Branson, Missouri, the Live Entertainment Capital of the Midwest, is not only the home of bluegrass and down home comedy, but it is also an area that has a strong appeal to nature lovers. Set in the beautiful Ozark hills, Branson follows the contours of the land, and attracts a great deal of wildlife, both land and aquatic, plus there are lots of awesome attractions in and around Branson that can get you and your family back to nature!
The Butterfly Palace: The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest Adventure is your one stop location for all things butterflies – and a few other critters as well! The Butterfly Palace is some unique Ozarks nature at its finest, with a little tropical flair. The butterfly room, the main attraction at the Butterfly Palace, is an 80 degree, lush, green tropical oasis filled with hundreds upon hundreds of beautiful butterflies. As you explore the butterfly room and its fluttering occupants, you’ll see butterfly varieties such as the black and white Paper Kite, the stunning Emperor Swallowtail and the shimmering Blue Morpho. Some of the butterflies with hover near your face as you explore – and they may even land on your clothing! The Butterfly Palace also features a science room full of frogs, lizards, giant cockroaches and piranhas, an informational movie viewing theater, the Emerald Mirror Maze, the Banyan Tree Bungee Adventure, and a gift shop full of butterfly and nature themed clothing, jewelry, children’s toys and more.
Shepherd of the Hills Baldknobber Trail Rides: For a real Ozarks adventure, come ride the historic trails atop a horse at Shepherd of the Hills Historic Homestead and Old Mill Theater! It’s an authentic experience you won’t want to miss. The horses used for the trail rides are the very same horses used in the Shepherd of the Hills theater production – so in a way, you’ll be partnered with a star! Trail rides at Shepherd of the Hills last around half an hour; the trails you’ll ride on meanders through the historic homestead, wooded hollers and on some of the very same terrain the Baldknobbers rode. Your knowledgable trail guides will inform and entertain you with facts and stories about the horses, the show, the Homestead and the other fun activities at Shepherd of the Hills.
Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery: The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, located on the Lake Taneycomo side of the Table Rock Dam, is the very largest trout production facility within the Missouri Department of Conservation’s trout production program, which is designed to sustainably keep catchable trout within the waterways of Missouri. 1,125,000 catchable trout are bred, hatched, raised and released from the Shepard of the Hills Fish Hatchery each year. The hatchery facility is built to handle all of the different phases and stages of trout production. After the brown and rainbow trout breeding stock have mated, the female trout stock will lay eggs. After she lays her eggs, the soon-to-be trout eggs are taken to the hatchery building, where they are incubated within jar style incubation units. After the eggs have hatched, the baby trout are reared indoors in the hatchery building in aluminum/fiberglass tanks. Once the trout have reached a mature enough age, they are moved outside to one of twelve concrete raceways and from there, the final rearing is completed in twenty raceways built for the big guys – the raceways are covered with large rolling hoop nets in order to keep hungry birds, such as herons, at bay. Once the trout are fully mature, they are discharged into Lake Taneycomo, where they will either swim happily away or wind up on the end of someone’s hook!
Busiek State Park: Busiek State Forest is home to enough critters and plants to keep any naturalist happy for weeks on end – plus it all changes with the seasons, so there is always something new to see! During the spring, Redbud and Dogwood trees practically explode with flowers, giving the forested slopes a purple, pink and white hue. During the summer, the sycamores along the creek banks leaf out, making nice shady spots to sit and enjoy nature, and many of Missouri’s wildflowers begin to dot the hillsides. Autumn is a great time of year to climb up to the top of the high ridges and check out the colors of the fall leaves. Whitetail deer are prevalent throughout the forest year-round – you can often find their tracks along the trails after a rainstorm. You might even find the occasional buck rub. Smaller critters like rabbits, armadillos and squirrels can also be seen here. Busiek State Forest is home to many birds as well – Red Tailed Hawks, assorted finches, and Blue Jays are just a few of the feathered friends that make their home here. During the first two weeks of May, several varieties of warblers (American Redstart Warbler, anyone?) pass through the area. If you just can’t get enough of Busiek, you can obtain a camping permit from the conservation department and camp at one of the forest’s beautiful creekside campsites. Just be sure to respect Mother Nature and pick up all of your trash!
