Ozark Mountains · Big Sugar Creek
A Private Ozark Escape,
Unlimited Adventure
In Partnership With
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Ozark Mountains · Big Sugar Creek
The Property
30 minutes from Downtown Bentonville · 30 minutes from Downtown Rogers · 25 minutes from Bella Vista · 10 minutes from Pea Ridge
About the Club
Ozark Adventure Club is a private membership club built around access to an extraordinary piece of Ozark land — more than 1,000 acres with over two miles of private Big Sugar Creek frontage, two spring-fed lakes, wooded ridgelines, abundant wildlife, and a curated collection of outdoor experiences unlike anything else in the region.
A private outdoor sanctuary in the Ozarks, just minutes from Northwest Arkansas.
Member Experiences
The Experience
Every experience is designed to deepen your relationship with the Ozarks — from a morning on the creek to an evening at Rockford Hall.
Private Big Sugar Creek access plus two spring-fed lakes — gravel bars, clear swimming holes, paddling, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and fishing across some of the Ozarks' finest water.
Access to curated Ozark gravel routes via the Elk River Hills Gravel Circuit, plus on-property trails for hiking, trail running, and wildlife observation through wooded ridgelines and open pastures.
Bespoke outdoor programming through our partnership with 37 North Expeditions — guided creek days, guided gravel rides, seasonal nature outings, private group adventures, and curated Ozark experiences.
The club's members-only lounge and bar. Warm wood, dark finishes, and a carefully curated atmosphere that rewards a hard day on the creek or the gravel. The social heart of OAC.
Movement, recovery, and mindfulness programming through Cocoon Yoga Lab. Lakefront yoga, breathwork sessions, and wellness workshops designed to balance hard adventure with intentional rest.
Stay the night or the season in one of ten woods-edge cabins or the century-old Rockford Grange Cottage above a spring-fed lake — member lodging that no hotel or resort can replicate.
Two outdoor and two indoor courts for tennis and pickleball, with instruction, clinics, and leagues led by World Elite Tennis Training and founder Chris Wettengel, the club's racquet sports partner.
A groomed grass airstrip along Big Sugar Creek, developed with Fly OZ as part of its network of Ozark backcountry airstrips. Fly in for the day or the season and taxi up to the club.
More than 1,000 private acres of wooded ridgelines, open pastures, and spring-fed lakes, home to managed herds of bison, elk, and red stag alongside native Ozark wildlife. Room to roam, observe, and simply be on the land.
The Water
Two miles of private Big Sugar Creek frontage — with clear swimming holes, beautiful gravel bars, smallmouth fishing, and stretches made for canoeing or kayaking. Members can reserve private sections of creek frontage or gather at the large communal gravel bar, where the club will offer seasonal bar service. Above the creek, two spring-fed lakes offer swimming, paddleboarding, and fishing — fed by Rockford Spring, which pushes roughly 750 gallons of crystal-clear spring water into them every minute. Out here, the water sets the pace.
On the Water
Big Sugar Creek runs clear and spring-fed for some 47 miles through the southwest corner of the Ozarks — a Class II float of gentle rapids, shaded pools, and gravel-bar beaches, framed by forested banks where bald eagles overhead and smallmouth bass below are part of the scenery.
Members have access to a private put-in and take-out, allowing them to launch near one end of the property and float roughly two miles through private acreage to a large members-only gravel bar, where seasonal bar service is offered. The upper stretch floats best after a good rain. Below Powell, the creek carries water year-round, opening longer floats toward Cyclone, Pineville, and the Elk River. Before you launch, check the live gauge.
Put-ins & take-outs
Hwy 90/KK BridgePut-in
OAC Member Gravel BarTake-out
PowellPut-in · Gauge
Cyclone BridgeBest put-in
MDC Deep Ford AccessPublic
Elk River Confluence
Live creek level
USGS gauge 07188653 · Big Sugar Creek near Powell
Status reflects the seasonal member stretch (Hwy 90/KK → Powell) for canoes. Kayaks run a touch lower; floats below Powell hold water year-round. Always judge conditions yourself before launching.
Bear Hollow Ranch & Preserve
Set within the Ozark Adventure Club property, Bear Hollow Ranch & Preserve provides a truly distinctive backdrop for the Club.
From sweeping natural views to the sight of Rocky Mountain Elk, American Bison, or European Red Deer grazing in the distance, the landscape offers an uncommon and memorable experience that reflects the rugged beauty and character of the Ozarks.
European Red Deer · Rocky Mountain Elk · American Bison
A Decade of Stewardship
The story of Bear Hollow Ranch & Preserve began around 2010, with a vision to restore and steward a stretch of Ozark land. By 2018 it had grown into a working operation known for grass-fed, grass-finished bison — supplying customers, meat markets, and higher-end restaurants across Northwest Arkansas and Southern Missouri.
Over the years, Bear Hollow expanded to include breeding herds of American bison, Rocky Mountain elk, and European red deer, reclaiming overgrown pasture and building the infrastructure to support both a working ranch and a wildlife preserve.
Today it reflects more than a decade of stewardship — where Ozark history, ranching tradition, and wildlife meet on one piece of land.
By Air
OAC provides members access to the club's 2,000 ft grass airstrip nestled between the banks of Big Sugar Creek and the Elk River Hills Gravel Circuit Trailhead. Developed in partnership with Fly OZ as part of its network of backcountry airstrips, the OAC airstrip makes arrival part of the experience.
Racquet Sports
Two outdoor courts and two indoor, set up for both tennis and pickleball through the season.
The program runs under World Elite Tennis Training, led by founder Chris Wettengel — “Wett” to most. He grew up in Bentonville, became the first freshman to win the state singles title, claimed the 2003 Big Ten singles championship at the University of Minnesota, and competed on the professional tour before founding a tennis academy in Northern California. He now keeps a place on the OAC grounds and serves as the club's official racquet sports partner — bringing that experience to private instruction, clinics, leagues, and member programming kept approachable and professional.
The members-only bar and lounge at the heart of OAC. Warm wood, dark finishes, leather, and stone — an atmosphere that rewards a hard day on the water, the gravel, or the trail. Rockford Hall is where the stories get told.
Members & cabin guests only · Full bar service · Private events
Become a MemberArtist’s rendering. Rockford Hall is under renovation, opening 2026.
Member Lodging
Two ways to wake up on the land — a historic natural-rock cottage above a spring-fed lake, and ten woods-edge cabins at the heart of the property. Both keep you in the landscape from sunrise to last call at Rockford Hall.
A historic natural rock home · Lakefront
The Cottage
Built by Dr. Omar Palmer — the Depression-era Ozark figure known throughout the region as the Wizard of Oto — Rockford Grange Cottage is one of the most distinctive properties in the Ozarks. Palmer constructed his three-story home from natural rock quarried on-site, set directly above one of the property's spring-fed lakes — its stone walls and pitched roofline reflected in water so clear it reads turquoise on a summer morning.
Available exclusively to OAC members, the cottage offers a deeply private lodging experience that no hotel or resort can replicate — historic bones, modern comforts, and a setting that has to be seen to be believed.
Inside the Cottage
Original hardwood floors, natural stone walls, antique furnishings, and enough room to make the Ozarks feel entirely your own.
Olympic Village Cabins
Built in the 1960s as part of an Olympic training facility, the ten woods-edge cabins still anchor this corner of the property — comfortable, unfussy basecamps for life on the land. Heat, air, and the essentials taken care of, with everything else just outside the door: creek, gravel, lake, and last call at Rockford Hall.
Member Exclusive
Olympic Village Cabins and the Rockford Grange Cottage are available exclusively to Ozark Adventure Club members and their guests. Become a member and book your stay.
The Route Network
Southwest Missouri · Northwest Arkansas
Created by the founders of Ozark Adventure Club & Big Sugar Cycling Club.
About the Circuit
The Elk River Hills Gravel Circuit is a route network spanning Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas — designed to be one of the nation's premier gravel destinations, and among its most scenic and extensive gravel networks. Routes are rated on a ski-mountain-style difficulty system, covering everything from accessible green routes to demanding double-black terrain. The circuit's Main Trailhead sits on property owned and operated by Ozark Adventure Club, right next to the OAC airstrip.
The full route library is hosted on Ride with GPS and open to the public — free to browse, navigate, and download. Routes save directly to your device, so they stay with you even if you lose service. Club membership provides access to weekly guided group rides.
Ozark Adventure Club was built around a simple belief: that the natural beauty of the Ozarks — its creeks, ridgelines, wildlife, and open sky — deserves to be experienced with intention, with community, and with the highest standards of hospitality.
Ozark Adventure Club exists to connect people with the natural beauty of the Ozarks through outdoor adventure, wellness, recreation, and community-centered experiences.
Rooted in access, exploration, and belonging, the Club provides members and guests with a place to hike, paddle, ride, gather, unwind, and create lasting memories in one of the region's most beautiful private outdoor settings.
Our vision is to become the Ozarks' premier private outdoor lifestyle destination — where adventure, wellness, hospitality, and community come together in a setting that feels both elevated and deeply connected to the land.
Ozark Adventure Club aims to offer a unique member experience built around Big Sugar Creek, spring-fed lakes, scenic hillsides, curated programming, meaningful partnerships, and year-round opportunities to explore, restore, and connect.
Location & Access
Ozark Adventure Club sits in the heart of Southwest Missouri — genuinely remote, deeply immersive, and closer than you think. Most members are on-property in under 30 minutes from home.
Membership
OAC membership is intentionally limited. Each membership option is designed around a specific relationship with the land, the club, and the community it creates.
Memberships are household-based — member, partner, and children under 18.
Stewardship
Thirty percent of every dollar the club generates — from dues, initiation, food and drink, and merchandise — is reinvested directly into the property. Membership isn't access to what the club is today. It's a share in what it's becoming.
Membership is by application and subject to availability and member approval.
The Cycling Membership
Big Sugar Cycling Club is the cycling-focused way into Ozark Adventure Club — a membership built around a private pavilion at the heart of the Elk River Hills Gravel Circuit. Park, ride out, and come back to hot showers, a clean bike, and a fire.
In Good Company
Ozark Adventure Club is proud to partner with a select group of Northwest Arkansas brands that share our commitment to outdoor access, active living, wellness, and memorable experiences.
Guided Ozark adventures and nature-based programming — hiking, paddling, private group outings, and curated experiences that deepen members' connection to the Ozarks and its seasonal rhythms.
Trusted local cycling expertise, bike service and repair, equipment guidance, route recommendations, and cycling clinics for gravel and bikepacking adventures across the Elk River Hills Gravel Circuit.
Restorative wellness programming — yoga, mobility, breathwork, and mindfulness experiences designed to complement an active outdoor lifestyle with recovery, intention, and natural movement.
The Shop
Premium apparel and gear across all four OAC brands — designed for people who take their time outside seriously.
Questions
The Founding Membership
A limited number of founding memberships are held for those who come to us first. Adding your name is how you reserve one, on founding terms.
Joining the waitlist secures:
Joining the waitlist requires no payment and places you under no obligation. Founding terms are confirmed only after your application is reviewed and accepted, and dues begin only after the club opens.
Your membership request has been received. We'll review it and be in touch within 3–5 business days.
