Rolling green hills, winding roads, and more shoreline that you can imagine; that’s what you’ll find when you first set your eyes on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake. Dig a little deeper though, and you’ll uncover so much more throughout the entire region. Adventures run aplenty, from zip lining and paddling to moonshine tasting and backwoods ATVing. There’s certainly no shortage of activity near Table Rock Lake, and we found way more than we ever thought possible.
Our home base during the trip was Port of Kimberling Resort and Marina. We stayed in a king suite that felt like we had an entire apartment to ourselves. It came complete with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and a balcony overlooking Table Rock Lake. The resort’s location was a great jumping off point for exploring the region.
With the massive amount of shoreline to explore, Table Rock Lake is a perfect place to paddle. On our first night in town, we launched our kayak and SUP in the water right from the shore by our hotel. We spent a couple of hours paddling along the rocky shoreline and around the beautiful Kimberling City Bridge. The sun was shining, and the water was calm. It was definitely an amazing welcome to the Table Rock Lake region!
On our first full day in town, we started off the adventures with zip lining through the hills at Wolfe Mountain’s Branson Zip Line Tours. The Flying Prospector Zipline Tour sent us across wiggly suspension bridges and flying down four zip lines. We spent the morning laughing our way through a fast paced, adrenaline packed adventure. Whooshing through the air while we zoomed down the lines was an absolute blast.
After our feet were planted firmly on the ground, we popped over to the onsite Snowflex Hill for a snow tubing ride! Yep, you read that right—we went tubing down a hill in the summer, but instead of snow, we slid over a refreshingly cool mist. Perfect for a hot summer day!
An afternoon stop at Missouri Ridge Distillery was also a must. The family owned whiskey distillery has been operating for 3 years, and they have already been decorated with a multitude of awards. We started our visit with a tour of the facility and followed it with a tasting. The tap room is cozy with a historic bar as the focal point, and the patio views overlooking the hills of the Ozarks is quite the sight. More importantly, the drinks are top notch, especially the Bloody Mary garnished with thick cut bacon. It was to die for!
Our second day in town started with a hike along the shoreline at Table Rock Lake State Park. We went for a walk on a paved trail near the lake and we really enjoyed the peaceful park. It was a nice dose of calming nature before the next crazy adventure on our itinerary.
Next up: riding through the area’s emerald green forests at The Shepherd of the Hills. We followed our guide along a maze of off-road trails, up and down extremely steep hills, over giant boulders, and through thick mud puddles. Thankfully, our trusty little vehicle chugged along and roared right over every obstacle. With every twist and turn, we were covered in a fresh layer of mud. We left our hour-long tour full of smiles and full of mud. It was a blast!
It felt like almost every establishment we visited during our trip had amazing views overlooking the lake, and the restaurants were no exception. Catfish Hole is a cute spot that specializes in tasty catfish with all the fixins’ and great views of the lake from the back patio. Vino Cellars (and the Hangout at the Lake, a beer focused establishment downstairs) was another standout with fantastic views—plus, the local wine and beer list combined with the menu at the connected Bistro 58, make this a perfect happy hour spot. And, perhaps the views that take the cake, belong to the restaurants at Top of the Rock. We ate dinner out on the patio at Buffalo Bar one evening. As we were dining on a delicious meal, we watched in awe as brilliant colors painted the sky at sunset.
There are also plenty of other delicious restaurants that aren’t situated with views of the lake. If you are up for creative pizza or pasta, Reeds Spring Pizza is a must. Also, Andy’s Frozen Custard is a necessity for dessert at least one evening during your trip. The frozen custard concretes are delicious, especially with the fresh seasonal blueberries! It was all simply fantastic.
Throughout our entire trip, we could not stop exclaiming how picturesque the nature is around Table Rock Lake. We just had to end our trip the same way we started it…with one last SUP and kayak session on the lake. We decided to try out a new location just down the coastline—and let me tell you, it was a fantastic choice. The peaceful shoreline, the beautiful waving lines of the tree lined hills for a backdrop and the quiet coves waiting for us to explore. We couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up all of the exciting adventures in Table Rock Lake. It was definitely a trip for the books!