158 acres near Roaring River State Park open for business

By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Hiking down an old logging road and following a creek, Tammy and Dan Hamm found an area where bluffs carved over countless years shadow the water and provide a place of serenity in a heavily wooded landscape.

The location is a favorite of the Hamms to visit on their 158 acres of property, and it was the inspiration behind the name of their new business, Shadow Bluffs Retreat.

Nestled off Highway 76 less than 2 miles north of Roaring River State Park, Shadow Bluffs offers a variety of camping experiences, from traditional camping to RV spots and tiny homes to “outback camping.”

Tammy and Dan moved to the area 5 years ago and opened for business in July 2022, moving north from Bella Vista, Ark., to pursue another career path in business ownership.

“Tammy was working for Walmart corporate, and I was in corporate with an event management company,” Dan said. “Last year, after COVID started to slow, we opened this up to the public.”

The story of Shadow Bluffs begins as many of the Hamm’s stories do, with Dan saying,” Let’s go on a drive.”

“We had just gotten our Bella Vista house renovated and set up how I liked, and Dan said, ‘Let’s go on a drive,’” Tammy said. “Next thing I knew, we were here, courting the owner of this property.”

When the Hamms first moved in, they ran a hobby farm with more than 60 animals, but the cost became unsustainable.

“We both love animals, but it was taking more money than resources, so we embarked on this journey,” Tammy said. “And, it hasn’t been an easy road.”

Overcoming issues with contractors — and installing a water line themselves — Shadow Bluffs has grown from a few camping and RV spots to a dozen full RV hookups, two tiny houses that sleep six and now a country charm cabin that can sleep about eight.

“We have four tent campsites and two remote campsites, but we can clear out space for more,” Dan said. “We plan to grow depending on demand.”

The entire property is 158 acres and also includes a hiking loop, which Dan said takes about two hours to complete.

“We have five streams, seven mountains and lots of bluffs,” he said. “the property was logged many years ago, so we were able to clear out those logging roads as trails. The main loop through the property takes a couple hours, and there are a few offshoots where you can go see waterfalls. It’s a moderate hike because of the hills and creek crossing. you can’t follow it all the way, but the creek actually ends up at the Roaring River Hatchery.”

For those less enthusiastic about hiking, the Hamms offer side-by-side tours of the property, as well.

Another unique feature of Shadow Bluffs is what Dan calls “outback camping.”

“When you get here, we load you up on the side-by-side and take you to a remote part of the land for a couple days,” he said.

Beyond the camping experience, the Hamms hope to make Shadow Bluffs a memory in visitors’ minds by hosting events throughout the year for campers, an endeavor their background favors.

“The goal is not for us to be found on the side of the road because you need a place to stay,” Tammy said. “We have built a calendar of special events, and eventually we want to open some of those up to the public. Last year, we had a successful root beer float night and chili night, and on Halloween, we decorated the campsites and had a costume contest.”

“Events like that for campers are not uncommon in the industry, but there’s not a lot of it here,” Dan said.

Opening in the middle of the season last year, it took a little time for travelers to find their way to Shadow Bluffs, but not long.

“The fact we were full four months after opening was great, especially so near the end of the season,” Dan said. 

“We’ve had many families that go to Roaring River as a tradition every year, and when the season was almost over, they had to get there,” Tammy said. “We already have several repeat customers we hope make Shadow Bluffs the place they stay every year. We’ve also had some people take some beautiful pictures of some of our untouched property.”

This year, the Hamms have a few things in store, including building a shower house facility and a camp store Tammy said will be called “The Mercantile.”

“that will feature all locally made products,” she said. “I make soaps and body products, and it’s also a way to show kids where their things come from, like how soap is made. We want to find some activities like that for kids to teach them. We know a lot of the craftspeople in the Arkansas and Missouri area.”

Ultimately, Dan said the mission is to make people feel at home away from home.

“I want people to be surprised at how relaxed they are,” he said. “We are trying to keep this as closed off to civilization as possible in that way. We also want to still be quaint when the park is full.”

“We want people to feel like that had a relaxing time and leave feeling refreshed and reinvigorated,” Tammy added. “We offer a simple, quiet getaway.”

As the only staff of the business, the Hamms are on the property constantly, and during the season, they plan to move into an RV spot themselves.

“Some people come and want privacy, but they also want to feel at home and welcomed,” Tammy said. “We’ve met most of our guests in person, and that’s the goal.”

“I am blown away by the friendships we’ve already built,” Dan said. “I have been coming to Roaring River for 30 years, and this is a neat experience because it’s a little different. All season long, we will live in a camper on-site because we want to build on those friendships.”

The Hamms also aim to contribute back to the area, as they enjoy living here.

“We fell in love with Cassville,” Dan said. “We want to provide some community and do our part to bring revenue dollars to Cassville by promoting things like the new mini golf course and flea markets.”

Shadow Bluffs is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and can be reached at 417-847-7660, and reservations can be made at http://shadowbluffs.campgroundonline.org.