Branson, Missouri is located in the beautiful Ozark Mountains and has long been a family-friendly vacation destination. With a plethora of entertaining shows and activities, not to mention the amazing natural surroundings, the fun times to be had in Branson are endless! Nestled right outside Branson, Big Cedar Lodge sits along the pristine waters of Table Rock Lake. This family-centered resort provides amble opportunity to experience the stunning waterfalls, lush forests, and spectacular sunsets found in the Ozark area. The natural beauty of this region is perfectly interwoven in ever detail at Big Cedar. From the rich, rustic wooden furniture to the earthy tones seen throughout the award-winning restaurants, you can feel the presence of rugged beauty all around. However, despite the breath-taking views and location, Big Cedar has a surprisingly casual feel. To put it simply, it is a place to briefly detach from the stresses of everyday life and appreciate the soft colors of a sunset or the cool waters of the lake on a hot day with those we love most.
Things to Do
Bent Hook Marina
As I mentioned above, Big Cedar Lodge is perched next to the cool, clean 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake. Bent Hook Marina is located within the Big Cedar property and is available for all guests of the resort. This full-service marina offers numerous options to ensure you have a fun-filled time on the water. Kayaks and canoes are free to use, while paddle boats are also available to rent for a small fee. We used the kayaks, paddle boats, and our stand up paddle board to explore the area surrounding the marina. Here there is plenty of space for the kids to practice their paddling skills without the worry of big boats zooming by. The area is very scenic, with a waterfall that is a short distance from the marina. Additionally, there is a small beach area where the kids loved playing in the water and swimming.
If you are looking for even more fun on Table Rock, Bent Hook Marina also has numerous boats and wave runners available for guests to rent. Water skiing, tubing, and guided fishing are also offered. We chose to rent two wave runners during our trip and it was a great activity to cool off in the afternoon sun. The staff members were super friendly and helpful, giving us tips on how to use the wave runner. They also provided us with a map of Table Rock so we could choose our own route during our time on the water. One tip I would give is to try to book your time on a weekday if possible. It was extra nice to be out on the lake with minimal boats. It felt like we had the whole lake to ourselves!
Fun Mountain
If you are looking to entertain the kids in between nature activities, Fun Mountain at Big Cedar will most definitely be a hit! The massive Timber Ridge Ropes Course was the clear favorite for our little people. I joked that it provides the perfect break for parents, since you can sit on the large patio with a drink while the kids are literally secured to the attraction. No need to worry about anyone getting lost, ha! It is also beneficial that once you enter the ropes course, there is no time limit. The kids can choose their own path and stay until they wear themselves out!
Inside Fun Mountain you will notice an underwater theme throughout. As you enter, there is a large play structure with slides. The bowling area has the feel of being in the ocean, complete with sharks that “spit out” bowling balls when they are returned to the players. The indoor area also has an arcade and laser tag. The kids also really enjoyed the outdoor go-carts, which they drove along the quarter-mile track.
Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail Cart Tour
Top of the Rock is owned by Big Cedar and located directly next to the resort. This area showcases the beauty of the Ozark region, and Table Rock Lake. A golf course, museum, and several amazing restaurants are located up on a bluff with the most magnificent views! One activity on Top of the Rock is the Lost Canyon Cave tour. This is a 2.5 mile paved path that you leisurely drive by golf cart. It was so fun, we all loved it! The trail is very scenic, winding through Ozark forest and several waterfalls. You can hop out off the cart to take pictures along the trail at any time.
Midway through the ride there is even a cave you drive through! Even better, once inside there is a bar appropriately named “Bat Bar” you can visit. It’s completely family friendly and a great place for everyone to grab a drink to enjoy during the remainder of the ride. See below for more details on Bat Bar! Definitely make time for this fun family activity if you visit Top of the Rock!
Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum
When visiting Top of the Rock, this history museum should not be missed! An impressive collection of Native American history and artifacts can be found inside. Large collections of arrowheads are on display, as well as a vast variety of Native American items such as war vests, jewelry, pottery, and even medicinal items. This canoe that was found and recovered in one of the nearby lakes might have been my favorite piece in the museum. It was crazy reading about how it was preserved even underwater over all those years! Fossils of prehistoric animals that once lived in the Ozark area are also on exhibit. This large mammoth greeted us when we entered the building. It was enormous! Some interesting pieces from the Civil War, including a desk of Abraham Lincoln’s, are also on display. This is a great activity to do either before or after the cave tour!
Titanic Museum
Whether you are a fan of the great ship that sank in 1912, or if you watched the movie seven times in the theater as a tween like I did, you will want to check out the Titanic Museum in Branson! First off, the museum is shaped like the massive ship itself which is so fun and definitely adds to the whole experience. Once you enter the museum each member of your party is handed a ticket with the name of a real Titanic passenger. Throughout your journey through the museum you are able to read about the individual on your ticket. Were they in first, second, or third class? A child or an adult? Once you reach the end of the museum it is revealed if your passenger survived the sinking of the ship.
Additionally, there are life-size replicas of several sleeping cabins in the ship, the grand staircase, and life boats. It was fun to imagine life in that era and what it must have felt like sailing on the Titanic’s maiden voyage. Actual items recovered from the wreckage of the Titanic are also on display! Fully intact dining dishes, chairs, watches, and jewelry were just a few of the items we saw. So incredible!
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
Located 20 minutes from Big Cedar Lodge, Dogwood Canyon is a nature lovers paradise! Founded by Johnny Morris, the creator of Big Cedar, the same dedication to Ozark preservation and appreciation can be felt here. The park is quite large, sitting on 10,000 acres of the most pristine Ozark land. Offering bike riding, wildlife tours, horseback riding, and trout fishing, there is plenty to do. There are so many activities, you can easily spend a day or more in this place of rugged beauty!
One of the first attractions can be found as you enter the park. The giant three-level treehouse, complete with a swinging bridge, can be explored by both adults and kids. As you wind through the different rooms of the treehouse, information about local plants and wildlife can be seen.
Another popular activity at Dogwood Canyon is the Wildlife Tram Tour. During this two hour tour you explore all there is to see in the park, while sitting in an open-aired, covered tram. While moving through the different areas the guides explain the history of the park and talk about the wildlife found here. To encounter the most impressive animals such as the bison, elk, and longhorns you must take the tram ride. This portion of the park is only accessible by riding the tram. Feeding the trout was also a highlight of the tram tour. The guide provided each of us with a handful of food and we all watched as the fish swarmed around us. With the water being so clear it was fun to watch them swim up close!
Full-day bike rentals can also be purchased for a small fee at Dogwood Canyon. They even have bikes with kid carriers if you need to tote small tots along for the ride! The park contains several miles of paved paths for bike riding or walking. The paths are incredibly scenic, crossing several bridges and passing by numerous waterfalls. As we pedaled along it was nice to stop and spend as much time as we liked in the areas that interested us most. We most enjoyed feeding the rainbow trout at Wish Bowl Falls! Definitely make time to visit Dogwood Canyon if you are in the area, it’s amazing!
A few tips: If you decide to do the tram tour make sure to make reservations a few weeks in advance, they usually sell out! Also know that you need a ticket to enter the park AND a separate tram ticket.
Mini Golf & Swimming
If you have some spare time be sure to check out the nine-hole putt-putt course at Big Cedar. The course winds through some pretty landscaping and around nice water features. Adding to the fun, one of the holes is even inside a large-mouth bass!
There are five pools and six hot tubs at Big Cedar. We spent most of our time at the marina or doing other activities. But, we did check out the Wilderness Lodge pool and lazy river. It was nice to cool off before our planned activities. There is also an indoor pool at Wilderness Lodge which would be nice in the cooler months!
Top of the Rock Sunset Ceremony
The sunset view at Top of the Rock is like no other! There is something magical about the way the colors of the sky touch the earth up on the mountain here. Every night at Top of the Rock a ceremony takes place about 10 minutes before sunset. As the last light of the day glistens over Table Rock Lake the sound of bag pipes play, followed by the eruption of a Civil War cannon. You can visit Top of the Rock solely to view the ceremony or you can make a reservation at one of the amazing restaurants. Dining outdoors with a great view of the ceremony definitely makes the night extra special. We chose to eat at Buffalo Bar and would highly recommend it!
Sight & Sound Theater
There are many shows to choose from in Branson and we had to squeeze one in while we were in the area. While searching, Sight & Sound Theater kept popping up as one of the most recommended companies. This theater has humble roots and still remains a family business today despite now having over 600 employees. They produce new biblical shows every other year. Let me just say, this show was far and beyond what I was expecting. It was absolutely amazing! Honestly it was better than some Broadway productions I have seen.
The props and costumes were so impressive and throughout the show it felt like you were completely immersed in the story. The most magnificent aspect of the play was the use of animals during the show. They had actors riding horses up and down the aisles and onto the stage! At other points, sheep and goats ran unaccompanied down the aisles. I’m still amazed by how well they were trained. I should contact them for a special session with the kids, ha! It was incredible!
Tip: When you make your reservation try to get seats on the aisle of the bottom level. The animals run up and down the aisles during the show and you will have a great view!
Patriotic Picnic
What can I say, Big Cedar knows how to put on a patriotic picnic! Our trip fell on the week of July 4th, and visiting during Independence Day was extra special. The resort had a picnic celebration complete with bounce houses, mechanical bull rides, face painting, balloon animals, and an amazing firework show over Table Rock Lake! There was even an air show with three parachutists that jumped from swirling airplanes and landed in a field right in front of us. It was crazy! The last one to jump carried the American flag underneath him. It was so beautiful seeing the flag wave in the blue Ozark sky. Such an amazing memory! After his jump the parachutist nonchalantly walked up right next to us and began stuffing the parachute in his bag like it was no big deal, ha! Meanwhile of course all the kids nearby swarmed to ask him a million questions. He was so nice, teaching them about the parachute and talking with them all. If you visit during a holiday, know that Big Cedar will have something special planned!
Where to Eat
Truman Cafe & Custard
This cute little cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and sweet treats. It is located right in the center of Big Cedar making it an easy stop during a busy day of activities. Of course we had to try out the custard, complete with multiple toppings. It’s vacation after all!
Arnie’s Barn
This rustic eatery is located at Top of the Rock with scenic views of the golf course and the chapel. Named after Arnold Palmer, this barn was transported from his hometown in Latrobe, PA. Each board was labeled before the barn was disassembled and then transported to Missouri. Local Amish craftsmen then reassembled the barn piece by piece at Top of the Rock. The atmosphere at Arnie’s is nice and casual. Outdoor seating is also available on the covered patio area. The restaurant is a mix of BBQ and Tex-Mex and I totally recommend the nachos paired with the watermelon margarita! We stopped here for lunch after our Lost Canyon Cave Tour and visiting the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum. No reservations needed, the wait was short and the food was great!
Buffalo Bar
Up on Top of the Rock, the expansive stone patio at Buffalo Bar provides a front row seat as the colors of the sunset light up the Ozark sky. This was by far our favorite restaurant and dining experience on our trip. From the patio you can see breathtaking views of Table Rock Lake and the Civil War cannon, which is fired during the sunset ceremony. The atmosphere is very peaceful, especially after sunset with the large firepits crackling. The flavors of our meal captivated our taste buds! We dined on buttermilk fried chicken, wood fired flatbread, and glazed salmon before indulging in a slice of chocolate cake. Heavenly!
A few tips: I made our reservation an hour before sunset and the timing worked out perfectly for the sunset ceremony. To have a good view of the cannon try to get a table on the left side of the patio. However, you can always leave your table shortly before the ceremony begins and stand near the railing if you are seated elsewhere.
Mill & Canyon Grill Restaurant
When visiting Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, you must check out the patio at the Mill & Canyon Restaurant! Have lunch, enjoy a few drinks, or an ice cream right next to the scenic Indian Cliff waterfall! There are also trout that swim around in this area, which is quite entertaining for the kids.
Bat Bar
Shortly after entering the cave during the Lost Canyon Cave Tour, there is a wooden bar with a variety of cold drinks. Rolling up and grabbing a cannonball and a few bat bites (strawberry lemonade kid-friendly drink) was definitely refreshing! It was a fun little stop before driving on to see the indoor waterfall inside the cave. There are also some spooky skeletons of animals native to the area such as the saber-toothed cat!
Where to Stay
Wilderness Club at Big Cedar Lodge
Big Cedar Lodge offers several different types of accommodations on the property. They have private log cabins, lodge rooms, and even glamping tents are available. After researching different options we chose to stay at Wilderness Club at Big Cedar. This is actually a timeshare property owned by Bluegreen Vacations. We booked our stay at Wilderness Club through VRBO. Once we arrived we checked in at the registration building just as you normally would at any resort.
In my opinion, you definitely get more for your money by staying at Wilderness Club! Our lodge suite had a private bedroom with a king bed, living room with sleeper sofa, full kitchen, and a washer and dryer. For me it’s really all about the washer & dryer, ha! Also, we always really appreciate having a kitchen while on vacation to save time and money by not eating out every single meal. In case you are wondering, know that by staying at Wilderness Club you do have access to all the amenities at Big Cedar, so you won’t miss out on a thing! Wilderness Club is also centrally located in the resort so no matter where you are wanting to go it won’t take long to get there.
We loved our time in the Ozarks and were completely blown away by the natural beauty of the area. It’s a great place to get outside and make some memories. Happy travels!