Employees at Fort Leonard Wood’s Lake of the Ozarks Recreation Area are preparing to open the marina and welcome springtime customers.
Located in Camden County, about an hour drive from post, LORA, as it is commonly called, offers adventures, such as camping, boating, swimming, water skiing and fishing.
According to LORA’s website, the Lake of the Ozarks is one of the largest lakes in Missouri — fed by the Osage River, the Niangua and Little Niangua rivers and the Glaize River, with more than 1,150 miles of shoreline.
“It is a place for our service members to come and bring their families to the Lake of the Ozarks and enjoy some rest and relaxation,” LORA Manager Mitzi Wakefield said.
LORA, part of Fort Leonard Wood’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation program, has rustic campsites, RV campsites with partial and full hookups, and cabins for rent.
“We have 28 cabins currently. They range from one to three bedrooms, with some cabins having two bathrooms,” Wakefield said. “We have 21 rustic campsites for those people that like to use a tent.”
LORA is open year-round, but the marina is open from the first weekend in March to Oct. 31.
“Our lodging prices are discounted 25% during the off season, which is Nov. 1 to Feb. 28,” Wakefield said. “Our busiest times are between Memorial Day and Labor Day.”
On March 2, the marina will open and equipment available for rent will include fishing and recreational boats, tubes, life jackets and jet skis.
According to Wakefield, LORA is open to active-duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, retirees, Department of Defense civilian employees, veterans with a service-connected disability, family members and Fort Leonard Wood contract employees.
Joe Grant, an Air Force retiree, said he has been enjoying LORA for about 30 years.
“I store my boat in dry storage with my golf cart and I pull my camper to and from, so I can go boating and camping,” Grant said. “I love camping, boating and meeting good people.”
He said the FMWR staff make the LORA experience convenient and fun because, “they are all very friendly and willing to help if you need it.”
Wakefield said there are some areas under construction and new projects underway.
“We are in the process of building six more three-bedroom log cabins and hope to have those available by 2025,” Wakefield said.
The best way to make reservations, according to Wakefield, is to call 573.346.5640 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.
