My husband and I have been camping at Circle B for a little under two decades -- long before our…read morekids were born. We've always chosen Circle B because it used to be the place to go in Eminence, MO. But after our most recent stay, it's clear this campground no longer values loyal customers or basic fairness.
The biggest issue is the rock bar at Button Rock, where everyone congregates. It has become impossible to get a spot because people leave their unused, empty canopies sitting out all day to "reserve" their place -- even when they're not using them. Circle B allows this, and it ruins the experience for everyone else.
After floating all day, my husband moved ONE unused canopy about six feet so we could unload our canoe, kayaks, cooler, and gear. Within minutes, a woman in a red Jeep was glaring at us like we'd done something outrageous. Then a man came barreling down in his Toyota, marched straight over, and spoke to my husband in a blunt, territorial, and confrontational way -- all over an empty canopy that wasn't even being used. It was completely unnecessary and made the whole situation uncomfortable.
And if that wasn't ridiculous enough, the woman in the red Jeep actually went to the front office with our campsite number to file a complaint that we moved her unused canopy SIX FEET. And the office took the complaint. Instead of addressing the real issue -- people blocking the entire rock bar with empty canopies -- they treated us like we were in the wrong for simply trying to unload our gear.
When my husband went to the office to ask why guests are allowed to leave unused canopies out all week, he was basically told that the retired campers who stay for weeks get first dibs, even during slow weekdays. In other words, our money wasn't good enough. Our long‑time loyalty didn't matter. We were brushed off like we were the riffraff.
What makes this even more frustrating is that my husband never writes bad reviews. He doesn't complain, he doesn't cause problems, and we've never felt the need to speak out before. But this experience was so unfair, so poorly handled, and so disrespectful that we felt it was necessary to warn others about what's happening at Circle B.
We paid over $270 for this stay and were treated like second‑class customers. Circle B has made it clear they only care about the people who stay for weeks at a time, not the families who have supported them for years.
And let's be honest:
* The bathrooms are disgusting outdated, dirty, covered in bugs, and clearly not maintained.
* The campsites are crammed together with barely any breathing room.
* The overall atmosphere has gone downhill.
After nearly twenty years of camping here, we're done. Circle B has completely lost sight of what made it special, and they've lost our business for good.