Hands down, Table Rock Lake is one of my favorite bodies of water on the planet. I’ve loved it since I was a very young child. The Ozarks wouldn’t be complete without Table Rock.
In this blog post and video, I’m going to share part of my personal Ozarks with you. I’m going to give you a little taste of what a huge body of water, gathered up by a dam and held among gentle Ozark hills, can do in a little girl’s life. After all these years, it’s still working its magic….
Table Rock Lake – Nothing Like It
Table Rock Lake, to me the jewel of the Ozarks, is still sparkling and dancing in the sun, even after all these years. The dam, built in the fifties and completed about 1958, stands in all its light gray glory, testament to the ingenuity of man in the battle to overcome the overflooding rivers of the area. Depending on who you talk to, it does a decent job of doing that, although potent rains of the region can still exceed the top of the dam and wreak havoc, especially in the downstream towns of Branson and Hollister, to name just a couple.
But even though the dam hasn’t made all the flooding issues disappear, it has created a place of water wonder and beauty that is hard to argue with at all. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, Table Rock Lake has a surface area of 43,100 acres (about 174 km2) that extends over a good bit of southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas.
At normal lake levels, Table Rock boasts almost 860 miles of shoreline. With that much water surrounded by so much breathtaking Ozark beauty, there is no limit to the enjoyment both locals and visitors alike receive from time spent there.
Endless Opportunities for Fun at Table Rock Lake
Table Rock has so many things for its visitors to do. You can literally play on the water, in the water, under the water, and beside the water. Boating, kayaking, skiing, fishing, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, picnicking, volleyball, camping, hiking…it’s the go-to place here for spending time out in nature.
Though my family used to come here for summer vacations when I was a little girl, today, I am happy to be numbered among the locals. You’ll recognize us by the way we stay off the Strip in Branson during the tourist season, how we eat at the out-of-the-way favorite watering hole restaurants, and how we take in the simple pleasures around the area with little fanfare. And as a local, one of my favorite places to hang out is at Table Rock State Park.
My Table Rock Lake Special
The lake is not quite a 10-minute drive through the ancient Ozark hills from my house. Just across the road from the entrance to the state park is a gas station or two. I like to stop in there and grab a snack. One of my favorite things is a bottle of Dr. Pepper and a bag of Puff Corn (I’m a sucker for that combination). Then I drive through the park entrance and look for the perfect place to stop.
So, do I go boating? Scuba diving? Fishing? Swimming? Well, no, not really. What I do is walk the trail some…and mostly I write. Yep, out in the fresh air at a picnic table, shaded by the trees standing around, pen to paper is my favorite way to spend time at the lake. I can stretch it into a whole day and evening without much trouble. There are grills handy and I have a cooler so cooking is not out of the question. Sometimes I invite a friend with me and we write together. One friend in particular is writing a historical novel based on her family history. She works on that and I write on all kinds of projects.
People-watching at Table Rock Lake
It’s such a great place to people-watch, too. At some times of the year it can be quite filled up with people. I find the vast majority of them very friendly and willing to talk a little bit if asked. It’s refreshing to converse with someone you meet out like that because everyone has a story. With so many at the park coming in from around the country, the stories are interesting and widely varied. I love to chat with folks and hear what their lives are like.
Beautiful Waters of Table Rock
And then there’s the water. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, I so love the water of Table Rock Lake. The steady lapping of the waves upon the cove’s rocky shore brings a sense of peace and continuity to me. It speaks of the goodness of God and of how He never changes. The whispering of the waters at my feet with the singing of the birds overhead create the most amazing music. There is a healing quietness that comes over me, refreshing and reviving me.
Table Rock Birding
One of my favorite things in the park is the bluebird boxes that are placed in strategic locations. (bluebird in flight image credits: Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash ) The bluebird is the official bird of Missouri and I dearly love it. If you sit quietly, you will see them. They mate for life and you will very often see them together, taking on the challenges and chores of life and family together.
Table Rock Lake is a great place to birdwatch–yet another favorite pastime there. There are over 200 species of birds, from quite large to the tiniest hummer, that either live in the area or make their way through on their migration paths. The park service offers a list of all of them so you can check them off as you spot them. That is a really interesting project that I have done myself. I enjoyed it.
Table Rock Lake – Sky on Fire
I love to be in the park at the water’s edge at sunset into twilight. On many evenings, the sunset looks like sky on fire with colors so vivid you think you can’t stand it. The hues of last-minute afternoon burn across the clouds and reflect on the expanse of water as if painted with a master’s brush. A Master indeed!
Then as the sun exits stage west the colors seem to follow it slowly until the trees and clearings are left in a green darkness, the only hint of color remaining being that small nearly gray smudge where the sun left its sooty fingerprint on the sky. The stars blink into view. Birds sing their final goodnight songs to each other and the crickets take up their instruments to perform their nighttime symphony.
Evening in the Ozarks is a place all to itself, a special place that you have to know how to enter into or you’ll miss it, even though it happens every day. I’m so thankful for Table Rock Lake and for all that people enjoy doing there. And I appreciate the fact that, whether you want to be super active or super quiet, there’s room for all of it right here in this little corner of the world. Table Rock Lake, along with all of the Ozarks region, is a great and inspiring treasure. Simple pleasures in a very uncomplicated part of the country.
I hope you get to come enjoy this lake sometime. Let me know in the comments if you’ve ever visited.
Enjoy your day!
Jane
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