The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published January 8, 2025

State park trail transformed by NCCC

LAKE OF THE OZARKS - A popular trail at Lake of the Ozarks State Park has undergone a significant transformation thanks to the work of a team from the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

After five weeks of work, the NCCC team has completed major improvements to all 14 miles of the Trail of Four Winds, including rerouting a section, widening the width and height of portions of the trail, and enhancing areas to create a better user experience and improved environmental impact.

The team of eight was deployed in November from the NCCC Southwest Region based in Colorado. Their last day of work on the trail was December 13.

The team was awarded to Osage Beach non-profit Branches for the Lake (B4TL) and the Lake of the Ozarks State Park after the agencies partnered to be considered for the program.

Branches for the Lake provided assistance writing the project application and supervised the team while they were at Lake of the Ozarks.

Program applicants were required to find a lodging partner to host the team at no cost and Margaritaville Lake Resort stepped forward to offer lodging for the NCCC team.

The Lake of the Ozarks State Park staff was on-site with the team daily to make sure work was done safely and on time. They provided training and expertise so that the team could gain valuable experience and professional development.

“You can’t get a big project like this completed without a lot of help and the partnership initiated by B4TL showcases how a community can benefit from working together,” Guerric Good, Interpretive Resource Coordinator for the Lake of the Ozarks State Park, said. “We have a non-profit group seeing a need and bringing ideas and energy, a private business offering housing, and a federal level program with passionate and hard-working individuals coming together to make a state park better for local, national, and international visitors. I am glad we can all share these successes.”

The Trail of Four Winds is a multi-use trail open to hikers, bikers, walkers and horseback riders. The trail is divided into North and South loops, providing multiple views of Lake of the Ozarks, outcrops, seasonal streams, ponds and woodlands.

Erosion and encroaching vegetation were causing damage and forcing users to go off trail along areas of the path. Other portions needed pruning, limb removal, and general maintenance to make the trail more accessible.

“Due to the hard work of the NCCC team, along with daily support and supervision by state park staff, we now have a safer, more accessible, and environmentally-friendly trail that will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for years to come,” Charis Patires, Grant Project Administrator for Branches for the Lake, said. “This project truly highlights the power of community collaboration and demonstrates the importance of working together to create impactful change in our community.”

The NCCC team removed over 4,775 pounds of vegetation, cleared more than 16.6 acres of land, completed a 0.38-mile reroute which was difficult due to the rocky terrain, removed 6,000 pounds of rocks and improved more than 14 miles of existing trail. The estimated value of volunteer time for the 2,197 hours served on this project is worth more than $67,000.
In addition to working on the trail throughout the week, the NCCC team volunteered with the Dogwood Animal Shelter each Saturday during their stay.

They worked on building kennels at the animal shelter and sorting through donations at the thrift store.

An important component of NCCC service is positive community engagement and volunteering in the communities they are deployed.

Several sponsors stepped up to support the project by donating meals, supplies and hosted outings in the community to help make the team’s stay more enjoyable and to thank them for the work they were completing.

About Branches for the Lake:
Branches for the Lake (B4TL) is a non-profit based in Osage Beach dedicated to fostering economic growth through community, collaboration, connectivity and commerce. The organization has been connecting with local leaders and community partners to assess critical needs and to find solutions to challenging community problems. B4TL looks for ways to utilize paid tax dollars and invest these funds back into the community by way of grant funding and other program opportunities. For more information, go to Branches for the Lake on Facebook.

About AmeriCorps NCCC:
The AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC ) is a national service program for young adults, 18-26 years old, who participate in a 10-month term of service. NCCC members work on a variety of community projects including disaster response, affordable housing, environmental stewardship, and rural and urban development. In exchange for their service, members receive a modest living allowance and an education award to assist with education expenses or student loan repayment.