This is the BEST TRAIL in NWA! Period! I mean, come on: look at the 5-stars!…read more This is fairly easy hike for all skill levels. 3miles round-trip. 2-4hours total. Kids (and adults) will love scrambling on all the large rocks. Adults with enjoy the beauty of creation. And if you are brave enough, you will find a cathedral-type cave at the end of your journey. You do have to squeeze to find it, but the trip back into the cave is worth it--just be careful of any low hanging bats (lol!). My wife and I have lived in NWA for 5+ years and we do this hike at least once a year. Sometimes just us, but usually with a group and no one has ever complained about the distance or that they were bored. So good! I love this hike and I know you will too!!

Lost Valley Trail - Buffalo National River, Arkansas…read more Lost Valley Trail was a great hike and one of the highlights of our time exploring the Buffalo National River area. The trail takes you through a beautiful, heavily wooded Ozark landscape with towering trees, rocky creek beds, huge rock formations, and some really impressive bluffs along the way. We made our way to Eden Falls and also checked out the cave, which made the hike even more fun and adventurous. The scenery around the rock formations and cave was probably my favorite part of the trail. The only disappointment was that the area hadn't received much rain recently, so Eden Falls was completely dried up during our visit. Even without the waterfall flowing, though, the hike itself was definitely worth doing. The forest, cliffs, creek beds, and cave still provided plenty to see and made for a beautiful outdoor experience. Great hike with lots of variety and beautiful Ozark scenery. I would definitely recommend visiting--just try to go after some rainfall if you want to see Eden Falls flowing!

It's an amazing place with waterfalls, a stream for fishing, and several caves. The artifacts on…read moredisplay are interesting and well done. In general, it's a very peaceful place. There is guided or self-guided fishing and guided tours via tram or self-guided tours via bike or walking. There is a restaurant on site in the mill building. There is wildlife along the way and there are herds of Bison and elk as well as some Texas longhorn cattle. The park straddles the Missouri - Arkansas boarder. It is well worth the time you spend there.

On a Monday morning in April we (I, mother and daughter) set out to cruise through the glorious…read morecanyon on wheels. Feeling a bit hesitant at first to do it on bike but it was the best feeling. It was a perfect 68, clear skies and lilac blooms along the way. The perfection was almost overwhelming. A tram is also available for a round trip adventure but the bike was just too fun to pass up. Along the way we saw all kinds of little critters, snakes, fish and birds. Stopped at the tree house, chapel and most of the waterfalls. On bike with all the stops about 2 hours, walking could easily be 3+. Bikes are $15 each and I highly recommend getting there early so you have your pick cause the good ones go fast. Some have baskets and you should get one of those and then fill it with a picnic lunch. Little under $20 per person for entry, with discounts for veterans, seniors and children. Large parking but the place is popular, so again if possible arrive early.

I had the Beef tips special. It was delicious. The other 4…read morehad the patty melt special. All was great. Our server Laurie was fantastic!

Roaring river is a great place! they have bathrooms electric access a Hatchery that YOU CAN SEE!!!…read moreif you love fishing it's definitely for you accessible docks and swimming area nice scenery and cheapish

Super fun, laid-back beach that's perfect for spending the day relaxing in the water! There are…read morepavilions, picnic tables, and a park area set up, which makes it great for families or anyone wanting to make a full day out of it.The sand is pretty rocky and can get hot quickly, so we kept our water shoes nearby. There were also lots of small seashells in the water, the kids had fun finding. There's plenty of space to bring tents, umbrellas, chairs, and set up your own little spot to relax.The beach area is large enough for floaties, and I even saw people with small kayaks enjoying the water. The $5 per carload fee is very reasonable, especially since it's good for the entire day. Definitely a great spot for a fun, affordable beach day!

Beautiful beach! Getting there was pretty awful as the traffic was insane, but it was also early…read moreJune when we went so it may have been a touristy hotspot time. Parking was awful and it was one car in, one car out so it took us almost an hour to get parked. The playground was nice, but aimed towards older kids and not toddlers. There was enough space to relax on the sand and swim without feeling overwhelmed or overcrowded.

Cricket Creek Marina Campground is a beautiful serene campground nestled in the trees by the lower…read morepart of Table Rock Lake. This part of the lake is calm and way less crowded even though it's super close to Branson. This is a great place to camp with your 5th, motorhome or trailer! They even have pull through sites for buses and longer rigs. Each site is well paved for leveling and have electric & water hookups. The dumping station is conveniently located across the street from the camping sites. Cricket Creek is dog friendly, retiree and family oriented. This is a beautiful camp ground to walk and it's a short distant walk to the marina. This campground is very clean and well maintained.

This is a hidden jewel in the Ozarks. It is absolutely beautiful, and the marina is right next…read moredoor. Close to everything, but a world away.

Pretty excellent hike. Off of 43 there's a sign that said Compton trail head with an arrow pointing…read moreright. Turn onto that dirt road and go down until it gives you the option to go straight or turn left or right. Turn right and go down that dirt road. You will see a sign for Compton trail head. Park in there and go out for your hike. Definitely worth it. It was a steep trail after about the first .5 miles. Going down was a bit tough on the knees, but the falls were worth it. Just drops really at this time of year, but impressive nonetheless. Definitely bring a snack and plenty of water. Spend time taking photos once you get down. Also, hike the unkept trail at the falls. It will bring you behind the falls and over to diamond falls, which is a hidden gem of a water falls.

This is a beautiful hike but make sure you know what you're doing before you select this trail. The…read morefirst .5 mile is easy, after that it gets pretty steep with large rocky areas to get down. My fiance and I have done 5+ mile hikes but this was a bit too much for my short legs to handle and we turned back at about 1.9 miles in. The falls were so close but it was just more climbing down rocky areas that I didn't think I could handle climbing back up. Make sure to bring water and a snack. Also bring a walking stick or find a branch to remove spiders from your path.

An underrated spot. There isn't much in the way of formal trails here, but you can walk around…read morethrough the trees and in the woods while admiring, or splashing around, at the lake. This honestly looks like the classic sort of American vacation spots that 80s and 90s movies so often showed (that said, I didn't see Jason running around in his mask, thankfully ).

Somewhere in Branson, tucked behind the tourist shops and fudge factories, we decided to go full…read morenature mode and hit the Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area--which sounds way more intense than it actually is. I was half-expecting to see a bear with a banjo or a raccoon running a moonshine still. Instead, we got about 140 acres of surprisingly legit wilderness... with signs. Lots of signs. Branson knows how to label a rock. The trail started off innocent enough--wood chips, some chirping birds, a suspicious squirrel staring us down. Then came the stairs. Not like "oh look, a couple of steps," but 315 stone steps carved into the side of a bluff like Mother Nature was training for a StairMaster commercial. Whoever built these things must have been part mountain goat, part lunatic. Down we went, each step echoing with the soundtrack of my thighs weeping. Somewhere between Step 89 and existential crisis, we passed a little cave where I'm 83% sure a wizard lives. It was cool, literally and metaphorically. We didn't go in though--look, we respect magical real estate. At the bottom was a view of Lake Taneycomo so pretty it made me forgive the stair situation. There were trees, chirping birds, and a breeze that whispered, "Hey, good luck going back up." We lingered at a little waterfall trickle (emphasis on trickle--it hadn't rained much) and contemplated faking an injury to avoid the climb. Eventually, we powered back up, legs shaking, pride shattered, but hearts full. Or maybe that was just dehydration. Back at the top, we found a porch swing near the ruins of an old homestead, which felt like a reward from the hiking gods. If you ever wanted to swing gently while staring into the distance and pretending you're in a Nicholas Sparks movie, this is your spot. All in all, 5 stars would hike again. Just next time, I'm bringing hiking poles.

People who go to Branson for shows and shopping are missing the REAL beauty of this place. I did…read morethe two mile loop that takes you down to the lake and back up to the parking lot. The beauty of the Ozarks is breathtaking! There are restrooms and covered picnic tables as well.

New medium size child area where old pools used to be (up the hill) and public restrooms…read more Cool slides/ Rubber outdoor flooring so it's clean and soft / accessible play also.

This is one of the nicest and biggest parks I've ever seen! It's so clean and well kept and family…read morefriendly. Dogs are not allowed on the playground but can be walked around it. There are three playground areas for all age groups and a basketball court and a stage, gazebo and covered table and seating areas. Great park!

This is one of our favorite parks in the Twin Lake area! It's beautiful and family friendly. It has…read morean area designated just for swimming that is perfect for all ages and a huge, space open for fishing, which includes a boat dock. There's also a small playground and swing set next to several covered tables and an area for sand volley ball and basketball. It also includes a walking trail and a place to hang hammocks and bathrooms next to the baseball field. If you live in the area, or are visiting from out of town, this is an area you'll certainly want to check out. Great for trout fishing!

Love this place it's free fun for the whole family cool waters nice people great park wonderful…read moretown.