First-ever Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler YCC Camp reunion planned

Former campers, counselors, youth leaders, Forest Service personnel, and families connected to the Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler Youth Conservation Corps Camp are invited to attend the first-ever reunion of the camp on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

 

Hosted by the Willow Springs Historical and Genealogical Society and its curator, Alex Biehl, the reunion will begin at 1:00 p.m. on the second floor of the Charles Ferguson Building, located at 127 N. Harris Street in Willow Springs, Mo.

 

The afternoon will begin with a potluck meal and time to reconnect and reminisce about summers spent at Missouri's first Youth Conservation Corps camp. After the meal and socializing, those interested will travel to the former camp location at Braddock Lakes, where the camp's long-sealed time capsule will be opened for the first time in decades since its burial.

 

The Braddock Lakes Youth Conservation Corps Camp opened in 1971 after the U.S. Forest Service acquired the former Braddock Lakes fishing resort in Douglas County, southwest of Willow Springs. Originally an all-girls conservation camp, it gave teenagers the opportunity to work on projects throughout the Mark Twain National Forest while learning about conservation and natural resource management. 

 

By the 1974 session, the camp was operating under the name Hay Holler after a five-inch cloudburst in November 1973 caused the Braddock Lake dams to fail and the lakes to drain. The camp continued operating into the early 1980s. Campers built trails, improved recreation areas, restored historic sites, conducted environmental studies, cleaned rivers and streams, constructed the Missouri Children’s Forest located on highway AP, and formed friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

 

Anyone planning to attend—or bring a dish for the potluck—is asked to contact Alex Biehl by calling or texting 417-252-3361 to help with planning. Attendees are also encouraged to bring photographs, yearbooks, camp memorabilia, and other items to share.

 

Former campers, counselors, youth leaders, Forest Service personnel, and anyone with memories of the camp are encouraged to contact Alex Biehl. He is currently conducting interviews to help preserve the camp's history.

 

A commemorative history book written by Alex Biehl will be available at the reunion. The book chronicles the history of the Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler YCC Camp through historical research, photographs, enrollee and staff lists, newspaper articles, camp projects, and personal stories. Donations will be accepted to help offset the production and printing costs.

 

For many, the reunion will be the first opportunity in more than forty years to return to the place where lifelong friendships were formed and unforgettable summers were spent. If you or someone you know attended the Braddock Lakes/Hay Holler YCC Camp, we hope you'll join us for this special day of memories, friendship, and history.