Hiking Lakeside Bluff Trail to Old Soldier’s Cave in Branson
Lakeside Bluff Trail to Old Soldier's Cave
I’m still in Branson Missouri this week hiking Lakeside Bluff Trail in Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area in the heart of downtown Branson.
Lakeside Bluff Trail to Old Soldier’s Cave
Type: Out-and-Back | Rate: Difficult | Traffic: Moderate | Distance: 1.8mi | Elevation Gain: 308ft
Descend 338 hand-laid stone steps to a beautiful waterfall and several caves, one used as a hideout during the Civil War.
View the full route on AllTrails.
Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area
Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area is located in the heart of downtown Branson Missouri. Situated just north of Lake Taneycomo, the 140 acre park offers 5.3 miles of hiking trails that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors to Branson. I hiked a combination of two trails, Bluff Trail (Blue Blaze) and Taneycomo Trail (Purple Blaze), which featured a visit to the historic Historic Owen Homestead, a descent of 315 hand-laid stone steps, a Missouri waterfall, and several caves to explore.
Historic Owen Homestead
Prior to becoming Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area in 1998 the land on which the park resides was owned by Lyle Owen who purchased it in 1933. Owen built a home for his family on the land atop the 250 foot tall Branson Heights Bluff overlooking Lake Taneycomo. The site is accessible via the Bluff Trail and is the first point of interest along the trail.
Hand-Laid Stone Steps
After exploring the Historic Owen Homestead, I descended from the top of Branson Heights Bluff via 315 hand-laid stone steps which were laid by Owen and several hired-hands between 1937 to 1938. Each stair is 3.5 feet wide because according to Owen, “That’s wide enough to walk down with your arm around your sweetheart.” I can’t even imagine all that work, but I’m very grateful. Nearly a century later and the stone steps are in great condition!
Waterfall
Once at the bottom of the stairs the trail follows along the base of Branson Heights Bluff and leads to a beautiful Missouri waterfall. It was flowing when I visited, but it had rained recently, so I can’t say for sure if it’s a year-round waterfall or simply a wet-weather falls. Either way, I feel very lucky to have experienced it as I did. Take caution as this was definitely the slickest part of the trail.
Old Soldier’s Cave
A tenth of a mile past the waterfall you’ll find a large tree that’s nearly fallen across the trail. Around the trunk is a small entrance to a rather sizable cave, a cave that I believed to be Old Soldier’s Cave, but there was no sign. The cave did match the description of Old Soldier’s Cave on park information being a large oval roughly 20 by 35 feet and tall enough for me to stand in the center (I’m 6’1 for context). The cave is called Old Soldier’s Cave because during the Civil War local gunsmith Calvin Gaylor used it as a hideout rather than “helping the other side.” Which side he’s referring to isn’t mentioned.
The Grotto
Another two tenths of a mile beyond Old Soldier’s Cave and the trail emerges at a beautiful sandstone overhang in the bluff. Turn around under the overhang to look back on the trail and you’ll notice another cave entrance just below the trail. This is a thin windy cave that gets thinner and shorter as you dive deeper into the earth. I’ve dubbed this Graffiti Cave due to the art spray painted on the walls.
From this point you could theoretically continue the hike for another mile all the way to Sunset Park. I did walk the trail a bit further, but it simply got thinner and more overgrown so my recommendation would be to turn back at this point, saving your legs for the climb back up the stone steps.
Lakeside Bluff Trail in Lakeside Bluff Wilderness Area is a great Branson hiking trail and definitely worth your time when visiting Branson.
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Hiking Gear List
T-Shirt - REI Co-op Sahara T-Shirt
Shorts - prAna Brion Shorts II
Underwear - REI Co-op Everyday Boxer Briefs
Shoes - The North Face VECTIV Fastpack FUTURELIGHT Hiking Shoes
Pack - REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack
Water Bottle - REI Co-op Nalgene 1L
Headlamp - Petzl Tikka Headlamp
Camera Gear List
Camera - iPhone 14 Pro
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