School and Community Winter 2024

Where the Pavement Ends

BY: WANITA HUMPHREY A highway sign marks the end of state maintenance, then after a few feet of gravel road, a metal sign stretching over the entrance announces that you have arrived at Bunker Hill Ranch. Driving down a steep, narrow, tree-lined, two-mile long asphalt driveway, there is the first feeling that you are entering a special place, a world apart from the hustle of daily life. Located within the boundaries of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, fourteen miles northeast of Mountain View, Missouri, along the Jacks Fork River, the retreat covers more than two thousand acres. The basis for the resort’s motto, Relax, Recharge, and Reconnect, begins to become evident with your first glimpse of the river when the end of the driveway is reached at the bottom of the hill. A sharp right turn takes you onto a drive running parallel to the water. On the uphill side are two major buildings housing a library, meeting spaces, game room, and office. Farther along are a laundry and a dining hall. On the lower side, backing up to the river, are eight of the twenty cabins. These vary in size, accommodating two to sixteen guests. The cabins are air-conditioned and most are decorated with charming themes, such as fish, ducks, or other outdoor subjects.

There are fireplaces with wood provided and screened-in porches where one can sit and watch the river flowing and perhaps see a grey squirrel running along the rail fence behind the cabins. The remaining cabins are up the hill along a drive that runs parallel to the lower one. Other structures include a small chapel and a one-room schoolhouse that have been moved to the property from their original locations. Visitors sometimes can be heard singing traditional hymns in the chapel accompanied by someone playing, with varying degrees of skill, the old upright piano. Older visitors have been known to check out the schoolhouse to see if it is properly set up like one attended during their elementary days. One elderly gentleman was heard to say that he was pleased that the pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln had been properly placed on the front wall of the room just as they would have been in most of the early schools. A playground, featuring a small log cabin, provides entertainment for children. A council ring where outdoor meetings or performances can be held holds a special surprise. When visiting there, it is a must to sing “Little Sir Echo,” as the high bluffs on

the other side of the river will provide the answering call of, “ Hello .” A horseshoe-pitching pit, one hole miniature golf, sand volley-ball court, tennis court, shuffleboard, ping pong, and basketball goal give a wide choice of activities for guests. The area is also perfect for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and swimming. The one must try activity is the ring toss. A metal ring swings on a long rope from a tree branch and must be launched at just the right angle to catch on a hook on the side of the tree. The long, crescent shaped, built-up scar on the trunk tells of years of visitors trying to hook the ring. The clink of metal can be heard throughout the day as kids or adults spend time at the game, or perhaps pause for a moment to give it just one try when passing. Kids can check out a nature backpack to aid in their outdoor exploring. Local outfitters are available to arrange canoe trips for a special beginning or ending to a vacation at the resort. A pavilion with a large built-in grill is available for guests to use if desired, however, one need not cook, as meals are provided family style in the dining hall. An old fashioned dinner bell signals mealtime and it is a tradition that young guests arrive at the

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