Branson Cedars is a wooded cabin community in Ridgedale, Missouri, roughly 10 minutes from Table Rock Lake and 5 minutes from Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. Thousand Hills Vacations rents three privately owned cabins inside it, each with a private hot tub, a wood-burning stone fireplace, and use of the resort grounds, sleeping six to ten guests.
Guests enter Branson Cedars by crossing a covered wooden bridge, and the cabins sit spread out under mature Ozark trees rather than stacked in a shared building. The three homes bookable through Thousand Hills Vacations in this community are Dakota Cabin, Little Bear Cabin, and Hawk Hollow. Each one is stand-alone, so the deck, the grill, and the hot tub belong to your group alone for the length of the stay.
The Three Cabins at Branson Cedars
Two of the three cabins sleep six and one sleeps ten. All three are stand-alone cabins with two bathrooms, a private hot tub, a wood-burning stone fireplace, a full kitchen, and a washer and dryer inside. The difference between them comes down to group size, bed layout, deck space, and whether you are bringing a dog.
| Cabin | Bedrooms | Baths | Sleeps | Stands out for |
| Dakota Cabin | 2 | 2 | 6 | Two private suites, dogs welcome |
| Little Bear Cabin | 2 | 2 | 6 | Three outdoor decks, dogs welcome |
| Hawk Hollow | 3 | 2 | 10 | Two-story stone fireplace, loft |
The two smaller cabins suit couples and small families. Dakota Cabin splits its six guests across two suites, which suits two couples travelling together or a family that wants the grandparents to have their own bathroom. Little Bear Cabin sleeps the same six around a king bed and two queens, and gives you three separate decks to spread out onto.
Larger groups take Hawk Hollow, the newest of the three, which puts all three bedrooms on the walk-in level and adds a loft and two sleeper sofas to reach ten guests. Its great room is built around a two-story stone fireplace, and because all three bedrooms sit on the walk-in level there are no interior stairs between the parking and any of them. Every one of the three carries a hot tub of its own out under the trees.
What the Resort Grounds Include
Cabin guests at Branson Cedars can use the shared grounds inside the community. The recreation is outdoor and low-key rather than a waterpark, which is the trade you make for a quiet wooded setting. The listings for all three cabins publish the same shared amenities:
- Two seasonal outdoor swimming pools with ADA-accessible chairlifts, one of them heated
- Three children’s playground areas
- A basketball court and a sand volleyball court
- A disc golf course across the resort grounds, though you bring your own discs
- A community fire pit for evening gatherings
- Open wooded grounds with room to walk a dog
Branson Cedars Resort and the Cabins Rented Here
Branson Cedars Resort is a Ridgedale community bought in April 2023 by Bluegreen/Big Cedar Vacations, a joint venture formed by Bluegreen Vacations and Bass Pro Shops. Hilton Grand Vacations has since acquired Bluegreen. The three cabins on this page are privately owned homes inside that community, rented nightly by Thousand Hills Vacations.
That distinction is worth making because two different things share one name in search results. The resort itself is marketed as Branson Cedars, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Booking Dakota Cabin, Little Bear Cabin, or Hawk Hollow is a nightly cabin rental rather than a vacation ownership purchase. Branson Cedars Resort and Big Cedar Lodge are separate properties despite the similar names. Readers who want the longer version can work through how the resort and the rental neighborhood actually relate to each other.
Drive Times From Branson Cedars
Branson Cedars sits south of Branson proper, in Ridgedale, which puts it closer to the lake and the Bass Pro attractions than to Highway 76. Guests trade about ten minutes of driving for quiet and trees. Drive times published on the cabin listings vary a little between the three and run:
- Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, about 5 minutes
- Top of the Rock, 5 to 10 minutes
- Table Rock Lake access, about 10 minutes
- The Branson Strip on Highway 76, 10 to 15 minutes
- Branson Landing, 10 to 15 minutes
- Silver Dollar City, 15 to 20 minutes
The five minute drive to Thunder Ridge Nature Arena is the detail that matters most on a concert trip, since it turns the trip back to the cabin into a short hop rather than a drive across town. Guests booking around a show there can weigh these cabins against the wider set of rentals within reach of Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, and against properties sitting directly on Table Rock Lake when water access matters more than quiet.
Which Branson Cedars Cabins Take Dogs
Two of the three take dogs and one does not, so settle this before booking. Dakota Cabin and Little Bear Cabin each accept up to two dogs weighing 35 pounds or less, at a pet fee of $100 per dog. Hawk Hollow accepts no pets, so a group of ten travelling with a dog will need to look elsewhere.
Where dogs are allowed, the house rules are consistent: leashed outdoors, crated when left alone in the cabin, and off the furniture. The open grounds around the cabins make the walking easy. Groups travelling with a bigger dog, or with more than two, generally need to look at the broader set of Branson rentals that welcome pets.
Seasonal Details to Check Before Booking
Two of the headline features at Branson Cedars are seasonal, so it is worth checking the calendar before booking on the photographs alone. The wood-burning fireplaces and the two resort pools are the two, and each runs on a different part of the year. The private hot tubs carry no such seasonal limit.
- Wood-burning fireplaces are seasonal, typically available November through mid-March
- The two resort pools, one of them heated, typically open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, weather permitting
- Parking at each cabin fits up to two vehicles
- Hawk Hollow is a strictly no-smoking cabin
A November stay normally falls inside fireplace season. A July stay normally falls inside pool season. The two seasons do not overlap, so it is worth deciding which one your group actually came for. Guests weighing this community against other wooded options usually look across the wider cabin inventory around Branson before settling.
What Every Branson Cedars Booking Includes
Guests booking any of the three cabins receive free family tickets to one Branson show, chosen from more than 30 options, along with discounted golf at Thousand Hills Golf Resort. Tickets are either collected on arrival or sent digitally after check-in. The listings recommend reserving early, since popular shows and tee times fill quickly.
Rates and current offers move by season, and the current deals across the Branson portfolio are worth a look before you lock in dates. Groups putting together a full itinerary of shows, tickets, and lodging can also have the trip built around the cabin by Thousand Hills Vacations rather than assembling it piece by piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cabins does Thousand Hills Vacations rent at Branson Cedars?
Three: Dakota Cabin, Little Bear Cabin, and Hawk Hollow. Dakota and Little Bear each sleep six, and Hawk Hollow sleeps ten.
Do all the Branson Cedars cabins have private hot tubs?
Yes. All three cabins have their own outdoor hot tub for the exclusive use of that cabin’s guests, and unlike the fireplaces and the pools it carries no seasonal limit.
Is Branson Cedars in Branson or in Ridgedale?
The community is in Ridgedale, Missouri, south of Branson. The Branson Strip on Highway 76 is a 10 to 15 minute drive from the cabins.
Are the Branson Cedars cabins pet friendly?
Dakota Cabin and Little Bear Cabin accept up to two dogs of 35 pounds or less for a $100 fee per dog. Hawk Hollow does not accept pets.
Is there a swimming pool at Branson Cedars?
The resort grounds have two seasonal outdoor pools with ADA-accessible chairlifts, one of them heated, typically open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Who owns Branson Cedars Resort?
Bluegreen/Big Cedar Vacations, a joint venture between Bluegreen Vacations and Bass Pro Shops, acquired the resort in April 2023, and it is marketed as Branson Cedars, a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. The three cabins listed here are privately owned homes within that community.
How far is Branson Cedars from Silver Dollar City?
Between 15 and 20 minutes by car, depending on the cabin. Thunder Ridge Nature Arena is far closer at roughly 5 minutes, and Table Rock Lake access is about 10 minutes away.
Can a group of ten stay in one cabin at Branson Cedars?
Yes. Hawk Hollow sleeps up to ten using three bedrooms on the walk-in level, a loft sleeping area, and two sleeper sofas.
Book a Branson Cedars Cabin
Only three cabins at Branson Cedars are bookable here, so dates around summer weekends and Thunder Ridge concert nights are limited. Call (877) 262-0430 to check dates, or send the reservations team the dates you have in mind and they will confirm which of the three is open.
