If you are a city or town dweller, you know the importance of city parks. Parks provide safe, outdoor spaces where children can play, older folks can bird watch, teenagers can play basketball, and people of all ages can socialize and exercise both physically and mentally in the great outdoors. Parks also offer much needed green space, which acts as a habitat for wildlife, and helps make the air we breathe cleaner. If you are lucky enough to live in or around Branson, Missouri, you and your family have a multitude of Branson parks to enjoy!
Stockstill Park: Located along the beautiful and historical Roark Creek (best known for being mentioned in Harold Bell Wright’s famous book, ‘The Shepherd of the Hills’), Stockstill Park is a popular hang out for children and adults alike! Featuring two huge playgrounds for youngsters, one of which boasts a rock-climbing wall, this particular park is a great place to take your kids for exercise and playtime. Stockstill makes the perfect gathering place for a picnic or barbeque – with four separate covered pavilions available for rental, you can finally plan that family reunion or church picnic! This favorite of the Branson parks also has the facilities to host softball and tennis leagues.
North Beach Park: Love the Branson Landing, but want to have a little elbow room? Plan an afternoon at North Beach Park! Located right on the banks of beloved Lake Taneycomo and right next to the Branson Landing, this park has a paved walking trail that connects to the Branson Landing boardwalk, so you can easily go back and forth between the two. North Beach Park offers visitors tables and benches, plus barbeque grills if you’d like to cook something up for your afternoon by the lake. And for recreation and fun, enjoy trying your hand at horseshoes in the horseshoe pits or bring your fishing pole – North Beach Park has two of their very own fishing docks!
Elmo & Rosalea Marrs Memorial Dog Park: Located within Stockstill Park in Branson, the Elmo and Rosalea Marrs Memorial Dog Park provides an awesome opportunity to dogs to socialize, play and exercise off leash. The dog park is a fenced one and a half acre area that features agility equipment, concrete pathways for walking, a pavilion and picnic areas, and doggie play equipment. Members of the Branson community can purchase a day pass to the dog park, or an annual membership. Dogs must be current on all vaccinations. More information about the Branson dog park can be obtained at the Branson RecPlex.
These are just a few of the great Branson parks available to you and your family – four legged friends included! Get out there and enjoy the recreation and the fresh air! For more information about Branson City Parks, visit www.bransonparksandrecreation.com
