Rules & policies

Cancellation and deposits

• Half the total is due when you book. The rest is charged automatically to the card on file 7 days before you arrive.
• Cancel 14 or more days before your arrival date and your deposit is refunded in full.
• Cancel 7 to 13 days before and the deposit is not refunded.
• Cancel inside 7 days, on the day you arrive, or do not show up, and the full booking amount is charged and not refunded.
• Early departures are not refunded.

For a Friday, July 17 arrival: cancel by Friday, July 3 and your deposit comes back. Cancel between July 4 and July 10 and the deposit is kept. From Saturday, July 11 on, the full amount is charged.

Changing your dates. Call us as early as you can and we will move you if we have room. Date changes are at our discretion, depend on availability and any difference in rate, and may be limited to one per reservation. Asking to move does not pause the cancellation policy.

Travel protection. You can add it at checkout, and we recommend it. It has to be added when you book, your reservation has to be paid in full to be covered, and the provider decides what it covers, such as illness, family emergencies and qualifying rain or snow. Wildfire and smoke are not covered. Without it, the policy above applies.

Check in and check out

• Check in from 3:00 PM. Check out by 11:00 AM.
• Self check-in instructions come by email and text before you arrive. You do not need to meet anyone.
• Early check-in and late check-out are sometimes possible. Ask and we will tell you honestly whether the site is free.

How many people

• Glamping tents: the number the tent sleeps, which is listed on each tent.
• RV sites, dry sites, and primitive sites: up to 8 people.
• There is no per person charge up to those limits. Everyone in your group is covered by the site rate.

Groups larger than that are welcome, they just need more than one site. Call us and we will put you next to each other.

Parking

• Park on your own site. There is no charge for a second vehicle.
• RV guests can also park across the gravel drive in the pasture, roughly in front of their own site.
• Do not park on a neighboring pad or block the drive.

Pets

• Dogs are welcome. There are no breed restrictions.
• Glamping tents: $25 per stay, not per night. That covers the extra cleaning a canvas tent needs.
• RV sites, dry sites, and primitive sites: no pet fee.
• Leashed in all shared areas, and quiet during quiet hours.
• You are responsible for your animal, for cleaning up after it, and for any injury or damage it causes.

A pet that disturbs other guests, the livestock, or the wildlife has to leave the property. Depending on what happened, we may also ask the rest of your party to leave. That call is ours, and it is not refunded.

Two things to do before you arrive

• Every guest 18 and over has to sign our liability waiver. A parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18. Guests without a signed waiver cannot come onto the property.
• If you plan to ride a county road or a national forest trail, you need a county or Forest Service permit. Our permit guide walks through which one and how much.

1What you are accepting

• Uneven ground, rocks, hills, and natural obstacles across the whole property
• Bridges with no guardrails or handrails anywhere on the property
• Wildlife and livestock
• Water hazards including creeks and ponds
• Fire
• Weather and environmental conditions
• Very limited visibility at night, especially near bridges and water
• Outdoor recreation and off-road vehicle use
• Driving across creek crossings, which change after rain
• Play equipment, including the rope swing

2General safety

• You are responsible for your own safety and for everyone in your group.
• We do not supervise guest activities or watch anyone's children. Parents and guardians supervise their own kids at all times, everywhere on the property, including the rope swing and play area.
• Carry a flashlight at night. Lighting is limited across the property.
• Use extreme caution on bridges, especially after dark. None of them have rails.
• Emergency response can be slow out here. Cell service is thin. You are responsible for your own medical care.

3Water and the creek

• There is no lifeguard at any time.
• Depth, current, and footing change without warning. Check conditions before you get in.
• Surfaces are often slippery or unstable.
• Stay out of the creek during and after heavy rain.
• The cow ponds are not for swimming.
• Children must be within arm's reach of an adult at every water feature, every time.

4Off-road vehicles

ATVs, UTVs, side by sides, and dirt bikes.

• Helmets are required for every rider, adults and children, with no exceptions.
• Seat belts must be worn where the machine has them.
• Operating any vehicle after drinking is prohibited.
• 15 mph maximum anywhere near campsites and guest areas.
• Daylight riding only unless staff approve otherwise, and no riding during quiet hours.
• You are responsible for everyone you carry, including minors.
• Machines must be maintained and operated safely.
• No riding in the creek. Cross it only at the crossings. Missouri law does not allow off-road vehicles in a stream.
• No passengers on an ATV built for one rider.

5Trails and property lines

• Most of the property is unmarked. Some dirt bike trails are blazed and mowed, and in places white signs or caution tape show where a trail keeps going. A marking only tells you where a route runs. It is not a promise that the route is graded, maintained, or safe for you today, and caution tape here marks a route, not every hazard.
• Conditions change with weather, use, and fallen timber. A line that rode fine last month may not this week.
• You are responsible for knowing where you are. GPS is strongly recommended, and cell service is thin.
• Tell someone your plan before you head out on the trails or into the forest.
• We border Mark Twain National Forest on three sides. Know when you have left our land.
• We are not responsible for anything beyond our property line.

6Fire and smoking

• Sinking Creek Ranch is smoke free. No smoking or vaping anywhere on the property.
• Fires go in the designated fire pits, nowhere else.
• Never leave a fire unattended, and put it fully out before you leave your site or go to sleep.
• Burn bans are absolute. No exceptions, ever.
• Do not gather wood from the property. Buy it here or bring your own.
• No fireworks, sky lanterns, or open flame devices of any kind.
• No open flame, grill, or camp stove on or within 15 feet of any tent, deck, tree, or shrub. The fire rings already sit that far out.

7Ranch animals

• Horses and other livestock are on the property. Animals kick, bite, and react without warning.
• You may feed the horses, entirely at your own risk.
• Our horses have their own fenced pasture, separate from the campground and parking. Keep children close around them.
• Bringing your own horse? Tell us before you haul in. You are responsible for your horse, its care and containment, and anything it does. We do not offer guided rides.
• Some of the fencing is electric. Do not touch or lean on any fence.
• Do not enter any area posted as restricted.
• Children must be closely supervised around every animal.

Guest pet rules are in the pets section above.

8Conduct, alcohol, and drones

• Quiet hours are 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM. No exceptions.
• No parties, disruptive behavior, or guests who are not on the reservation.
• Alcohol is fine for guests 21 and over. Drink responsibly.
• No operating a vehicle or doing anything hazardous after drinking.
• Drones are allowed. If one becomes loud or intrusive enough that other guests complain, we will ask you to land it, and that is the end of the conversation.
• You are responsible for your own behavior and your group's.

9Your site

• Leave it clean and clear of trash, debris, and pet waste.
• Generators are allowed at the dry sites, but not during quiet hours.
• Do not damage property, trees, structures, or land, and do not modify anything.
• Keep your gear inside your own site boundaries.
• We may charge for damage or excessive cleaning.

10Hunting and shooting

Hunting and target shooting are allowed with our prior approval only, given by text or email. Ask before you book if either is part of your plan, and we will tell you what is open, when, and where.

11What gets you removed without a refund

• Operating a vehicle or equipment after drinking
• Reckless or unsafe riding
• Riding without a helmet
• Fireworks, sky lanterns, or open flame devices
• Open flame within 15 feet of a tent, deck, tree, or shrub
• Smoking or vaping on the property
• Entering a posted restricted area
• Disturbing the wildlife or the livestock
• Illegal substances
• Hunting or shooting without our approval
• Unsafe behavior around fire, water, animals, or other guests
• Disturbances during quiet hours

12Enforcement

• We enforce these rules at our own discretion.
• Not following them can mean immediate removal with no refund.
• We may charge for damage, excessive cleaning, or policy violations.
• Violations may cost you the ability to book with us again.
• Unsafe behavior, threats, or anything illegal may involve law enforcement.