Awesome Park has walking trails and has historically information on trail of tears. It has benches…read moreall over the park.

We're traveling through the state of Missouri and planned our trip around this location so that we…read morecould see the Callaway cabin, which is advertised as being open the fourth Sunday of the month, only to arrive and see a sign that says the second Saturday of every month. Very disappointed that information is not kept updated. It is a very small beautiful park with lots of trees and streams and springs.

It's really nice to and hang out and look at the caves and water! Just never go at night!read more

Perfect place for long runs, I love the Galloway town area and the rivers on the way. If you like…read moreto run then you need to try this place

PERFECT place for an afternoon with my nine-year-old grandson. Did catch-and-release to teach him…read morefly-fishing. Even with high sun on a 100-degree day, he hooked 12 and landed 8 on his fly rod and they averaged 3 pounds! We kept the first for a celebratory dinner and it was fantastic! (Have your fish filleted, if you go.) Their feeding program has their trout sooooo much more flavorful and powerful than what you'll get at a Missouri trout park! Staff was so friendly and helpful. The pond was clean and easily accessible. Only regret is that we didn't go a few years earlier. (The only reason I rated it five stars, is because there aren't ten stars.)

April seems to be a special month! 18.4 #s in 15 minutes! The biggest one was 5.5 pounds!read more

Phelp's Grove Park is always a winning park to hang out at, and I was most recently there for Yoga…read morein the Park. How perfect is Phelp's for that kind of thing? There is a concrete pad that fits dozens of people for the event. It was really perfect and I absolutely enjoyed myself and the Yoga. As for the rest of the park, there's a lot of room to run around and have fun for both kids and dogs, there are tennis courts and picnic spots, and you just really can't go wrong with an art museum bordering one side.

I love this Springfield park perhaps most of all. I love to trot down here for a good run, and…read moreevery time I do, I feel like I see something new. I see birthday parties; I see families, couples, people walking their dogs; I see LARPers (look it up); I see potlucks; I see high school science projects; I see track teams; I see lone runners. This is a great place to see the Springfield community at their happiest and most relaxed. Not to mention it offers an impressive amount of amenities: a few tennis courts, a full playground, BBQ pits, a sprinking of permament art installations, and a very nice, covered communal area. This is a very old park, and the practicality of it paired with all the old stone work and giant Oak trees makes for a unique place to stop and unwind alone or with your favorite people/pets. A few other reasons why Phelps rocks: it's in a gorgeous, well-established neighborhood full of interesting and well-maintaned forever homes and it's right next to the beloved art museum. It also has a righteously awesome butterfly garden (you'll see it if you look in the direction of the museum from the park itself), and walking through it in the summer is legitimately like walking in a dream. It's quite lovely. One word of advice I can provide is that this park is also historically a not-so-good place to visit after nightfall, as most Springfield parks are. Get your recreational fix in before sunset and call it a day, unless you're with a group.

After traveling to Japan earlier this year, we couldn't pass up the chance to visit the Mizumoto…read moreJapanese Stroll Garden while driving through Springfield! There is a small admission fee, but you can take as much time as you'd like strolling through the peaceful gardens. You'll find Japanese architecture, a traditional Zen garden, ponds, and information about Springfield's sister city in Japan. There's also plenty of wildlife--we spotted turtles and frogs, and you may even come across a snake or two! It's such a peaceful little escape and definitely worth a stop while you're in Springfield.

Cute little gardens. Not sure worth the entry fee. We usually go for Christmas light viewing in…read moreDecember. The nathaniel Greene Park attached to it is free and full of walking trails and green spaces for picnics and a few playgrounds.

Definitely make the trip out to see the waterfalls in Branson! It's about a half mile trek to reach…read morethe bigger waterfall in the back, and it's definitely worth checking out. The trail is pretty easy overall, but there are some rocky sections, so just be mindful of your footing. Once you pass the larger waterfall, the trail starts to become less defined and gets denser with trees and shrubs, so keep that in mind if you decide to continue past it. Such a beautiful spot to explore if you're in the area! The water is actually clear as well!

Nice easy trail for an early morning walk. Even though the water was low, enough was flowing to see…read morethe namesake waterfalls. Birds were singing and we saw several squirrels that seemed to not mind our presence. Lots of lizards and water spiders along with pools of minnows It was well worth the 90 mins we spent here.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Best choice in town if you have little ones with too much energy and want to spend $0.read more

Nice well-kept park with soccer fields, dog park, skate park, and playgrounds. The bathrooms are…read morekept clean, and the grounds of the park are always maintained, grass cut etc.

Busiek is a great place to get out into nature. It's easily accessible (right off of highway 65…read morebetween Springfield and Branson - the map pin is incorrect on this Yelp page), and has a little bit of everything. There's a nice mix of trails from easy and flat to hilly and challenging. Great for whatever level of hiking, running, mountain biking, or horseback riding that you want to do. My kids love to play in Woods Fork Creek, which winds it's way through the area and is right next to the main parking area. The water is very clear because the creek bed is almost entirely gravel, and home to many crawdads, minnows, and other fun creatures. There are also primitive camping sites (permit required) that are easy to reach. History buffs will want to check out the old cemetery, and there's also a shooting range on the west side of the highway. Definitely check it out, whether you want to get away for a couple hours, the day, or even the weekend.

Great hiking areas, creek access for wading. Great family and picnic area. Gun range on the west…read moreside along with my favorite trails, Purple, Orange and White. Great switchback trails and four season hiking and trail running. Horses are allowed also, so keep your eyes open. Always be prepared with water and bug spray!