Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area
Managed by City of Branson
139 acres4 mi of trail
Ridge TrailTaneycomo TrailOwen Drive TrailStone Wall Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Branson
Branson has 29 miles of mapped trails, 1.3 for every square mile of land
16% of Branson’s land is conserved, about 2,246 acres. The biggest trail networks: Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area (4 mi), Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area (3.4 mi), White River Balds Natural Area (2.2 mi). 325 acres are parks and preserves, 25 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #19 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
2,246 acres · of 21.3 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
325 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
3.9 mi lanes · 7.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Branson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Branson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Branson is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #19 of 247 in Missouri. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Branson’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical MO town 2% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · MO 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (325 acres) · MO 11 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home45% of residents within a half mile of a park · MO 74% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)Ahead of 93%
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Branson’s 16% is ahead of 98% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area, with 4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area
Managed by Missouri Department of Conservation
1,477 acres3.4 mi of trail
Homesteaders TrailGlade Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
White River Balds Natural Area
Managed by Missouri Department of Conservation
336 acres2.2 mi of trail
Glade TrailHomesteaders TrailStreamside TrailShane's Shortcut
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery
Managed by Missouri State Parks
153 acres2.2 mi of trail
White River Bluff TrailWhite River Corridor TrailCanebrake TrailFisherman's Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Stockstill Park
Park
20 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Moonshine Beach Park
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
26 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area139 acres · 4 mi of trail · City of Branson
DirectionsRuth and Paul Henning Conservation Area1,477 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Missouri Department of Conservation
DirectionsWhite River Balds Natural Area336 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Missouri Department of Conservation
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery153 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Missouri State Parks
DirectionsStockstill Park20 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMoonshine Beach Park26 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsMurphy Park33 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBranson RecPlex38 acres
DirectionsSunset Park9 acres
DirectionsEiserman Street Park8 acres
DirectionsNorth Beach Park6 acres
DirectionsAlexander Park4 acres
DirectionsParnell Park2 acres
DirectionsPeninsula Observation Loop1 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsCantwell Park1 acres
Old School Park1 acres
John Nygard Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,246 conserved acres
16% of Branson’s land. Who manages Branson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers430 ac
Town or city244 ac
Private owners4 ac
Not recorded1,568 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,520 acRecreation Management Area · 430 acLocal Conservation Area · 133 acLocal Park · 115 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 48 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henning (Ruth And Paul) Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,161 | Restricted |
| Table Rock Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 430 | Open |
| White River Balds Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 359 | Restricted |
| Lakeside Forest Wildnerness Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 133 | Open |
| Cooper Creek Access Private Recreation or Education | Not recorded | 48 | Closed |
| Stockstill Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Branson Recplex Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Sunset Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Murphy Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Alexander Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
57 places to go in Branson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Branson
Playgrounds in Branson
Adventure Cove Play Area
DirectionsMurphy ParkIn Murphy Park
DirectionsWater SlidesIn Branson RecPlex
Directions37 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Branson
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Branson
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Branson
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Branson
Lakeside Forest TrailsIn Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area
DirectionsPlus 9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Branson
Branson Musicland Kampground
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.9 miUnpaved · 13.6 mi
Homesteaders Trail3.5 mi
Ridge Trail1.7 mi
White River Bluff Trail1.2 mi
Taneycomo Trail1.2 mi
Glade Trail1.1 mi
Waterfall Hiking Trail0.5 mi
Streamside Trail0.4 mi
White River Corridor Trail0.4 mi
Owen Drive Trail0.4 mi
Stone Wall Trail0.4 mi
6 more trails
Bluff Trail
0.3 miShane's Shortcut
0.3 miCanebrake Trail
0.3 miFisherman's Loop
0.3 miSpringcreek Court
0.2 miWater-and-Fire Boardwalk
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
25Tennis
16Baseball
14Basketball
4Pickleball
4Soccer
3Football
2Volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
June is the best month for walking in Branson
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 51 | 60 | 70 | 77 | 86 | 90 | 89 | 82 | 71 | 59 | 49 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Branson →
Next door
Branson and its neighbors
Branson has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branson | 16% | 1.3 | 25 | 45% | A− |
| Hollister | under 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 59% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Branson
Where can I hike in Branson?
The longest trail networks: Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area, 4 miles; Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area, 3.4 miles; White River Balds Natural Area, 2.2 miles; Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Branson is conserved land?
16% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Branson’s trails?
Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area and Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Branson?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.9 of painted or protected lanes and 7.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Branson?
22,871 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Branson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 725 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Branson have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #19 of 247 in Missouri. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Branson neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →