Big Bear River Resort — Hotel in Lebanon

We just got back from what I thought was going to be a nice, relaxing camping trip with a slow float on a quiet river enjoying the beautiful Ozark scenery. In reality, it was far from that idyllic scenario. First, access to One Eyed Willy's involves traveling down a rough, sometimes dusty gravel road (but access to most of the campgrounds in this area involve the same so I'm not holding OEW's solely responsible for that). Check in at OEW's was pretty simple an painless, the gift shop looked nice, so my hopes were high upon arrival. When I was "led to" my campsite (the owner was on a 4 wheeler and said "follow me") I drove behind him down a very steep, rutted, winding gravel road that was making me think I should have driven a bulldozer instead. Seriously, this was a steep rough trail! Our "campsite" was pretty tough too...very uneven ground, rocky, tree roots everywhere, it made finding a decent tent spot nearly impossible. And, the low spots where I had to park were pretty deep too, like a ditch that could high-center my vehicle if approached incorrectly. We decided to make the best of it and set up camp. We had one neighbor at the time, so not too bad. By the end of the night, that one neighbor turned into a small tent city of no less than 9 big tents, loud voices and music well into the night. I went to use the facilities at Pete's Place, but changed my mind when the toilets had 2 inches of (water?) surrounding them and no way to secure any of the doors. I didn't even try the showers although I really wanted to. Throughout our stay, Brian made visits near our site to deliver ice, which was appreciated. I asked the person at Pete's Place if they could send someone down with firewood, but no one ever arrived even though I was told they would be there. I managed to catch some sleep around 1:30 a.m. or so mainly from exhaustion because the noise from next door continued. At 2:56 a.m. I was roused from my sleep by very loud music and yelling from the campground next door (Maggard's)! What is wrong with people!?!? I peeked outside my tent to see a raccoon eating our food and scattering our trash (that one is on me...I should have secured the food and trash better). Heading to the float was another plus for OEW's...they seem to have the system down....we had no problems at all catching the convenient bus (free) right at our campsite and having the boats waiting for us when we arrived at the launch point. Remember that quiet peaceful float I mentioned that I wanted? Forget it! This river is full of nothing but drunken yahoos blocking the water with "raft islands", blasting HORRIFIC music at a volume beyond nuclear, and showing absolutely ZERO respect for anyone else in the water. One thing blatantly obvious from the majority of these rowdy groups was that NRO stamped on their boats. Remove anything NRO from the area, and it might be an enjoyable float. Then again, I've stayed at Maggard's too, and that was another horrible experience. Instead of an enjoyable weekend on the water, slowly floating with the current, we had to paddle constantly to avoid hearing loss and to get away from these fools surrounding us. We actually couldn't wait to get to the end! when we arrived back at our campsite, ready for a meal and some rest, we were shocked to see another tent city across from us on the other side had popped up while we were floating. Yep, you guessed it, music blasting loud as Hell, kids, people screaming and shouting...that was the last straw. We had to cut our trip short because of the totally inconsiderate people in this place. We packed up and got the Hell out. Fortunately, we left when we did before it rained because that "other exit" that I was told would be flatter and smoother was nothing but a dirt road with huge ruts that turned into another steep gravel hill climb. If it had rained, that dirt road would be a muddy mess and we would be stuck for days. I think OEW could be a nice place, it just needs some work, and the rowdy idiots need to be banned. I'm done with Mo...

You don’t come here necessarily for the amenities. You come to get off of the grid and have a great time with family and friends. The owner, her family, and staff are the BEST kind of people. I’d throw down defending them. lol I’ve came for a weekend for the past three years so I have insights from all three times bundled into one. The good: the fridge, microwaves, lights, and ACs worked well all three years. The bathhouses, top & bottom, were fairly maintained and cleaned daily. Gary with the Karaoke is awesome. He gives his all to ensure you have fun! Last year I had Lasagne and garlic bread coming off of a boozy float and we were SO happy to not have had to grill! The bad: the Grizzly Ridge complex is missing the grills. Last year we had to cook over the fires off of a grate/foil pans (not awful but not what was advertised) more hassle. The restrooms run out of toilet paper fast. Both years we had to ask other stalls for some, or carry a wad with us from our cabin that we brought. Lastly, I did get a couple rows of bites on my leg in cabin B1 this year, consistent with the dreaded bed bug. Mosquito bites don’t line up like that, nor do they show up two days later. Your skin reacts faster to them. If it had been more, I would be upset, but it wasn’t much so I’m hoping they can get it remedied quickly after reading this review. Our crew has consistently had a blast at Big Bear and that is really what...

Just came back from an amazing trip to One Eyed Willies. The cabins, campgrounds, lake access, restrooms are remarkably clean, updated, and it has a great layout. My son and I stayed in the smallest cabin and it was perfect for us! It had a queen & twin bed, a/c, table w/ chairs, patio, outdoor patio set, campfire area w/ porch swings. The gift shop and cabins have beautiful decorations for sale, and I was amazed how inexpensive they are! My 12 year old son was catching really good sized trout out of the river. They made it very simple for us to take a canoe trip. Parked our car, was driven up the road, they set up our canoe & life jackets, & were there at the end when we arrived. I unfortunately lost my keys in the river, but Brian W and the awesome young lady at the shop treated me & my son like family! They made sure we ate, we were comfortable, that we were able to find help, and that we were taken care of for the remainder of our trip.. I honestly love the low cost of the cabins, canoes, and shop, but the people just made it phenomenal!! :) To find a business owner that has such an incredible heart for his work and for the customers, was such a blessing to us.. I would HIGHLY recommend One Eyed Willies, even for families, or groups. There is even a playground for the little ones. I will be be back to bring my church family...