Outdoor Adventures Await

Southwest Missouri is situated in the Ozark Mountains with rolling hills, lush woodlands, sparkling streams and miles of pristine lakes making the Ozarks a giant playground for outdoor adventure and recreation activities—biking, hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing, fishing, floating and kayaking, boating and water sports, hunting, sporting clay, skeet and trap shooting.

Below are some of our favorite activities which by no means represents everything this area has to offer. There are wonderful resources available with content for specific outdoor activities like AllTrails.com which curates the best trails in Missouri for hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and other outdoor activities. AllTrails.com has 1,295 hiking trails, mountain biking routes, backpacking trips and more in Missouri. On this platform you can discover hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from other nature lovers. Explore one of 839 family-friendly hikes for a sunny weekend, check out 216 wheelchair-friendly trails with helpful accessibility guidance or plan your next outdoor adventure to one of 693 routes with waterfalls or scenic views.

When you’re ready to get off the couch and hit the trail—or water, or rock wall—these hot spots and adventures have thrills to satisfy leisurely joggers to avid bird watchers, mountain bike riders to mountain-climbing masters, river floaters to lake speedboaters, trail backpackers to Overland campers, target-plinkers to competition shooters, responsible hunters to conservation land stewards, recreational fly fishers to professional anglers, and—whew—so much more. Check out Kids Activities for even more awesome adventures.

Area Lakes

Biking

  • Frisco Highline Trail
    Willard Trailhead, 211 E Jackson St, Willard 📍 | 417-864-2015 — This 35-mile trail includes 16 former railroad trestles, 12 miles of pavement and 23 miles of crushed limestone ideal for cycling. Don’t miss the wildflowers at La Petite Gemme prairie near mile marker 32.

  • Sac River Mountain Bike Trail
    Springfield 📍 | This mountain-biking destination covers 300 acres and 14 miles of single-track routes. The Sac River Trail is a perfect location for sneaking in a quick ride.

  • Two Rivers Mountain Bike Park
    5055 Two Rivers Rd, Highlandville 📍 | This mountain bike park offers steep downhill runs, plenty of jumps and a skills course that’s perfect for beginners. Check the park’s Facebook page for updates on trail conditions.

Boating & Water Sports

  • Bent Hook Marina
    612 Devil's Pool Rd, Ridgedale 📍 | 417-339-5057 — Big Cedar Lodge’s Bent Hook Marina offers a scenic outdoor retreat with boating, skiing, stand-up paddleboarding and other water activities for the lodge’s overnight guests or members of the Wilderness Club.

  • Bass Pro Shops Long Creek Marina
    1368 Long Creek Rd, Ridgedale 📍 | 417-339-5450 — Long Creek Marina offers guided fishing, boating, water-skiing and more to the public.

  • Ozark National Scenic Riverways
    404 Watercress Rd, Van Buren 📍 | 573-323-4236 — This unit of the National Park Service includes two waterways, the Current and Jacks Fork rivers. Both are terrific spring-fed floating rivers, perfect for an afternoon in an inner tube or a multi-day adventure. Campground and gravel bars present great opportunities to get off the grid, and the Current is even floatable year around.

  • State Park Marina
    380 State Park Marina Rd, Branson 📍 | 417-334-2628 — Just south of Table Rock Damn and Table Rock Boat Launch on 265, State Marina Park offers boat, WaveRunner and paddle board rentals, catamaran cruises, slip rentals, classic boat tours, dining at Café Bridges, and other park activities including basic, electric and sewer/electric/water campsites.

  • The Ski Shack
    5539 S Campbell Ave, Springfield 📍 | 417-882-8480 — If you’re not ready to hit the open water, practice your wakeboarding skills at this cable park. Instead of a boat pulling you along, you are propelled forward by a cable that runs the length of the small 630-by-100-foot lake. Once you get your footing, test your skills with a variety of jumps and obstacles.

Camping

Caves

  • Crystal Cave
    7126 N Crystal Cave Ln, Springfield 📍 | 417-815-2283 — Guided tours will take you into this naturally preserved historic cave which first opened to the public as a commercial show cave in 1893. Enter through the old iron gates from the original Springfield jail and walk into the cool underworld. Once in the cave you will see many fantastic geological formations including stalagmites, stalactites, flowstone, and the rare helictites formations. Crystal Cave boasts many one-of-a-kind underground rooms that your tour guide will share with you.

  • Fantastic Caverns
    4872 N Farm Rd 125, Springfield 📍 | 417-833-2010 — America’s Ride-Thru Cave lies beneath the rolling Ozarks hills just north of Springfield. Propane-powered Jeep-drawn trams tour the path left behind by an ancient underground river with an up-close look at giant columns stretching from floor to ceiling, delicate soda straws glistening with minerals, and tiny cave pearls hidden in crystal-clear water. Tour guides explain the origins of the cave and its formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, columns, soda straws, flowstones, cave pearls and draperies. The cavern was discovered by John Knox and his hunting dog in 1862.

  • Smallin Civil War Cave
    3575 N Smallin Rd, Ozark 📍 | 417-551-4545 — The Smallin Cave was the first documented cave in the Ozarks and written about at great length in Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's journal in 1818, and cited by major publications including the 1923 National Geographic and 1948 issue of Ecological Society of America. With the town of Ozark a centralized location of union activity during the civil war, there is strong evidence Smallin Cave was used for war related activities. Tours available include: One-Hour Tour, Off-Trail Wild Tour, and Lantern Tour.

  • Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail
    150 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale 📍 | 417-339-5306 — Unforgettable 2.5-mile journey on an electric cart exploring the Top of the Rock Lost Canyon and Nature Trail follows a beautiful trail created to highlight stunning rock formations, waterfalls, and views of Table Rock Lake. Experience includes admission to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum.

Climbing

  • Sam’s Throne Recreation Area
    South of Mt. Judea, AR 📍 | Besides being a scenic setting for hiking and camping, Sam’s Throne is well known as a premier rock climbing destination. The area looks out over Big Creek Valley. There are numerous routes that offer climbs for all skill sets at this popular weekend getaway.

  • Zenith Climbing Center
    3534 E Sunshine St #3, Springfield 📍 | 417-986-3869 — This state-of-the-art climbing studio is a fi tness junkie’s dream. With multiple climbing walls, a workout area, a yoga studio, a gear shop and various courses for beginners and advanced climbers alike, Zenith offers a thrilling challenge and family-friendly atmosphere.

Fishing Prospects

Floating & Kayaking

Gear & Overland Outfitters

Greenways, Gardens & Parks

Hiking & Backpacking

  • Buffalo National River
    South of St. Joe, AR 📍 | 870-439-2502 — The Buffalo National River area is a hiking and camping hot spot so beautiful it was named the first national river in the United States. Most trailheads in the region are situated just two hours from Springfield. To get a flavor of the area, take in the views or hike the popular Lost Valley Trail to see breathtaking waterfalls and the massive Cob Cave. As you head through the Boxley Valley there be on the lookout for wild elk.

  • Busiek State Forest & Wildlife Area
    Busiek Rd, Spokane 📍 | 417-895-6880 — This 2,700-acre area winds through grassy fields, clear streams, woodlands and glades. The woodsy park has 18 miles of mixed-use trails for hikers, horseback riders or mountain bikers who want a little more of a challenge than other trails might offer.

  • Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
    2038 State Hwy 86, Lampe 📍 | 800-456-4812 — This nature reserve is an ideal spot for a leisurely stroll and some nature watching along the 6.5-mile trail. Check out the waterfalls, limestone bluffs, wrought iron bridges and wildlife, and be sure to spend some time at the Dogwood mill, restaurant and treehouse, all of which are accessible with the entry fee.

Hunting

Scuba Diving

  • DiVentures
    5225 S Campbell Ave, Springfield 📍 | 417-883-5151 — State-of-the-art facility includes a 50-foot pool, heated pool and deck, family locker rooms designed for the comfort of swimmers and divers, full-service dive travel, gear rental and sales, scuba service and Atomic Aquatics repair center. Scuba dive lessons and classes offered for open water certification to skills improvement to professional level courses; and Junior scuba for kids 8+ years old. Swimming lessons available for all ages with programs ranging from a stroke clinic to water aerobics, snorkeling, lifeguard certification, Scout swimming, and more.

Shooting Ranges