Things to do

Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock is part of Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, south of Branson. Entry costs $10 per car, $15 after 4 pm, and the resort takes cards only. The 2.5-mile Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail, which you drive yourself in a golf cart, is a separate ticket that includes the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum.

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Entry and hours

Checked November 7, 2026$10 per car2.5-mile cave trail

Top of the Rock, Ridgedale, Missouri · Photo: Ti89T / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

Entry

Getting in

You pay per car at the gate, by card. If you leave and come back the same day, you don't pay again. From November 7 to December 30, 2026, Big Cedar runs a drive-through light tour, $35 a car.

Staying at Big Cedar Lodge

Christmas lights around Branson

Entry: $10 per car, by card only
From 4 pm: $15 per car
Holidays and special events: Special entry fees can apply
Coming back the same day: No second entry fee
Big Cedar hotel guests and members: Free entry
Parking: Free shuttle from the lot; valet for a fee

Lost Canyon Cave

The cave trail and the museum

Day tickets have variable prices, and no reservation is needed. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you go in during your time slot.

Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail: 2.5 miles by four-seat golf cart past waterfalls and over bridges, through a cave with the Bat Bar; 9 am to 5 pm daily, weather permitting; last cart one hour before close
Drivers: 18 or older
Included: Golf cart, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, one digital photo and one drink at the Bat Bar
Time to allow: At least three hours for the trail and museum, on the same day
Nature at Night: 5 pm to 9 pm daily; the day ticket isn't valid for it
Time slots: Fixed slots on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Discounts: 10% for military, veterans and seniors
Not allowed: Pets (service animals only) and coolers
Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum: 9 am to 7 pm daily; tickets also sold on their own, at variable prices

Dining

Where to eat

Three places to eat at Top of the Rock, at 150 to 190 Top of the Rock Road and on Devil's Pool Road.

Osage Restaurant: 4 pm to 8 pm Sunday to Thursday, to 9 pm Friday and Saturday; Sunday brunch 10 am to 2 pm
Arnie's Barn: 11 am to 4 pm, Monday to Saturday, plus Taste of Arnie's on Saturdays 4 pm to 8 pm; closed Sundays
Buffalo Bar: 4 pm to 8 pm Sunday to Thursday, to 9 pm Friday and Saturday

Golf

The short courses

Men over 12 need a collared shirt, and groups are up to four players. The Top of the Rock par 3 is planned to close on November 6, 2027 and reopen on June 1, 2028.

Top of the Rock: 9-hole par 3; average round 1 hour 45 minutes; rider fee $30 plus tax
Mountain Top: 13-hole walking course without carts; average round 2 hours
Cliffhangers: 18-hole par 3; rider fee $45 plus tax

All golf in Branson

Stay nearby

Hotels closest to Top of the Rock

Drive times by road, without traffic.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club Paradise Point HollisterHollister and Ridgedale 9.2 on ExpediaFree parkingNo pets4.5 miles, 16 min to Top of the Rock; indoor and outdoor pools, suites with kitchens.Check prices
Angler's Lodge HollisterHollister and Ridgedale 9.2 on ExpediaFree parkingPets: 2 dogs, $75 a pet a stayBreakfast included7.7 miles, 13 min to Top of the Rock, in Hollister.Check prices

Ridgedale and Big Cedar vacation rentals on Vrbo

What people ask

Quick answers

How much are Top of the Rock tickets?

Entry is $10 per car, or $15 from 4 pm, by card only, and special fees can apply on holidays. The Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail is a separate ticket at variable prices, with the museum included.

What is the Top of the Rock golf cart tour?

It's the Lost Canyon Cave & Nature Trail: you drive your own four-seat golf cart along a 2.5-mile trail with waterfalls, bridges and a cave with the Bat Bar inside, where your ticket includes a drink. Drivers must be 18, and the trail runs 9 am to 5 pm, with the last cart an hour before close.

What is Nature at Night at Top of the Rock?

The same 2.5-mile golf-cart trail after dark, from 5 to 9 pm, lit with light displays. It needs its own ticket; the daytime trail ticket isn't valid.

What is the Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve?

The full name of Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge's hilltop park in Ridgedale, with the cave trail, the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum, restaurants and the par-3 golf courses.

How long do you need at Top of the Rock?

At least three hours for the Lost Canyon trail and the museum. Add dinner at Osage or a round on the 9-hole par 3, which averages 1 hour 45 minutes, and it fills an afternoon and evening.

What restaurants are at Top of the Rock?

Osage for dinner from 4 pm, to 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with Sunday brunch from 10 am; Arnie's Barn for lunch from 11 am (closed Sundays); and the Buffalo Bar from 4 pm.

Where is Top of the Rock in Branson?

At Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, south of Branson, at 150 Top of the Rock Road. From the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing it's 11 miles, 18 minutes by car, without traffic.