In 1980, Tom & Della Bedell began renting river tubes from a small store in Van Buren. With an inventory of only about 30 tubes, they recognized the growing popularity of a leisurely tube float down the crystal clear Current River. After purchasing the original Leuckel’s Landing, they began to expand their operation to keep pace with the ever-increasing public desire for Current River float trips.
A National Impact
Current River, with its sister river the Jack’s Fork River, makes up the 150 miles of Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which was the first national park area to protect a river system in its wild, untamed state.
The effort to protect these rivers became the prototype for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, which protects many of our nation’s free-flowing rivers. In 1991, Tom and Della’s original building and property was claimed by the Missouri Department of Transportation for right-of-way for the construction of the new four-lane US Highway 60. In 1992, they built the first of five buildings at the current site of The Landing Resort just downriver from the original landing.
The Fun Continues
Today, The Landing operates five of the six National Park float concessions on the lower Current River, providing thousands of people each year a unique and rewarding float experience. Along with our deluxe tubes, we offer canoes, kayaks and whitewater rafts for an unforgettable floating experience. The Landing continues to expand its operation with an addition of 15 more lodge units and a state-of-the-art event center which opened in 2010, and we have plans for several lodge unit additions and more recreational facilities at our 23 acre property located on the banks of Current River. We would like to thank our past customers for their patronage and look forward to hosting many new customers in the future. Just remember at The Landing “We are Serious about Fun!”, and we guarantee you a great vacation experience at one of the most beautiful rivers in America.
Rebuilding A Landmark
Purchase Of Leuckel’s Landing
Tom and Della Bedell buy Leuckels Landing, complete with 34 tubes, 50 canoes, and a two bedroom rental apartment.
Birth Of The Landing
Construction of 4 lane HWY 60 forces Leuckels Landing to close, and The Bedells build The Landing on adjacent property 100 yards down river from original location.
Historic Flood
Heavy rains cause Current River to breach the bottom level of the Landing by 16 inches, with the river registering as high as 29 feet.
Restaurant Expansion
Tom and Della open The Blue Heron Restaurant, a 6,700 square foot addition on the north end that included additional lodge rooms and conference area.
Lodge Expansion
Fifteen additional lodge rooms were constructed on the south end of the existing building.
Event Center Expansion
Construction of The River Center, a 5500 square foot, state of the art event center to host concerts, weddings, and conferences. An additional 15 lodge units added as well.
Historic Flood (1993, Hold My Beer)
Records were shattered as several days of rain led to 37 foot of flood water on the Current River. The water submerged the first two floors causing extensive damage to the entire facility.
Catastrophic Fire
In the early morning of September 15th, a fire spread through the main building, destroying the entire facility in under 4 hours. The fire shut down Highway 60 for most of the night and many locals said they felt the heat from across the river.
Groundbreaking New Additions
On Monday, March 28, 2022 we broke ground on our rebuilding our landmark.
