Page 7 - OzarksMagazineFeb17

Rainbow trout and game ranch is a real outdoors getaway
ROCKBRIDGE, Mo. — Nestled in the Ozark foothills of southern Missouri is Rockbridge, an unincorpo- rated community in Ozark County. ere you’ll nd the Rockbridge Rainbow Trout and Game Ranch, a hunting and shing hotspot that features ne dining and resorts.
e ranch maintains Spring Creek stocked with mature, hard- ghting rainbow trout. Fishermen are invited to sh year-round and the sta of Rock- bridge operates its own trout hatchery.
“It’s a 24/7 job,” said Rockbridge Rainbow Trout and Game Ranch owner Ray Amyx. “We started the hatchery in 1954. e Missouri Conservation Commission Fishing Division was great to work with and very instrumental in us setting up our own hatchery.”
During the appropriate hunting season, hunters have access to over 3,000 acres, including 100 acres of manicured food plots for whitetail deer, wild turkey and other small game.
e resort o ers 29 rooms, ranging from standard to deluxe, king and queen suites, restored farmhouses and top-of-the-line condos.
Rockbridge’s rst-class restaurant o ers a variety of delicious meals including several selections of spring- caught trout. Favorites include the smoked trout appetizer and blackened or battered trout. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily.
e ranch also o ers horseback
CODY SANDERS
Rockbridge mill was built in 1868. It was damaged in the 2017 oods.
riding, a number of hiking trails, sporting clays and more.
“It’s a real outdoors getaway,” said Amyx.
One of the biggest attractions is the shing. e resort o ers personalized y shing instruction and professional guide services. ey even guarantee everyone will catch a sh.
Much of the resort and the mill were damaged in the April 2017 ood. Most repairs have been nished, though work is still being completed on the riding trails and the mill.
For all that Rockbridge o ers, its history is what put it on the map long before it became an outdoorsman’s destination.
HIstoRY
e original town and mill site were located near the junction of Spring Creek and Bryant Creek. Until 1860, Rockbridge served as the county seat of Ozark County. At the time, the county encompassed what today is three separate counties:
By CoDY sanDERs
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Spring 2018 | Ozarks Magazine | 7