrons will make a day trip to. People staying at Hickory Ridge interested in local cuisine are often directed to A Bar & Grille in New Florence and Bundy’s Burgers and Ice Cream in Montgomery City.
Bev, one of the park owners, remarks that she hopes her guests will “have a good night’s sleep and enjoy themselves.” Many of those who stay at the campground are passing through the area on their way to another destination. This generally constitutes an older demographic, as Bev estimates most short-term guests to be between 50 and 60 years old. "Being a convenient stopping point on a journey" is one of the things Bev believes the campground is best known for, along with having trees that provide shade for many of the sites. While the park is open year-round, the busiest time of year most commonly takes place between Memorial Day and October because Bev notes that people are often traveling and these months tend to have more moderate temperatures.
A number of positive reviews have been left by previous guests, with specific reference to the amenities offered and the hospitality of the hosts. One amenity that is repeatedly mentioned is the pool, which one person says “felt good after a day of traveling.” The owners are also cited as being polite and hospitable. “Both owners were very accommodating and friendly,” said a former guest, with another expressing appreciation for the “hospitality and help [they] received when [they] pulled into the property. The owners and their staff are amazing.” This personal service is a crucial aspect of the park to Bev who says they make an effort to help those staying with them get settled into their site.
Some of the other things the campground does to provide guests with a pleasant experience involve events that are hosted throughout the year. Events that have occurred in the past have ranged from providing breakfast or dinner to all patrons to Easter egg hunts to a spooky-themed trail walk for Halloween. With the intent to maintain this ambiance, there are a few policies that guests are asked to follow, mainly keeping dogs on a leash and cleaning up after them. Other important guidelines include limiting one’s speed through the park to five miles per hour and observing a quiet time from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Overall, Bev asks that her patrons use “common sense” when they are there.
A number of owners have run the Hickory Ridge Campground since its inception in the early 1970s, each of which owned it for a fairly significant amount of time. Originally named Kan Do Campground, the previous owners ran the park for about 18 years before it was purchased by Bev and Jason, the current owners. Bev and Jason were led into the hospitality industry because they both were former guests of the park and “fell in love” with the property. They were in neighboring sites, and upon finding out that the park was for sale, their interest was piqued. In January 2022, they bought the campground and changed the name to Hickory Ridge.
Since taking over, Bev and Jason have worked on a number of updates for the park, including reworking the pumphouse and the well-house for the pool and RV sites, respectively; fixing the roads throughout the premises; adding 14 new sites; and buying new picnic tables, among other things. Bev hopes that in the future, cabins can be built in addition to the one cottage that they offer right now. Her favorite part of running the park is being able to talk to the various guests who stay with them, whether they be seasonal or short-term, and learning more about who they are as people.
99 Hwy TT
Montgomery City, Missouri 63361
United States
Campground
Bev and Jason
