Spring cooled down only a little over Branson, offering up some of the best weather for a hiking. It is unusual to find a remote spot like Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area buried in the middle of any town. This is especially true in this weird little anomaly standing at the crossroads of entertainment district and carnival.
The 140 acres associated with this space offers escape for those less interested in the uproar occurring on and around Missouri Highway 76. Approximately 8 kilometers of trails pass through the surrounding bluff that doubles as a sound barrier, down next to Lake Taneycomo and adjacent bottomlands.
An array of colors splash across an otherwise empty hardwood landscape, prior to its filling in with foliage for the season. Conversely, in the depths of late summer into fall, it is likely a poison ivy laden brothel for ticks and other similar enemies of the state.
While generally an easy hike, it is important to understand that if 315 steps of the stone staircase is not addressed immediately, they wait patiently for the end of any journey. The only option is return 3 kilometers back along the path accessing this point.
This little stroll through the forest is only occasionally disrupted by refuge marking the passage of less considerate humans. That is to be expected this close to the parade route. Intersecting a few minor caves, a waterfall that was bone dry on this date, the trail eventually leads to a resurrected 1934 homestead built with some of the same fieldstones as the staircase. Apparently, they had more than enough.
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