Meramec State Park

What Meramec State Park does

Meramec State Park is a 6,896-acre Missouri state park located in Franklin County, Sullivan, approximately 60 miles southwest of St. Louis off Interstate 44 along the historic Route 66 corridor. The underlying physical asset — forested Ozarks landscape with limestone bluffs, the Meramec River, and caves — is owned and managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; BA Services, Inc., a private Missouri corporation, operates the commercial concessions under agreement with the state. Concession operations comprise three lodging product lines (19 historic CCC-built cabins ranging from one-bedroom at $140/night to a five-bedroom at $325/night, plus the 22-room Hickory Ridge Motel at $87-$130/night), watercraft rentals (canoes, single kayaks, and 6-, 8-, and 10-person rafts at $42-$350 per trip on a 5-mile Class I float), and group/event facilities (the 125-person Hickory Ridge Conference Center at $300/day and the Overlook Pavilion at $50/day). Supporting amenities include the Fireside Store & Grill (check-in, retail, and casual dining), a seasonal River Stop Store at the float departure, and recreational infrastructure spanning seven named hiking trails (totaling 13+ miles) and river fishing for bass, catfish, and drum.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer model with no third-party resellers. Distribution is anchored by an embedded FareHarbor booking widget on the WordPress website (online self-service reservations) plus phone reservations via (573) 468-6519 and 1-888-MERAMEC. Customers are predominantly individual/family travelers and small groups from the St. Louis metro and Route 66 corridor, with secondary segments in pet owners (via the 'Cabins for Canines' program), group events, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Revenue mechanics are a mix of nightly lodging pricing, per-trip watercraft rental fees, per-day event-venue fees, and ancillary food/retail sales, with peak revenue concentrated in the May–September operating window. Pricing uses seasonal weekday/weekend differentials, multi-night promotions (free fourth night before Memorial Day or after Labor Day), and ancillary fees ($20/night per dog, smoking-violation cleaning fees of $100-$150, late-checkout fees of $50 per half hour).

Name

Meramec State Park

Legal name

BA Services, Inc.

Website

https://meramecpark.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Meramec State Park, operated by BA Services, Inc. under concession with Missouri Department of Natural Resources, is a 6,896-acre Ozarks destination offering river float rentals, 19 CCC-built cabins, a 22-room motel, conference and event facilities, hiking, and on-site dining/retail for St. Louis-area visitors and Route 66 travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation and Hospitality

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Park Campgrounds & Public Campgrounds (THAMAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• State park recreation
• River float rentals
• Cabin lodging rentals
• Outdoor hospitality services
• Conference event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Sullivan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Watercraft Rentals: The park rents canoes, kayaks, and rafts for 5-mile float trips down the Meramec River. Pricing varies by watercraft type and day of week (weekday vs weekend rates). Each float trip takes approximately 2-4 hours on the Class I (sometimes II) river.
2. Cabin Rentals: The park offers rustic CCC-built cabins hidden among the pines and hardwoods throughout the 6,896-acre park. Cabins range from one-bedroom (accommodating 4 people, $140/night) to five-bedroom (accommodating 10 people, $325/night). Most cabins are dog-friendly with additional pet fees. Rates include bedding, towels, linens, pots, pans, kitchenware, and access to mini kitchens with refrigerators and stoves.
3. Motel Accommodations: The Hickory Ridge Motel offers 22 spacious rooms perched atop the Meramec River Valley. Standard rooms with two queen beds are $87/night; loft rooms with three queen beds are $130/night. Some rooms are dog-friendly with additional fees.
4. Conference Center & Pavilion Rental: The Hickory Ridge Conference Center accommodates up to 125 people on a wooded hilltop, offering tables, chairs, countertops, cabinet space, and a deck. Rental rates are $300/day for the conference center and $50/day for the Overlook Pavilion. The venue serves meetings, reunions, weddings, and receptions.
5. Fireside Store & Grill: The on-site store sells gifts, t-shirts, toys, swimming apparel, camping gear, hiking sticks, firewood, ice, beer, snacks, and more. The grill serves burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pizza, and appetizers during operating season (May 23 to September 6, 2026).
6. River Stop Store: A second store location near the floating departure area sells snacks, beer, ice, t-shirts, water guns, sunglasses, sunscreen, and soft drinks for river-goers during the floating season.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Meramec State Park is a 6,896-acre Missouri state park offering outdoor recreation and hospitality services. Core offerings include watercraft rentals (canoes, kayaks, and rafts) for 5-mile float trips down the Meramec River, rustic CCC-era cabin rentals (1-5 bedrooms), the 22-room Hickory Ridge Motel, conference and event facilities, and on-site retail and dining at the Fireside Store and Grill. Concession operations are managed by BA Services, Inc. under agreement with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Product overview

Meramec State Park is a 6,896-acre Missouri state park offering outdoor recreation services. The core offerings include river float rentals (canoes, kayaks, and rafts for 5-mile trips on the Meramec River), CCC-built cabin rentals (ranging from one to five bedrooms), the 22-room Hickory Ridge Motel with conference facilities and overlook pavilion, hiking on seven trails totaling over 13 miles, and fishing on the Meramec River. Supporting amenities include the Fireside Store and Grill (check-in location and dining) and River Stop Store (floating season retail). The park's concession operations are managed by BA Services, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• River Float Rentals

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kampgrounds of America (KOA): Largest U.S. franchised campground network offering cabin, RV, and tent sites across thousands of locations. Comparable lodging product type and target customer, but operates as a national franchise versus a single-site state-park concession.
• Xanterra Travel Collection: Major national-park concessioner operating lodging, F&B, and activities in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and other U.S. national parks. Larger and more diversified concessioner with similar underlying business model (private operator running public-park hospitality).
• Forever Resorts: Operates lodging, marinas, and recreation concessions inside multiple U.S. state and national parks. Comparable park-concession business model and target customer, but with broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Meramec Caverns: Privately operated commercial cave attraction located near Meramec State Park on the same river corridor. Comparable regional destination drawing the same Route 66 and St. Louis drive-market visitors, with overlapping outdoor-recreation use cases.
• Ozark Outdoors Riverfront Resort: Privately operated float-trip and lodging operator on the Meramec River upstream of the state park. Direct overlap in canoe/kayak/raft rentals and Ozarks lodging for the same drive-market customers.

Direct peers

• Big Sur Lodge: Lodge and cabin accommodations inside a California state park (Pfeiffer Big Sur), operated under concession by a private operator. Closely comparable single-site park-concession business model with lodging, dining, and outdoor recreation.
• Current River State Park: Missouri state park with cabin lodging and float opportunities on the Current River. Same concession-operator structure and Ozarks outdoor-recreation customer base as Meramec.
• Roaring River State Park: Missouri state park offering cabins, motel, and trout fishing in the Ozarks under the same DNR concession framework. Highly comparable operating model and customer segment (drive-market outdoor travelers from the Midwest).
• Onondaga Cave State Park: Neighboring Missouri state park located on the Meramec River with cave tours and lodging under the same DNR concession structure. Tightest geographic and operational peer to Meramec.
• Bennett Spring State Park: Another Missouri state park with cabin rentals, motel accommodations, and float-trout fishing on a similar concession-operated model under Missouri DNR. Direct comparable in geography, concession structure, lodging mix, and water-based recreation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meramec-state-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Meramec State Park