Travel Directions & Area Attractions

In addition to camping, floating and fishing on Beaver Creek, adjacent to the campground are scenic country roads for a relaxing walk, run, or bicycle ride. Below you will find our recommendations for rivers, wilderness areas, outdoor recreation, great forest trails and fun, interesting attractions in the area.

Mark Twain National Forest

Mark Twain National Forest

Mark Twain National Forest is just 5 miles away from our campground with hiking, mountain bike, ATV, and horseback riding trails. Ask for maps of the Glade Top Trail and the Hercules Glades Wilderness for hiking opportunities. Trails to Long Creek in the Hercules Glades Wilderness offers views of cascading falls. See the leaves change colors in the Fall with the celebration of the Flaming Fall Review sponsored by the Ava Chamber of Commerce. One of our cabins is located in the Mark Twain National Forest and is backed up to government land making it a convenient base for activities within the National Forest.

Hercules Glades Wilderness Area is 12,413 acres of the most scenic and unique country in the Midwest. It’s combination of open grassland, forested knobs, steep rocky hillsides, and narrow drainages offers unusual beauty and a measure of solitude within easy reach of wilderness lovers.

From the trailheads there is 32 miles of maintained trails which follows along open glades, forested ridgetops and Long Creek, the primary drainage of the area. Cross country hiking in other parts of the area is allowed. Key attractions along the trail include Long Creek Falls, panoramic views of the Ozarks countryside, and a variety of native communities including open limestone glades and mixed forests.

Best Seasons: Fall, winter, and spring.
Leave No Trace: Pack out what you pack in.
Restrictions: Foot and Horse only.
Safety: No drinking water is available at parking areas or along the trail; bring what you will need, or be prepared to sterilize water you find. During temperate months, be prepared for biting insects, poison ivy and high temperatures. Be advised of hunting seasons. Avoid using the trail during excessively wet periods.
Surface Type: Unsurfaced, native material.


Pees Hollow

Pees Hollow
(click for trail map)

Pees Hollow Trail is a 5.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round.


Coy Bald Trail

Coy Bald Trail
(click for trail map)

Coy Bald Trail is a 6.7 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


Hercules Glade Backpacking

Hercules Glade Backpacking
(click for trail map)

Hercules Glade Backpacking Loop is a 9.9 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


Blair Ridge

Blair Ridge
(click for trail map)

Blair Ridge is a 6.2 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


Bluff, Bent Tree, and Ridgetop Loop

Bluff, Bent Tree, and Ridgetop Loop
(click for trail map)

Bluff, Bent Tree, and Ridgetop Loop is a 2.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Branson, Missouri that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


Pole Hollow Loop

Pole Hollow Loop
(click for trail map)

Pole Hollow Loop is a 4.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.


Hercules-Glades Long Creek Trail

Hercules-Glades Long Creek Trail
(click for trail map)

Hercules-Glades Long Creek Trail is a 10.3 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bradleyville, Missouri that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail.


Buckin A

Buckin A Horseback Riding Along Beaver Creek

Schedule your Horseback Riding excursion along Beaver Creek now!
RR 3 Box 250, Ava, MO 65608, 701-330-0954


Lazy B Ranch

Lazy B Ranch Trail Rides and Longhorn Cattle Company

Offering guided horseback riding trail ride service plus cowboy cookout!


Museum of the American Indians of the Ozark’s Plateau

Museum of the American Indians of the Ozark’s Plateau

The Museum of the American Indians of the Ozark’s Plateau is dedicated to bringing back the memories of the Ozark’s Plateau in a time before the Europeans settled here. By displaying artifacts, replicas of the way of life, and research materials, people can learn of the past of such a beautiful place. Long before any influence from the Europeans, the Ozarks were inhabited by hundreds of bands or tribes of American Indians. From the tribes of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Peoria, Saukees of the eastern Ozarks to the Shawnee, Pawnee, Osage, Choctaw of the west, the Ozark’s Plateau was filled with other tribes too numerous to mention.


McClurg Jam

McClurg Jam

Pot-luck supper followed by a traditional fiddle jam session. Fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass fiddle, and dobro - all acoustic.
Every Monday, after the sun drops below the timbered ridges to the west in far southern Missouri, headlights come down the winding blacktop to the general store, closed for years, with a metal “Tindles Feeds” sign still nailed to the front.
Monday nights at 6:30pm at the McClurg General Store on Hwy W, Brownbranch, MO 65608


Laura Ingalls Wilder House

Laura Ingalls Wilder House

Laura Ingalls Wilder House is about an hour Northeast. The Laura Ingalls Wilder House in Mansfield, Missouri, also known as Rocky Ridge Farm, was the home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder from 1896 until her death in 1957. Thousands of admirers of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books have visited the historic Rocky Ridge Farm site each year since 1957.
3060 State Hwy A, Mansfield, MO 65704. Phone: (417) 924-3626


Hodgson Water Mill

Hodgson Water Mill

Hodgson Water Mill is about an hour and ten minutes East. Only a few minutes away through famous Ozark County, The Hodgson Water Mil was Built in 1861 to harness the power of a massive spring flowing into Bryant Creek and rebuilt in 1897 by Alva Hodgson. It is oficially registered in the National Register of Historic Places. An interesting fact about Hodgson Mill is flooding. The mill is about 30 foot above water level. Sometimes the water level rises so much that when the creek crests the county puts marks on the door that is on the upper level!
Hwy 181 Ozark County, MO, Dora, Missouri 65637. Phone: (417) 261-2556


Missouri Fox Trotting Horses

Missouri Fox Trotting Horses

The Missouri Fox Trotter is a horse breed that originated in the state of Missouri in the United States. It was developed in the Ozark Mountains by settlers in the early 19th century, and quickly developed into a gaited breed appreciated for its stock horse abilities, stamina and smooth gaits. Each year, Missouri Fox Trotting Horse owners, exhibitors and admirers from around the world travel to the MFTHBA World Headquarters and Showgrounds in Ava, Missouri, to attend the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Show and Celebration. Originally named the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Jubilee Celebration, this event was first held in 1959 and consisted of a one-day show with 14 classes. Today, the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Show and Celebration has grown to reflect the versatility of the breed: It now takes place over the course of a week and features more than 130 classes. Missouri Fox Trotters compete in a variety of classes with the hope of carrying a garland and being awarded the title of World Grand Champion. Competition includes performance classes, model, ranch horse competition and versatility classes.
Missouri Fox Trotting Horses is about half an hour East. There are horse shows and events throughout the year.
Hwy 5, Ava, Missouri 65608. Phone: ( 417 ) 683-2468


Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City is an internationally awarded 1880s-style theme park located in Branson, Missouri, that features over 40 thrilling rides & attractions, live shows & concerts, 100 resident craftsmen demonstrating America’s heritage crafts, 18 award-winning restaurants and 60 unique shops – all sitting atop one of Missouri’s deepest caves. World-class festivals and events are showcased from spring through Christmas - during which the park is illuminated with over 6.5 million lights! Start planning your Branson vacation today!
Silver Dollar City is about an hour West. 399 Silver Dollar City Pkwy, Branson, MO 65616. Phone: (800) 475-9370


Dogwood Canyon

Dogwood Canyon

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, welcomes you to the Mill, Canyon Grill Restaurant, Artifact Display, Nature & Conservation Center, Treehouse Masters Treehouse, miles of paved and rugged trails - perfect for walking, hiking, or biking (bike and kiddie-cart rental available or bring your own), various seasonal outdoor/conservation focused activities, and exciting fee-based Adventures!
Dogwood Canyon is about an hour West. Venues & Event Spaces, Parks, Fishing.
2038 W State Hwy 86, Lampe, MO 65681. Phone: (417) 779-5983


Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is the largest trout-rearing facility operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. It is located six miles southwest of Branson on Highway 165 just below Table Rock Dam. The hatchery produces between 350,000 and 400,000 pounds of trout each year. Both rainbow and brown trout are raised at the hatchery with 80 percent of production going into Lake Taneycomo. The remainder of the fish is stocked into other Missouri trout management areas. Construction of the hatchery began in 1957 and production of trout in 1958 with the completion of Table Rock Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is about an hour West. Parks, Fishing, Hiking, and more.
483 Hatchery Rd, Branson, MO 65616. Phone: (417) 334-4865


Branson Scenic Railway

Branson Scenic Railway

Ride with them on a 40-mile roundtrip excursion thru Ozark foothills and tunnels. You will learn the history of the area as you cross bridges and trestles. Experience the luxury of rail travel from yesteryear. America’s romance with the vintage passenger train lives on through excursions on the Branson Scenic Railway© aboard a collection of unique passenger cars that travel through the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. This one hour 45 minute trip takes passengers through tunnels, over trestles, and through the southwest Missouri or northwest Arkansas wilderness that is still home to much wildlife and to the ruins of long-ago communities now named only on railroad maps.


Ava Restaurants

Hucklebuck Smoke & Grill

Hucklebuck Smoke & Grill

Everyday they go to work and build a fire to smoke what they plan on serving that day! There is nothing like getting fresh brisket, ribs, pulled pork and chicken straight off the smoker just like in your own back yard! When they started, that was their goal to serve fresh grilled and smoked foods with great flavor and a real smoke taste that you can’t seem to get anywhere else and fresh sides that are homemade instead of served out of a bucket! They take a tremendous amount pride in having the best bbq anywhere in this part of Missouri and will continue to be not only their best, but get better everyday! So, head on over and give them a chance to serve you what they believe is the best bbq in southern Missouri
1400 NW 3rd St, Ava, MO 65608. Cash Only. Phone: (417) 683-2555


Archie’s Family Restaurant

Archie’s Family Restaurant

Archie’s is a family owned business. They are proud to serve you, your friends, and family. Veterans drinks are always free!
Archie’s is located at 605 N Jefferson Street, across from the High School. Ava, MO 65608.


Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant

El Tule Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant

“The Best Mexican Food You’ve Ever Tasted Is In Ava, Missouri”
207 Springfield Rd, Ava, MO 65608. Phone: (417) 683-1212


Forsyth Restaurants

Mountain William Pizza

Mountain William Pizza

Family owned, Mountain William Pizza is a dine-in/takeout quick-service pizzeria proudly serving Forsyth and Central Taney County Missouri. The menu includes pizza, pasta, calzones, chicken wings, and more; all available for dine-on, takeout or delivery.
15709 US Hwy 160 in, Forsyth, MO 65653. Phone: (417) 546-2012


Fat Daddy’s BBQ Barbecue Restaurant

Fat Daddy’s BBQ Barbecue Restaurant

Stop by for meals that will tantalize your taste buds. Whether you’re looking to dine-in or take-out, they know that once you try their barbecue, you will be going back for more.
16020 US-160, Forsyth, MO 65653. Cash or Card. Phone: (417) 546-4604


Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant

Oaxaca Mexican Restaurant

Casual and comfortable setting with authentic cuisine, very reasonable prices, many menu choices, excellent and courteous service. Dine in or carry out service equally presented large portions and very satisfying.
15920 State Hwy 160, Forsyth, MO 65653