A Place to Settle In
National Geographic included the Ozarks in its Best of the World 2027 Travel List
The article highlights destinations across Arkansas and Missouri, including Bentonville, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, and Top of the Rock. There is so much to explore throughout the region. Here at River of Life Farm in Dora, Missouri, we want to share what makes our corner of the Ozarks special to our family—and to the guests who spend time here.
For us, it starts with the river, more than 500 acres of woods and trails, and the opportunity to spend a few days with less noise and more time for the people you love.
A Place to Settle In
Life gets full. Between work, family responsibilities, and everything else that needs our attention, even planning a getaway can feel like another thing on the list. Once you’re here, we hope you’ll give yourself time to settle in. Pour a cup of coffee and take it out onto the deck of your treehouse-style cabin. Let breakfast run a little longer. Walk down to the river without deciding what the rest of the day needs to look like. There’s something special about having a morning when no one needs you to hurry. The gravel road into River of Life Farm puts some distance between you and the everyday. Once you arrive, you have space to decide how you want to spend your time, whether that means heading outdoors or opening a book and staying right where you are.
Time with the People You Love
One of the things we value most about this property is the space it gives people to be together. For couples, that might mean coffee on the deck and a weekend to catch up with each other. For families, it might mean getting everyone under one roof, cooking breakfast together, and spending the day outside. For a group of friends, it might be the trip you’ve been talking about for years and finally put on the calendar. Our cabins and larger homes welcome different kinds of gatherings, but many of the moments we hope you’ll remember are simple ones. A good conversation around an open fire. Someone making everyone laugh over dinner. The kids finding something along the trail that the adults would have walked right past. Those moments deserve room in our lives. A few days away can help us make it.
The River Is Part of the Experience
The North Fork of the White River is a big part of what brings people to River of Life Farm. Anglers of all skill levels come for its blue-ribbon trout waters and the opportunity to spend hours focused on the current and the next cast. Families and friends come for summer floats and days spent enjoying the water together.
You can also enjoy the river from a quiet spot along the bank. Sit for a while. Listen to the water. Watch how the light changes as the day moves along. With private river access and hiking trails on the property, there are opportunities to explore at your own pace. Some days you may want to cover a lot of ground. Other days, you may find one favorite spot and stay there.
Why This Place Matters to Our Family
Our family has cared for this land across generations. It holds our history, years of work, and memories of people we love. We know the attention it takes to care for a place like this. We also know the joy of sharing it.
Welcoming guests gives us the opportunity to see this familiar property through someone else’s eyes: an angler discovering the river for the first time, a couple arriving for a weekend away, or a family finding a cabin where everyone can gather. We hope you feel welcome here. We hope you have what you need to be comfortable, enjoy the outdoors, and spend your time well. And we hope that, somewhere during your stay, you find a moment you’ll remember when you’re back home.
Come Experience the Missouri Ozarks in 2027
We’re glad National Geographic is giving more people a reason to discover the Ozarks. There is a lot to appreciate here, and we’re proud to be part of this region. If you’re thinking about a 2027 getaway, we invite you to come experience River of Life Farm. Bring your fishing gear, a book you’ve been meaning to read, and the people you keep saying you need more time with. We’ll be here to welcome you to our corner of the river.
Explore our cabins and find your place for a 2027 Missouri Ozarks getaway.
Read National Geographic’s Best of the World 2027 for the full list.