We often build our trips around visiting new places, but Branson is a place we keep returning to. Branson is a city in southwest Missouri. It has a little bit of everything – theme parks, shows, museums, shopping, and lakes.
Silver Dollar City
One of my favorite places to visit in Branson is Silver Dollar City (SDC). SDC is a theme park based in the 1800’s. It has some amazing rollercoasters, great shows, demonstrations, a cave tour, and tasty food! You can visit during the warmer months or see the park decorated for Fall or Christmas during the cooler months. You can visit the Silver Dollar City website here: Theme Park | Silver Dollar City Attractions.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
This is a fun show centered around horseback riding. There are competitions on horseback between two teams along with some trick-riding. On the way into the show, you can see the horses in their stables. It’s a really impressive show that also includes a meal. A link to Dolly Parton’s Stampede can be found here: Show Information for Dolly Parton’s Stampede Branson, MO (dpstampede.com).
Table Rock Lake State Park
We often use Table Rock Lake State Park as a home-base when we visit Branson. It has two large campgrounds with hookups. It’s far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the main strip through Branson, but not so far that it’s difficult to get to the main attractions.
The park has several hiking trails, but we really enjoy walking/running on the paved trail that connects the State Park Marina to the Dewey Short Visitor Center. It runs right past the campgrounds and along the lake with some really pretty views. Whether you want to take a short stroll or a long walk or run, it’s a great trail to explore!
Buffalo National River
Several hikes in the Buffalo National River area are only about an hour south of Branson in Arkansas. We really enjoy getting down here to hike. There are some unique landmarks from canyons to caves to waterfalls. There are so many trails in this area that we haven’t yet explored, but two of our favorites so far are Lost Valley Trail and Whitaker Point Trail (Hawksbill Crag). Both are on the shorter side ranging from about 2 miles to 2.7 miles. The Lost Valley has a stone arch, huge cave, and a smaller cave further up a cliff with a waterfall flowing out of it. Whitaker Point has some amazing views from a ledge overhanging a large valley.
Other Activities
For those looking to do some shopping, there is an outlet mall and the Branson Landing, which is basically an outdoor mall along the lakefront. There are opportunities for outdoor adventures. We went out a guided off-road UTV tour at Hog Wild Adventures about 20 minutes south in Omaha, Arkansas. There are many, many restaurants and shows to choose from. You could also spend a day out on the lake or swimming at Moonshine Beach.
