Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area — Attraction in Branson

Owens Mountain (Lakeside Forest Wilderness)

Donated Lands -Trails - Stairway Former- Home of Lyle Owen area historian and writer.

There is a stairway that leads from the top of the mountain down to the lake level below. The top of the hand made rock stairs. faces College of the Ozarks farm and airport .

The front of the property has picnic tables and area to rest by the highway and this secret location is in the middle of Branson. If you have ever visited Branson in the past you will be shocked that you never knew it was there and you passed it multiple times a day.

There are a few paths or trails leading from the parking area a short one and a long one. I will tell you if you plan to hike to the bottom of the stairs to see the Mammoth Cavern and secret Civil War trail to lake Taneycomo you need to have comfy shoes and a bottle of water or two.

We used to visit Mr. Owens after school or on the weekends. We loved his swing in the front yard hanging off the huge old growth oak tree. The girls would swing while he told us stories of the Civil War cave just a quarter way down the stairs.

Mr. Owens would always give visitors copies of his articles he wrote about the cave and a huge birdbath that is a single limestone rock the size of love seat.

As you venture down the stairs you will notice the small cave about a quarter way down that is about 3 feet high and 20 feet deep and it was used during the Civil War. Both the Union and Confederate soldiers used the cave to store ammunition and supplies. The White River was used as a trafficway to ship supplies to troops throughout the region..

You will see benches at certain points where you can sit and rest. Cleverly constructed using natural outcroppings and/or masonry work using found stones. There is a plaque noting the covered inscription on the stairs. That tells of Mr Lyle Owen a few cousins and friends built the stairway, listing their names the dates and some very powerful insight into what it took complete the stairs.. You will need to read it to find out.

Near the bottom you will see where the mountain is cut in half and an enormous partial cavern is exposed as you come to the stairs leading to the flow of the water when it comes off of the waterfall. You will only see water after heavy rains so don't be afraid if it starts raining that just means you will get to see an over 100 ft waterfall in action. If you venture off to your east at the bottom of the trail / cavern you will be able to follow the dry creek to an overgrown hidden entrance . You step through and you are standing on the edge of Lake Taneycomo..

At this moment one might get this feeling that You ,Tom and Huck Finn have just come out of the secret cave in Mark Twain's tales. It is Enchanting and memorable to say the least. You will thoroughly enjoy this hike but do heed the warnings if you have heart disease or are pregnant please don't over do it.

Mr Owens would collect wild flowers and transplant them around his home which is a rock house at the apex of the property surrounded by a long series of walls. One wall goes for over 100 yards along the top of the bluff. There are other walls at 5 feet in height and 2000 sq ft in size that were built to enclose livestock and a garden. This part of the property is not open to the public but may in the future.

Please be kind to others and do not litter. Take out what you brought in. As Mr. Owens would always say : Enjoy yourself but sure pick up after yourselves and others." We always obliged his requests.

We are appreciative of this Jewel of the Ozarks and encourage you to practice good hiking habits wherever you go...

Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area provides Branson residents and visitors with a great location for both hiking and exploration of some truly beautiful wilderness scenery.

The entrance near the trail head has a parking area that will accommodate a fair number of vehicles. Public restrooms (which usually are very clean), a small play area, and a covered picnic pavilion [with grills] also are located here. A short path leads you to the trail head. Dogs are permitted on the trails, but they must be on a leash and "poop bags" are available.

At the trail head, signage provides a general guide to the various pathways that are available for hiking. They are identified by color (green, yellow, blue, etc.), and list approximate distances and additional information (steps, cave, etc.) for each. A few additional signs are located along various parts of the trails, but many areas are not really well marked.

Owen Drive trail (yellow) will lead to the original Owen homestead. This is perhaps the easiest trail available, and is certainly worth the walk. A stone wall with some buildings of the original homestead are still present, and several picnic tables/benches are located there.

It is important to note that all of the trails have a few hills and areas of loose gravel/rocks. The degree of difficulty walking varies significantly. Red and purple trails are the most strenuous, with several areas that are very steep and/or covered with rocks. The ~300 steps that lead to the lake require some significant effort.

Depending on your desire (and ability) to hike, there are some really great locations within this wilderness area to check out... including 2 small caves and a waterfall. The view from a number of spots is truly spectacular, and encountering a few deer or squirrels along the way is not uncommon.

Anyone needing a little exercise, or just an excuse to be in the woods, should find the time to visit this wonderful...

It was a pretty hike, but parts of it were more ‘strenuous’, and the trails were not clearly marked in areas that they should have been. I enjoy hiking so it was nice to get outside and explore for me personally, and the area was pretty but I wanted to share our experience because there were some downsides people should consider.

My whole family (ages ranging from 8 months to 65) went on a hike trying to find the cave and waterfall. The ground was damp so rocks and certain parts of the soil were slippery and made it more dangerous. We got to the top of the “water-trickle” and weren’t sure which path we needed to take to continue on. We took the wrong path which took us up the hill, at a pretty steep incline without much of a path, not ideal for kids. We were worried about them slipping but they did pretty good. After realizing our error and turning around, we were able to make it back down the hill, but my dad slipped and fell on the way.

Note: Even though the map of the trails indicates that the cave is along the Ridge Trail (red trail), it is actually on TaneyComo Trail (purple path).

Most of the family left the hike when we made it back down, but a few of us continued on to look for the cave. The cave is along a narrow path and we had to climb up and down some rocks to get onto it so I am glad the kids were no longer with us. The cave we found was small and a little dark.

On our way back from the cave, we found other hikers who didn’t realize they had ended up on the wrong path, so it seems to be pretty common. I’m sure some of the trails are more developed and are easier for all ages, but double check the trail description and try to stay on the correct trail.

Note: Check for ticks after hiking! A few of...