Community-built site for Noel, Missouri. Not the official City of Noel website. The city’s site is noelmo.org.

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Noel, Missouri on the Elk River
Historic linen postcard of a bridge over the Elk River near Noel, Missouri, alongside U.S. Highway 71, circa 1930–1945.

Visit

Float the Elk. See the bluffs. Mail a card from Christmas City.

The official city site brands Noel “The Christmas City and Canoeing Capital of the Ozarks.” This independent page keeps the postcard next to the safety facts: the river floods, the highway runs under the limestone, and hours belong to the outfitter — not to us.

Float & campTen outfitters on the Elk between Noel and Pineville; three named on the city camping page. StayMotels, cabins, RV, tent — operator sites with verified phones and dates. EatWhat the operator pages confirm, with the rest labelled unverified. Caves & postmarkBluff Dwellers Cave, the Route 59 bluffs, the Noel Christmas postmark.

Float trips and campgrounds

The city’s camping page names three places: River Ranch, WaySide, and Shady Beach. Confirm hours, shuttles, and whether a float is required to camp before you drive. Wear a PFD. The Elk floods.

  1. River Ranch Resort

    101 River Road, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-6121. Site fetched this cycle lists 5- and 8-mile floats (raft, kayak, canoe, tube, glow float), tent and RV camping, cabins, and glamping pods. riverranchresort.com. Also named on noelmo.org/camping.

  2. Wayside Campground

    201 Minnow Springs Ave, Noel, MO 64854, at Highways 59 and 90. Site fetched this cycle: gravel-bar peninsula campground; Noel River Float is a six-mile run from Trestle Park in Ginger Blue to Wayside; a 12-mile canoe/kayak trip is also listed. Class I–II. waysidecamp.com. Named “WaySide” on the city’s camping page.

  3. Shady Beach Campground

    14332 State Highway 59, Noel, MO 64854 — the address the city publishes. Site fetched this cycle lists 4- and 8-mile Elk River floats (canoes, kayaks, rafts) and tent, RV, and cabin stays. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the site says booking a float is required to camp. shadybeach.com.

Also on the Elk near Noel — operator sites fetched this cycle

The city camping page names three. The river runs past more; each has its own site and phone. Hours, rates, and shuttle windows belong to the operator.

  1. Elk River Floats

    Reservations hub for Wayside, Kozy Kamp, Eagles Nest, and Trestle Park. 6-mile Noel River Float “open all season long.” Site fetched 15 September 2026 lists raft $160–$500, kayak $60–$100, canoe $110–$120, tube $45–$50. elkriverfloats.com.

  2. Trestle Park / Elk River Campground & Cabins

    435 Elk Springs Road, Noel, MO 64854 (Ginger Blue, between Noel and Pineville) · 417-475-3561. Site fetched this cycle: original ERF location, 30 acres on the river; Noel River Float 6 miles; Trestle Bridge Float seasonal; 12-mile canoe/kayak; riverfront cabins, RV, electric & primitive tent, swim-beach day passes. Hours site shows today 9 a.m.–5 p.m. trestlepark.com.

  3. Eagles Nest Camp & Canoe

    53 Eagle Nest Ln, Noel, MO 64854 (Ginger Blue) · 417-475-3326. Site fetched this cycle: 40-acre shaded family campground; same ERF float menu (6-mile year-round, 6-mile seasonal, 12-mile canoe/kayak); RV hookups, electric & primitive tent, offsite cabins. eaglesnestcampcanoe.com.

  4. Kozy Kamp

    71 Elk River Road, Pineville, MO 64856 · 417-223-4586. Site fetched this cycle: 10-acre grass campground at the start of the river; RV sites, electric tent, camping huts, offsite cabins, shallow swimming areas. Float menu shared with ERF. kozykamp.com.

  5. Two Sons Floats & Camping

    15806 Hwy 59N, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-4774. Site fetched this cycle: “Open May – September.” Three-seat plastic canoes with cup holders; 6- and 8-man rafts; kayaks and tubes; 50 acres of tent & RV on a half-mile of shaded riverfront. twosonsfloats.com.

  6. Lazy Days Campground

    Between Noel and Pineville on the Elk · 417-223-3498. Site fetched this cycle: cabins sized 3–30 people; floats on Elk, Big Sugar, and Little Sugar; RV full-electric sites; tent. lazydayscampground.net.

  7. Big Elk Floats, Camping & Lodging

    5029 South Business Highway 71, Pineville, MO 64856 · 417-355-6037. Site fetched this cycle: “Open camping available March thru end of October”; canoes and kayaks on Elk River & Big Sugar Creek; cabins, campground. bigelkcampcanoe.com.

Fetched 14–15 September 2026 from noelmo.org/camping, riverranchresort.com, waysidecamp.com, shadybeach.com, elkriverfloats.com, trestlepark.com, eaglesnestcampcanoe.com, kozykamp.com, twosonsfloats.com, lazydayscampground.net, and bigelkcampcanoe.com. Rates change; this page does not copy them.

Elk River conditions

USGS 07189000 — Elk River near Tiff City, Mo. Downstream McDonald County gage. Do not put in on a number this page guessed. Live stage: USGS monitoring location 07189000. NWS forecast point: TIFM7.

See also the river module on the homepage. If the gage is stale, treat the river as unknown — not as “fine.”

Stay

Motels, cabins, RV parks, tent — every listing below has its own operator site fetched this cycle with a working phone. Rates change; this page does not copy them.

  1. Arthur Murray’s Motel

    220 Minnow Springs Ave., Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-3492. Operator site fetched this cycle: “Now Open Year Round.” Smoke-free, dog-friendly (under 30 lbs, pre-approved), two BBQ grills, dock, river-front rooms (Single King w/patio or Double Queen). arthurmurraysmotel.com · also on visitmo.com.

  2. River Ranch Resort

    101 River Road, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-6121. Operator site fetched this cycle: “largest outfitter on the Elk River,” 5- and 8-mile floats; lodging includes cabins, glamping pods, off-site houses and lofts, RV and tent. riverranchresort.com/lodging.

  3. Trestle Park — Elk River Cabins

    435 Elk Springs Road, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-3561. Operator site fetched this cycle: riverfront cabins and vacation rentals at the original ERF location in Ginger Blue. trestlepark.com/elk-river-cabins.

  4. Eagles Nest — offsite cabins

    53 Eagle Nest Ln, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-3326. Operator site fetched this cycle lists offsite cabins and vacation rentals alongside the 40-acre campground. eaglesnestcampcanoe.com/cabins.

  5. Kozy Kamp cabins & camping huts

    71 Elk River Road, Pineville, MO 64856 · 417-223-4586. Operator site fetched this cycle: offsite cabins, RV sites, electric tent sites, camping huts on stilts. kozykamp.com/cabins.

  6. Shady Beach Campground — cabins & vacation homes

    14332 State Hwy 59, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-6483. Operator site fetched this cycle lists Camping Cabin (from $212.45), Deluxe Cabin (from $679.84), Park Model Cabins (from $318.68) and River Run Lodge. shadybeach.com/lodging.

  7. Two Sons cabins (seasonal)

    15806 Hwy 59N, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-4774. Operator site fetched this cycle: “Open May – September”; cabins on the campground, 50 acres on a half-mile of shaded riverfront. twosonsfloats.com.

  8. Lazy Days — Elk River cabins

    Between Noel and Pineville · 417-223-3498. Operator site fetched this cycle: cabins sized 3–30 people on the river; RV full-electric sites; tent. lazydayscampground.net/cabins.

  9. Big Elk — camping & cabins (Pineville)

    5029 South Business Hwy 71, Pineville, MO 64856 · 417-355-6037. Operator site fetched this cycle: open camping March thru end of October; cabins and campground south of the Elk River bridge in Pineville. bigelkcampcanoe.com.

Fetched 15 September 2026 from each operator site above and from the Missouri Division of Tourism listing for Arthur Murray’s Motel. The 4noel.com lodging directory is self-dated June 2019 and was not relied on.

Eat

Noel-area restaurants have thin web footprints. Only what the operator pages confirm is listed here. The 4noel.com dining directory is self-dated June 2019 and was not relied on; phones for Cliffside Cafe, Bob’s Hometown Pizza, and Paisa’s could not be confirmed from an operator site this cycle and are not listed.

  1. River Ranch on-site food (Noel)

    101 River Road, Noel, MO 64854 · 417-475-6121. Operator site fetched this cycle lists an on-site store, pizza/steak dinners, Elk River Coffee Co., Sammy’s Scoops ice cream, and campsite delivery Friday–Saturday. riverranchresort.com.

  2. Shadow Lake Nightclub

    101 Main Street, Noel, MO, USA. Operator site fetched this cycle lists “The Bar. The Myth. The Legend.” Open Friday 8 PM – 1:30 AM, Saturday 8 PM – 1:30 AM. 18+ to enter, 21+ for alcohol. Phone not listed on the fetched homepage. theshadowlake.com.

  3. Other area restaurants (directory, not confirmed)

    Cliffside Cafe, Bob’s Hometown Pizza, Paisa’s Mexican Food, and others are listed in the community directory 4noel.com/dining, which the directory itself marks “LAST UPDATE: June 2019.” Those entries were not relied on. Confirm hours and phones with the operator before you go.

The bluff on Highway 59

Missouri Route 59 runs the west side of Noel and, south of town, continues to the Arkansas line as Arkansas Highway 59. Wikipedia’s route description, fetched this cycle, says the road runs under some of the bluffs along the Elk, with signs warning of low clearance for trucks, then squeezes between steep rock and the railroad before it enters Noel.

Historic linen postcard: a two-lane highway entering Noel, Missouri, through Ozark hills, U.S. Highway 71, circa 1930–1945.
The road in, when it was still U.S. 71. Ozark Postcard Publishers / Tichnor #78308, public domain. Wikimedia Commons

Caves

One show cave just south of Noel is open to the public this cycle. A second historic name, Ozark Wonder Cave, did not resolve to a public operator.

Christmas City postmark

A post office called Noel has operated since 1886. Each year, cards are sent to the Noel Post Office for the cancellation Noel, Mo. - “The Christmas City in the Ozark Vacation Land”. The practice became widely known in the late 1940s after Kate Smith told the “Noel Story” on the radio. ZIP 64854.

How to get the postmark

The U.S. Postal Service lists Noel, MO 64854 among its official Post Offices with Christmas names. Here is the USPS method, verbatim from their page:

  1. Write your greeting cards and put each in its own envelope, addressed to the recipient, with a First-Class Mail stamp affixed.
  2. Put all the stamped, addressed envelopes inside a larger envelope or box.
  3. Write "Christmas Re-Mailing" on the outer envelope and address it to: Postmaster, Noel, MO 64854.
  4. Add adequate postage on the outer envelope and mail it. Allow enough time for postmarking, re-mailing, and delivery — the USPS recommends sending by early December.

The Noel Post Office is at 318 Main St, Noel, MO 64854. You can also walk in during retail hours and request a hand cancellation at the counter — the USPS confirms manual postmarks are applied free of charge on request.

USPS statement, January 2026: "A customer can ensure that a postmark is applied … by visiting a Postal Service retail location and requesting a manual (local) postmark at the retail counter when tendering their mailpiece. Manual postmarks will be applied free of charge."

Confirm this year's holiday window with the Noel Post Office. The postmark is available each holiday season; call or visit for exact dates and deadlines.

Source: Wikipedia — Noel, Missouri (History), fetched 15 September 2026. Most of the year, residents pronounce Noel to rhyme with “mole,” for the town’s namesake.

Large-letter postcard reading Greetings from Noel, Missouri, the Christmas City, circa 1940.
Christmas City. Tichnor #84299, scan by Steve Shook, CC BY 2.0. Wikimedia Commons

Getting here

Noel is in southwestern McDonald County, 3 miles north of the Arkansas border. Route 90 is Main Street. City Hall is at 306 Main St., Noel, MO 64854.

Emergency: 911. City Hall: 417-475-3696 Source: noelmo.org/contact-us.