Halley Fleming is a Woman Who Means Business

Halley Fleming knows when to trust her instincts. From leaving a stable career as a Chief Marketing Officer at a bank to following a spontaneous dream sparked by one night glamping while on vacation, a singular theme guided her journey to creating Ozark Mountain Adventure, Branson’s first glamping resort: “It just felt right.”

Fleming’s story began when she bought 58 acres of raw land near her home on a whim, three years before that fateful night. Fast forward to her 2019 Colorado road trip, when she decided to stop for the night without having accommodations booked. It was getting late, and the only thing nearby was a KOA campground. A music festival was in town, so the campground had just one option available—a glamping tent.

She woke up the following morning determined to bring the concept home to Branson, where glamping didn’t yet exist. Fleming returned to her banking role but couldn’t shake the feeling that she had found her calling. Ozark Mountain Adventure hosted its first guests in September 2021 and Fleming retired from the bank two years later, having found a way to be a full-time mom while earning an income and filling her own proverbial cup with creativity and time outdoors.

The road to opening was riddled with challenges. Developing the land and building the resort required navigating unfamiliar terrain, literally and figuratively. County regulators, unfamiliar with glamping, enforced permitting requirements designed for traditional (i.e., much larger) homes. In many ways, Fleming paved the way for future glampgrounds in Branson, especially in regard to county regulations. Running power to the resort also meant costly detours due to neighbors’ property restrictions. “I asked myself many times why I was continuing on,” Fleming admits.

Something “just felt right,” and continue on she did. Fleming physically built much of Ozark Mountain Adventure herself, learning to operate heavy machinery including an excavator and dump truck to save money. Unexpectedly, it also taps into her creative side. “I love challenges and never thought I’d be driving heavy equipment, but I love it. That’s my therapy. I get inspired by what I find on God’s land,” she shares. She and her children camped all over the property before construction, carefully selecting the best spots for glampsites, views and trails.

Each of the resort’s three sites is one-of-a-kind, such as “Bedrock,” which incorporates rocks sourced from the property. Guests can explore six miles of trails, enjoy a half-acre fishing pond, or stargaze during events hosted with the Springfield Astronomical Society.