We ended our holiday break by kicking off our first trip of 2026! Coming from the PNW, sometimes we just really miss being in nature, the woods, the water and having a wood burning fireplace going while sitting in a cozy cabin. The great thing about Dallas, it doesn’t take long to get to a fun weekend away that fills our cup. We hopped in the car and after a short 6 hour car ride we ended up at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. It’s been a destination I’ve had on my bucket list for years and I have so much to say! I wanted to share all my complete guide to visiting Big Cedar Lodge in Winter and everything there is to do!
Visiting Big Cedar Lodge In Winter
Big Cedar Lodge
Big Cedar Lodge is a Johnny Morris property (founder of Bass Pro Shop and more). There is so much rich history to this property and one thing you need to know is that it’s HUGE. The resort is so big and spread out, we didn’t even explore all of it.
But don’t let it intimidate you. They have everything dialed in. To get around, you download the JM Shuttle App and it acts as your personal uber for your stay. The shuttle is free for all guests, it picks you up at your door and takes you to where you want to go. Typical wait time was 5 minutes and so easy to use!
Big Cedar Lodge Lodging Options
There are a lot of different lodging options on the property, from standard hotel rooms, small family cabins and large multi-family homes. We stayed in one of the 2-bedroom cabins. Ours was part of the Devil’s Pool Cabin collection. It was walking distance to the pool/fitness center and the Devil’s Pools Restaurant. It was a great location with beautiful view of the lake! It was perfect for our family of five.
Dining Options
There are a lot of dining options on the resort property and even more right outside it that are easy to get to. Here are a few general take aways about dining on the property- since we were only there for three nights I didn’t plan to make any of our own meals, I wanted to explore the resort, but I would plan meals a little differently next time we go.
if we had a longer stay or go in the summer, I would definitely plan on utilizing the kitchen in our cabin more and make more of our own meals to break it up! We love the Truman Cafe (below) and it’s great for popping into for a quick healthy breakfast, lunch or snack. Then, I would save our dining budget for nicer dinners at Osage (at Top of the Rock) and The Worman House Bistro (on property). The Buzzard Bar is fun too! I’ll get into more details here.
Also, you will definitely want to make reservations pretty far in advanced, especially in summer which is their busiest time of year. The restaurants are not exclusive to resort guests and people come in just to eat there.
The Truman Cafe was our favorite and highly recommend it! This is where you get your morning coffee, they have great fresh breakfast options and healthier lunch options. Lots of smoothies and sweet treats too! We ended up here a few times a day!
The Devil’s Pool Restaurant was walking distance from our cabin and was a very cool rustic building. I loved it. The restaurant upstairs has an all you can eat buffet on the weekends and regular dining at other times. It’s all very southern homestyle cooking. Very delicious. Very Heavy.
Downstairs is the Buzzard Bar! All ages welcome. It has live music every night and is a really fun vibe. Definitely worth going to! But be warned, they don’t take reservations, it’s first come first serve, so you have to get aggressive to snag a table. We went our first night and it’s worth going to at least once to hear the live music.
At The Top of The Rock there is a very nice restaurant called Osage. Worth every penny. The food is amazing. It’s also a Johnny Morris property but it’s about a 10 minute drive from the resort. You can take one of the free shuttles to get here. We did the Nature at Night golf cart adventure and then ate here after. My only regret is that we didn’t get to take in the view from the top! Next time, I would do an earlier dinner here and reserve a table next to the windows to enjoy the view and then go on the golf cart tour after.
The photo on the right is from Finley Farms in Ozark. It’s another Johnny Morris property and is about 40 minutes from the resort. I was a little worried about the trek at first, but the entire area is worth visiting! It was a fun adventure to explore other parts of the area. The food was absolutely amazing, all farm fresh, very upscale and we highly recommend it! They served this gluten-free berry cobbler that my husband and I are still talking about!
Things To Do In Winter
I’ve heard from a lot of people who visit Big Cedar Lodge but the winter is still packed with things to do! You don’t have access to all the pools like you would in the warmer months, but they still have one indoor and one outdoor pool open and the resort is packed with holiday fun!
Holiday Activities
In the center of the resort you have an ice skating rink with real ice and a fun tubing experience. Around the entire resort are gorgeous light displays! Simply walking through the resort at night is an activity in itself.
Fun Mountain
On the resort property is Fun Mountain activity center. This is fun for the whole family! They have a huge slide right when you walk in, lots of places for little kids to run around but also activities for older kids too! They have indoor bowling under the sea, virtual darts (which we loved), a huge arcade, and the best indoor putt putt course I’ve done. They also have a ropes course and go-carts open in the summer.
Stay Active
If you like to stay active on your trips you can do that too! The fitness center (left) was by far the prettiest gym I have ever seen in my life. Fully equipped and looks like you are working out in a luxury log cabin.
There is also a 5K trail that is very well marked. My daughter and I walked it and it is a very pretty trail that takes you through different cabin areas.
The marina also offers free peddle boat rentals even in the off season!
Indoor and Outdoor Pools
After a day of exploring, our favorite thing to do was put on our robes and walk to the outdoor spa at Devil’s Pool, right outside the fitness center. The entire area is gorgeous and so pretty at night! It was just a short walk from our cabin.
Nature At Night
If there was must one activity you do there, you HAVE to do the Nature at Night Tour. It was a highlight. You go to Top of The Rock and take a golf cart tour through caves and water falls. The lights are only for the holidays but you can visit the Top of The Rocks Ozarks Heritage Preserve throughout the year.
Top Of The Rock
At The Top of The Rock, there is a historic museum that is truly amazing. Don’t sleep on it. If you buy tickets to the Nature at Night Tour, you can get into the museum for free. We typically don’t gravitate towards a lot of museums, but it came highly recommended and it was one of the best ones we’ve been to.
Exploring Nearby Areas
One of the days we ventured into Ozark, Missouri and ate a delicious brunch at Finley Farms (mentioned above), they also have a historic mill that you can tour. It’s very interactive and interesting, we all thought it was great!
One thing I didn’t realize before going on this trip was how much there is to do in the surrounding areas as well. My DM’s were flooded with all the things to do in Branson! I had no idea. Here are all the things that were recommended if you wanted to add these into your trip as well:
Exploring Branson:
Disclosure: This was a hosted stay but all opinions are 100% my own!
About Taryn Whiteaker
Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!
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