Cloud 9 Ranch - Missouri's Pie-in-the-sky Resort

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Cloud 9 Ranch P.O. Ilox 50 e.uH;eld, Mmouri 65626 (417)284-7321

Cloud 9 Ranch Missouri's pie-in-the-sky resort

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f someone asked you to design , . . - - - - - - , 85 miles from the Branson enter· tainment mecca. the best RV resort you could MIIIOUll imagine, what would it be like? ~ But that's just the begiming of Would it be spacious-say, 10 ~ the Cloud 9 story. When you arsquare miles-replete with hiUs, rive at -the Ranch,- the first thing ~ you'll notice is that there's a wellrolling meadows and verdant forests? Would it possess unusual L. .... paved 3-mile private road from natural beauty, with its own waterfall mysteri- the entrance on Route 160. Once past the ous caves and a crystaI-dear stream? Would 24-hour guardhouse, you'll drive to the top there be hilltop vistas ~ke ones you've seen in of a hill on which stands a large and commagazines?Forgoodmeasure,wouldtherebe fortable clubhouse. An enormous deck herds of deer and fIodu of wild turkeys roam- overlooks two Olympic-size pools, acouple ing its woods, and dozens of hummingbirds at of recreation buildings and a charming noneverycampsite? denominational chapel built by Ranch If that sounds like something out of a fairy members. In the background, you'll see the tale, guess again. Believe itor not, there is an blues, purples and lavenders of distant hills RV resort with all these features, that are actually within the perimeter of this and it's been around for more remarkable resort. than a quarter-century. Known Six hundred campas Cloud 9 Ranch, it's hidden in sites, each with full the famous Ozark Mountains, hookups and cement the most beautiful part of Mispads, aHowforplenty of souri, and is only space between you and your fellow RVers. The Ranch has a stable with a full-time staH and

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• ON CLOUD 9: ENJOYING THI: 01:ARKS ON HORSI:BACK AND ALL-TI:RRAINI VI:HICLI:S, WITH ROD AND IIII:I:L, .-NO IN TWO OLYMPIC~Sl:r:1: SWIMMING POOLS.

about 50 horses to take you on supervised trail rides past shaded streams stocked with rainbow trout. The Ranch's full-service restaurant overlooks the adults-only swimming pool, the grill and ice-cream shop, the pavilion that shows G-rated movies nightly, a teen center, a craft: house that exhibits hundreds of member-made crafts, a well-stocked store where you can purchase your fishing license, a gas station and a large laundry room. There's another thing you should know about Cloud 9 Ranch. AII-terrain-vehides are the preferred mode of travel here. More than half of all Ranch members own ATVs, and it's a common sight to see groups of four or five couples-including many seniors-riding not only the miles of paved roads between the ranch's five campgrounds but also cruising more than 100 miles of well-marked wooded trails or splashing though shallow streams. ATYing is so popular at the Ranch that on summer holidays the resort sponsors a Poker Run, which members and their guests pay $5 apiece to enter. Each ATVer rides at his own pace over easy-to-negotiate hills, dales and streams, picking up poker cards from oHicials at five designated points along the trail. Speed doesn't count in this race; the winner is the person who MS picked up the best poker hand along the way. At the end of the race, the winner takes haH the total entry fees-over $500 on the latest run. The remaining fees goto purchaseadditional emergency equipment for the Ranch's paid emergency medical team. Originally begun by developers who purchased the estate of a lumbering magnate named J. Van Cloud nearly three decades ago, Cloud 9 Ranch was bought by its 4,500 members in 1997. Each member holds a deed to his or her share of this unique property, and members elect a board of directors each year. As you'd ex· pect, all revenues beyond those needed to pay the 50· person staff are used to upgrade roads and amenities. -RICHPAYNE