Matney Camp Restoration Celebration

Several years ago, Matney Camp was decommissioned by the Forest Service, and since then, time, neglect, and the elements have taken their toll on what was left of the camp. As some of you know, the camp itself is accessible by a spur trail and by boat from the White River. On the OHT North map, the camp is designated by only a ‘basic camping’ symbol.

For months, Gordon King and a small group of recruits have devoted time to restoring Matney Camp, but the bulk of the effort devoted to the site came from Gordon. After all this time, the hard work everyone put into the camp has paid off—the camp is restored.

What all Matney Camp will or can be used for is yet to be determined, but three things are for sure: 1) It’s a great place for family activities, 2) it’s a nice site for bringing in the new year, and 3) Matney Camp will be the location of a Restoration Celebration on Saturday, December 6, 2025!!Here are the details:

• Those wanting to hike roughly three miles from Matney Knob Trailhead (MKTH) to the camp can meet at MKTH at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
• Food, water/soft drinks, and utensils for the celebration will be brought in from the river by Gordon King —byo adult beverages.
• Those not wanting to do the three-mile hike can be shuttled to the intersection of Matney Camp Spur Trail and Highway 341—the parking area near the intersection of the two is limited to four vehicles at the most.
• If you want to kayak/canoe yourself and/or family/friends to the event, you are encouraged to do so—children and fur babies are certainly welcome.
• If you have an instrument and want to play some music, please bring it along!
• Want to bring a board game—please do!
• The festivities will likely end somewhere between 2 and 3 p.m.
• If you want to turn this into an overnight backpacking event, please bring along your camping gear as everyone is welcome to stay through the night.
• The camp has picnic tables and an outhouse that are in very nice shape.

So we can make food and beverage plans, please send an email to OHTA@ozarkhighlandstrail.com. Be sure to include your name and the number of folks who are coming with you—their names are optional, but including them would be appreciated.