The Best Cabins and Lodges to Book in Missouri, USA

High in the Ozarks, you won’t need a four-legged companion to sniff out a good time at Cabins at Green Mountain – although he’s free to join you on your holiday at this pet-friendly resort with its nostalgic summer camp vibe. You’ll spend your days hitting the mountain trails, either with your hiking boots or by bike, before returning to your timber-clad home from home for a beer beside the flickering fireplace and a starlit dip in the outdoor pool.

Ease off the throttle, and dock yourself at Calm Waters Cabin Resort – on the shores of Table Rock Lake. Walk into your a-frame waterfront cabin, and leave your watch on the nightstand– time-keeping is measured in other ways here. How well cooked your BBQ meats are, for example, or the angle of the sunlight hitting the lake’s surface as you paddle about in a kayak. Not sure when it’s the right time to pack it in for the night? How about as soon as the fish stop biting?

You don’t need to book a private log cabin at Big Cedar Lodge to unwind into sublime relaxation – but having your own wood-burning fireplace and luxury tub won’t do you any harm. When you’re not surrounded by wall-to-wall wood paneling, furnishings and furniture, you’ll be set amongst the trees, chasing activities that will keep you moving no matter the season. Golf and game fishing, horseback riding and hiking, skeet shooting and wave riding – it’s all waiting for you outside.

Dreaming of that lakeside vacation home in the Ozarks? Follow the glow of Lighthouse Lodge Resort, and feel at home in an instant. Choose a cabin or a cottage, both of which have fully equipped kitchens and covered picnic pavilions, where every meal is a memory. The playground, game room and pool only add to the fun. Early mornings launching the boat and late nights roasting marshmallows by the fire pit will bookend a quiet, family-friendly stay.

Hawk’s Nest Lodge is a cozy place to roost near the Lake of the Ozarks. Lake view rooms and the onsite pool dial down your days to a slow and steady pace. There’s no rush to leave a game of billiards unfinished; no matter which pool you’re playing at, the state park is always waiting 5mi (8km) away. If crossing the Grand Glaize Bridge seems like a lot of work, just scoot along on foot to JD Waddle’s, and appreciate the lake views over a basket of fries.

Row into the Couples Cove at White River Lodge, and let this Branson B&B take care of you lovebirds. Snuggle up in the homemade twisted-cedar Amish bed, and nap after splashing around in the bubbly in-room jacuzzi for two. A robe is all you’ll need to enjoy your lake views. Is your spouse determined to cast a line in the lake? White River Outfitters will get them all geared up while you wave from the outdoor hot tub.

The Lodges at Timber Ridge are an oasis in the Ozarks that your kids will never want to leave. They’ll have fun at the Splash-a-Torium, leaving wet footprints from the splash pad to the water slide. Before they’re even dry, they’ll drag you to the game room and, then, over to the mini-golf course. Try as you might to enjoy your king suite to the fullest, the kids will drag you from the king bed at the crack of dawn so you can get to Silver Dollar City asap.

It’s a no-brainer to book the Mississippi Room at the Lodge at Grant’s Trail, since you’re only a stone’s throw away from ol’ Big Muddy. A ship’s wheel, porthole window and other nautical nods will have you thinking that the floorboards are rocking beneath your feet. Don’t worry, landlubber, you’ll find your footing on solid ground when you step outside onto Grant’s Trail. Walk it as far as you desire; then, follow the glow of the Great Room’s massive fireplace back to the Lodge.