Riverbend Foundation

Riverbend Foundation Riverbend Foundation mission is to offer & facilitate religious, charitable & educational camps, even

12/10/2025
10/05/2024
Happy birthday Smokey!!!
08/09/2024

Happy birthday Smokey!!!

It’s somebody’s birthday today!!! Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear! 80 forever years young! And don’t miss our Livestream of the Smokey Bear Awards hosted by PBS travel host, and 8 times Emmy Award nominated, Darley Newman from Washington, DC! Tune in right here on our page at 12:30! EST

Had to share these photos from Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) this weekend!!! Great event!!!
04/17/2023

Had to share these photos from Southern Four Wheel Drive Association (SFWDA) this weekend!!! Great event!!!

06/04/2022

Darryl Kluttz and Blue

A great day At Riverbend!!! Comes on if you can!! We’ll be here till dark!
06/04/2022

A great day At Riverbend!!! Comes on if you can!! We’ll be here till dark!

What a special day! We were thrilled to host Cody and Brandi Williams at Riverbend for their wedding. As a child, Cody ...
10/04/2021

What a special day! We were thrilled to host Cody and Brandi Williams at Riverbend for their wedding. As a child, Cody enjoyed running and playing on this property - in fact, so did his mom. Our parents protected this special place several years ago by donating the land and creating a nonprofit Christian camp. It is generally used by various church groups, scouts, and others to camp and spend time enjoying the great outdoors and all of God’s creations.

A few months ago, Cody told us that this was where he wanted them to get married. Our family was honored. We told them to set it up wherever and however they wanted. But we could never have imagined the special care they would put into every detail. It was just stunning. The altar faces the one lone walnut tree that has stood in our dad’s old cattle field for many, many years. It was struck by lightning decades ago, but daddy said it is still hanging on and trying to live so he was gonna let it keep trying. Daddy would have loved to have seen how that old tree was at the heart of Cody’s wedding creation. The arbor, church pews, chairs, double doors, etc. transformed this old cattle pasture into the sweetest wedding under a Carolina blue sky with just enough puffy white clouds.

Ladies, you should all be looking to find someone that looks at you and supports you the way Cody does Brandi. God has truly blessed you both. Cody, we are all SO proud of you but you know Alfred would have been the first one hugging you and telling you how proud he was if he could have been there. He thought the world of you!

From the R.M. and Marion Owen family - We wish you both a lifetime of happiness with a love as deep as the roots of that old walnut tree. We love you!

Celebration is tomorrow!!! Eating at 12:30 and music begins about 2:00. Come anytime. Bring a chair if you can. We are h...
05/22/2021

Celebration is tomorrow!!! Eating at 12:30 and music begins about 2:00. Come anytime. Bring a chair if you can. We are hoping for a BIG crowd!

Huge tent set up for this weekend!!! Fun! fun! fun!
05/18/2021

Huge tent set up for this weekend!!! Fun! fun! fun!

Just a small preview of this upcoming Sunday…
05/17/2021

Just a small preview of this upcoming Sunday…

Billy Graham once said “Evangelism in it’s biblical sense is concerned with individuals and their relationship to God and also their relationship and responsibility to their fellow man&…

Address

275 Mullinix Road
Troy, NC
27371

Telephone

+19105727472

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Our Story

Our parents, Rufus(R.M.) and Marion Owen moved to this area in 1961 from western NC. Our dad was transferred here from Pisgah National Forest to help establish Uwharrie as a national forest and he loved the area so much he remained here for the rest of his career. As a WWII Marine, he had served at Iwo Jima and experienced the heavy toll of combat. He felt forever blessed to have been spared and allowed to return to the US and his family. He took those experiences into the way he lived his life and wanted to share his blessings with others. He and our mom spent their lives sharing and ministering to others in every aspect of their lives.

They decided to share this beautiful property they both loved with others as a Christian Youth Camp, so others may continue to enjoy God’s creations. This land had previously been part of our dad’s cattle farm that he treasured. A few years back when our father was battling Parkinson’s disease, a group of men made and erected a large, beautiful cross to honor him. This cross still stands in an area of the creek he loved that has a dramatic curve - Riverbend! We hope you can visit to see this for yourself.

Both our parents have spent their lives sharing God’s message and it is our plan that this continues with Riverbend Foundation. Our purpose is to promote, offer, and facilitate religious, charitable and educational camps, events and outings to youth and adults to encourage the sustainable use of the abundant natural resources in the Uwharrie Mountains of North Carolina, taking full advantage of the trails and facilities within the Uwharrie National Forest, as well as rivers, lakes, and cultural assets of the region.

We are a non profit with 100% of donations going to the operation and development of Riverbend Camp, a 50 acre natural area, bordering the Uwharrie National Forest on Mullinix Road in Troy, NC. We have large camping areas with a pavilion and bathhouse. Please contact us to schedule your event or gathering. Fees are customized to your group needs and are extremely reasonable. We encourage church groups, youth groups, boy scouts and girl scouts, trail life, and other groups to come check out Riverbend and get back to nature. Contact us by phone or email to set up your visit.