About North River Glamping
Meet your host, Bess Allen
I’m so glad to welcome you, your family and friends to our glampground at North River Ranch. You can learn more about North River Ranch here. After spending time around the campfire at scout camps, family camps and getaways, I’ve always cherished the idea of making a place for people to have time in nature. I’m looking forward to having you enjoy special moments on this land, and find your own connection, to have your own respite from busy lives. I’ll be available to you during your stay to answer questions about the ranch and the area, give suggestions about hikes, drives and adventures, and make sure you have everything you need.
I was raised in Maryland, in a farming community. After college, my art degree led me to a career in retail display, which morphed into seventeen years in Lancaster, PA as a retail manager. In 2007 I met Peter Allen in Maine, and we were married nine months later. I moved to Northern California, where our two children were born, and I helped to manage properties in the family business. In 2022, our concern for the environment and wanting to do something to decrease climate change led us to our current journey of regenerative agriculture. It all feels like full circle to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.
What’s here
The Grove is seven acres on the South side of the Ranch. We’ve built a small house and three platform tents near the pond on this glampground, and we rent each of them individually, or the whole site. There’s a large outdoor pavilion with an outdoor kitchen,
How to get here
From St. Louis, it’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive: Take Hwy 61 North to Hannibal. Take Hwy 36/110, stay on Hwy 36/24. In Shelby County, take State Hwy Z towards Emden. In Emden, make a left at the stop sign onto 168. In 3 miles at the intersection with Hwy T/W, take a right onto Hwy W. In about a mile, take a right on 246, follow signs.
From Kansas City, it’s about 2 hours and 45 minutes: Take Rte 71N and keep right at the fork to follow interstate 35 towards Des Moines. Take exit 54 onto US 36, turn right onto US 36E. After passing through Shelbina, take Hwy T on your left, continue over 168 onto Hwy W. In about a mile, take a right on 246, follow signs.