Known for its indoor entertainment, Branson, Missouri, also includes a number of outdoor offerings that give visitors diverse, up-close encounters with nature. The city, which is located in the Ozark Mountains, provides easy access to lakes, hiking trails, climbing sites and other recreational activities.
One of the most popular sites is Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. At the 10,000-acre park, set among the mountainous Missouri landscape, groups can stroll the banks of trout streams and see dozens of waterfalls and ancient burial caves. The streams hold many rainbow trout, and the park offers guided catch-and-release fishing, fly-casting clinics and self-guided fishing excursions.
As part of the guided Wildlife Tram Tour, visitors board an open-air tram that takes them through bluffs, stone arches and canyon walls. The two-hour ride includes a brief stop to feed the resident trout, and it showcases the area’s wildlife, which ranges from bison and longhorn steers to deer and elk.
Dogwood Canyon now has a working mill, and its Canyon Grill Restaurant along Indian Creek offers a venue for private functions. Groups also can see a treehouse built by the experts on Animal Planet’s show “Treehouse Masters” and make a stop at the nearby conservation and education center.
Reach out to Lenni Neimeyer of Branson/Lakes Area CVB or go to explorebranson.com to find out more.
Top photo: Treehouse at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
Photo by Branson CVB
