Moonshine Beach — Attraction in Hollister

Always fantastic! As a local that comes here often, I can say it is well worth the $5 per car of admission. Military (past or present) can go up to the visitor center a mile away at the dam to get a free America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass! Just present a valid ID for proof. This pass will get your car in free to Moonshine Beach as well as any and all sections of ANY National Park that has a fee OR a fee for parking. Anyway they have bathrooms, grills, playground, a pavillion with charcoal grills and several tables with charcoal grills. And the best part is a large sandy area for lounging right in front of the swim area. Coolers and food allowed. No glass. Safer that way! There are areas off to the side safe for landing tubes, kayaks, small boats, waverunners etc. Or just if you prefer to sit alone in relaxation. Pro Tip: It would benefit you to bring water shoes. Even though there are many sandy areas, pebbles and rocks are around in and out of the water. Save yourself the funny ouch walk. Also parking lot and other concrete areas can get super hot so save your feet! Pro Tip: On summer peak months, especially weekends, ARRIVE EARLY. 9:30-10AM many times is ideal. Plenty of parking and room to set up. Swim and relax a while and then have lunch about noon, then hang around a while longer beating bigger crowds. IF you arrive noonish and it becomes full, you may be waiting a while as it is a one car in and one car out policy. IF you can even get in at all. Waiting is not fun! I see long, long, long car lines some days when we are leaving of people just waiting to get in. Pro Tip : If you need showers to change afterwards to go to another event or dinner without having to go back to your hotel or resort or even nearby town, The State Park Marina campgrounds are right up the road. Just turn into the marina drive and follow signs. They have several clean showers at the showerhouse you can drive right up to. They usually dont mind you getting in and out right quick to clean up. Well, have fun! If you are traveling, safe travels and hope you...

Moonshine Beach is a relaxing and wonderful location to dip your toes in and swim to your complete satisfaction. The entry will cost you ($5.00) to get an all day parking pass that you place on your dashboard and is payable by card. The beach has clean public bathrooms and a clean area were you can rinse yourself off. It has a beautiful sandy shore and clear fresh water. Compared to other notable swimming locations near Branson, Moonshine Beach has very clear and clean water worth going to. While standing still within the waters, you can still see your feet and the rocks below.

If you come to Moonshine Beach, the North side of the beach tends to have less people. This side of the beach has more rocks by the shore but the rocks within the waters on the north side are soft to step on. As a result, there are hardly any finely sands particles that floats about in the waters when the floorbed is disturbed and this is a good thing-less dead organic matters in the waters. Overall, the waters are clean and cool during the hot summer days. I also went the day after when it rained and the waters were slightly cooler, but still warm for kids and family to swim in.

There are about plenty of grills and small picnic shelters available to use on a first come first serve basis (approx. 6-8) located about 80-100 ft away from the shore, up on the grass, allowing for a great view of the beach and supervision.

In short, Moonshine Beach is a fantastic location to swim in if you're visiting Branson. If you read this far, I'll share a secret tip as a thank you. East of the parking lot are excavated cliffs that you can see. They are near where you'll park your car. If you look closely, some areas of the cliff have fresh groundwater falling down the cliff like a mini waterfall. Take a final rinse here after your beach time and before you dry off. Be warned, the water is refreshingly cold compared to the beach...

My family and I were on vacation in Branso. We had never been to Moonshine Breach and wanted to drive in and drive out to check it out for a family day of picnicking. We asked the person at the gate if we could do this and he shook his head no. We then tried to explain that we have never been here, never laid eyes on it and could we please just drive in, then right back out. He shook his head no . We even asked if we could use my Husbands National Parks Pass (Golden Access Pass), which allows us in National Parks Across America for free. We have this because my husband is a disabled and a veteran. Once again, all he would do is shake his head no. He never spoke to us. He was a Very Rude man. It was as though we were waiting his time and he didn’t even want to speak so he just shook his head instead. I couldn't see spending $5 to drive into a park if I’ve never been to it before and I don’t know if it’s best for our family. Also, they obviously don’t honor disabled veterans. My family will...