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Bull Shoals Lake, AR - Recommendations

BigAbe75

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Does anyone have a recommendation of places to stay on Bull Shoals Lake? We have a family reunion in Branson in June, and would like to spend a few days prior on Bull Shoals to explore before our annual trip to Table Rock. I got a few flyers from places at the Boat Show 2 weeks ago. But, looking at their prices, they look a lot more in line with Branson prices. I would have expected prices to be a bit cheaper there.

Thanks!
 

swatski

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@BigAbe75 I'm going to give away my secrets here.

Best and best priced is the AR side of the lake. Promise Land Road area is hands down the best, IMO.

Best of the best - just awesome owners and prices impossible to beat - especially if you tell them who sent you, lol, ;):
Wood resort (not listed in any guide)
Run by owners Jim/Ginny Wood. Jim is a pioneer of water sports and he is an avid teacher, loves to teach kids.
http://www.woodslandingresort.com/
This is not a 5-star resort, just simple cabins with AC and full kitchens. One of the best docks around, and direct access for launching.
It is right across the lake from BSL Boat Docks - which is probably the best marina around BSL, with non-EtOH 93 octane on tap.

We will be there several times through the Spring/Summer. I love it. It is a spectacular lake with up to 40ft visibility when conditions are right.

Several other resorts off of Promise Land, not all have docks. Docks are very limited on BSL - by the Army Corps. Another one right there that I would recommend is Chit Chat Chow resort, maybe a bit nicer cabins than Wood resort but I like Jim's dock (and his company) best.
http://www.chitchatchawresort.com/


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BigAbe75

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@swatski Wood's Landing looks perfect. And, the prices on the web are half what I was finding on the MO side. That's crazy. (but much more in line with what I was expecting) . The website says they have cabins and condos... what would you recommend for a family of 5? I was looking at the 2 bedroom cabins. Are they the same price? The rate sheet has the breakout by bedroom per unit. I'd be happy to mention you by name, if you want to PM me your info.

Thanks!
 

swatski

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@swatski Wood's Landing looks perfect. And, the prices on the web are half what I was finding on the MO side. That's crazy. (but much more in line with what I was expecting) . The website says they have cabins and condos... what would you recommend for a family of 5? I was looking at the 2 bedroom cabins. Are they the same price? The rate sheet has the breakout by bedroom per unit. I'd be happy to mention you by name, if you want to PM me your info.

Thanks!
Darned. My secret is out! lol
Seriously though - Jim is not the best keeper of his web page, so best call and speak with Ginny.
I would jump on a 2BR cabin, if available! I think they only have 4 or 5 units available total - 2 or 3 each - 1, 2BR.
If no availability (per Ginny) - I would call Chit Chat Chaw, also super nice people and nicer cabins but Jim has better lake access.

PM sent, too.

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BigAbe75

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@swatski We’re headed to Chit Chat Chaw next month. Are there any local spots on the water to boat up for lunch/dinner? Or, is it pretty much pack the cooler for the day or return to the cabin?

Any special must see sights on the lake? Jumping cliffs, falls, swings, or whatever? I’m more used to Table Rock. So, I’m sure I’m going to be in for a culture shock when it comes to smaller population and less resources on the water.

We can’t wait!
 

W3bexec

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Hi @BigAbe75 I was curious if you'd be willing to update about how the vacation went at Chit Chat Chaw and what fun stuff you found to do on the lake and surrounding area. I'm looking at CCC for a little get away next year. Thanks!
 

swatski

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Hi @BigAbe75 I was curious if you'd be willing to update about how the vacation went at Chit Chat Chaw and what fun stuff you found to do on the lake and surrounding area. I'm looking at CCC for a little get away next year. Thanks!
Our experience with CCC has always been very good, albeit we've only used them on occasion for "overflow" guests (we like to stay at Jim Wood's resort at the end of the road). There is nothing fancy there, just regular A/C cabins with kitchens, the CCC owners (fairly new right now) are super friendly and accommodating, continue providing solid service.

The Bull Shoals Lake has almost no actual entertainment/attractions, there are few docks and development. NOTHING to compare to the LOTO (which we like to call "lake of the go-carts"), and that is the beauty of it. We have been visiting there a lot, sometimes during busiest times of year - only to find few boats around and many coves to ourselves.

The lake is beautiful and deep, and very clean. Albeit visibility varies with the amount of rain, for example this year is not great, it is always at least several feet, like minimum 6-8ft, and we have seen it at 30-40ft some years. Great lake for diving, also legal to spearfish on the AR side, which is most of the lake. BSL Boat Dock is across the lake (1 mile?) from CCC - w/great service and premium gas (EtOH-free 93 octane).

So, if you are looking for real entertainment, like shows and "attractions", this is not the place. You can go on a fishing tour, rent a jet ski, or a house boat, but that's about it. We love BSL for the pristine aspects of the lake, it is also heaven for water sports, but if not boating - there otherwise is not much to do (that we know of).

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mattschepker

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This is one of the Lakes that I have it narrowed down to possibly rent a houseboat next year. I've heard so much about this lake that I need to see it for myself
 

W3bexec

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O (we like to stay at Jim Wood's resort at the end of the road)
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Thanks for the reply @swatski I was looking at that one too. You mentioned the big difference to you, outside of maybe your relationship with the owners, is the boat dock. Can you elaborate on that?

BSL versus Table Rock is a part of the debate we're having (no LOTO). We have 3 kids, two of which are teenage girls and can be drama queens so boredom and no wifi in the evenings can be a pain for Mom and Dad. However, the thought the having the run of a near empty lake and lots of unoccupied coves have me and the wife salivating. I could drive you nuts with questions. How feasible are trips over to Branson, Silver Dollar City, etc.? I assume I can just unhook the trailer and leave it.
 

BigAbe75

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@swatski is right on, of course. We had a rainy day and went in to Mountain Home for a matinee (new Incredibles movie) and dinner at a steak house. That’s about all we could find in town.

Chit Chat Chaw specifically - this may sound mixed, but should be taken as a positive review. We loved it.

When we pulled in, my wife’s first thought was “what have we gotten ourselves in to”. The cabin was small and decorated in the 70’s. Single window ac unit. 1 br had 2 full size beds, living rm had a couch, recliner and a tv w direct tv. 2nd br was a “room” off the kitchen/living room with a full size bed and one of those accordion curtain things to pull for privacy. Just felt tiny and not as luxurious as the typical condo we have stayed in on other trips for our family of 5.

GPS had us on twisty, gravel back roads. I really felt like I was in the movie Deliverance for awhile.


Since then, I’ve discovered some better roads. Before you go, get directions from someone... don’t rely on Apple’s Map app on the iPhone. Lol

Dock was old, half the roof had been recently replaced due to storm damage. Before going I had mentioned my boat had a wake tower and was concerned about height. (@swatski had mentioned that it might be an issue) So they took us down to launch and showed me to a slip. My tower fit, but the led light on top was too tall. They said when they replace the other half, they have plans to raise it a foot.

So, they moved us to the dock next door owned by the neighbor. Said they do it all the time. That dock was new and awesome.

Caretakers, Jim and Tammy (Tammy’s sister is the owner if I remember right), were great. They bought the kids popsicles and had some brand new kittens that we got to play with in the Office. (This was the trip where I busted my steering nozzle. Jim got his tools out and helped me pull the nozzle off and get everything secured for travel.)

By the 2nd day, we had settled into the cabin and realized that we hadn’t turned on the tv once. It was tight, but cozy. My wife baked cookies in the kitchen (for our family reunion a couple days later), well into the night. I’ll tell you going to sleep about 10’ from an oven making oatmeal raisin cookies is awesome!!

Each cabin has a charcoal grill, which we successfully used.

Playground is on the small side, but swingset and big sandbox kept our 2 and 5 yr olds busy.

All in all, we really enjoyed the stay and definitely plan to return. Especially, now that we know what to expect. I definitely would like to explore the lake more. We pretty much stayed in a single channel. We did find a marina with a waterside restaurant that was pretty good. (But there’s only 1 or 2 I think)

Tammy also gave us a tour of all the other cabins. They have 2 (cabins 7 and 8) that are larger and actually have 2 real bedrooms and a larger living/kitchen area and are a little more modern looking. We’ll stay in one of those next time. We were in Cabin 2 this time.

Great people and great place for a relaxing family trip without the extra stimulation/distraction of nonstop bombardment. We didn’t turn the tv on till after kids were in bed, and none of us were on our electronic devices at all.
 

BigAbe75

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Thanks for the reply @swatski I was looking at that one too. You mentioned the big difference to you, outside of maybe your relationship with the owners, is the boat dock. Can you elaborate on that?

BSL versus Table Rock is a part of the debate we're having (no LOTO). We have 3 kids, two of which are teenage girls and can be drama queens so boredom and no wifi in the evenings can be a pain for Mom and Dad. However, the thought the having the run of a near empty lake and lots of unoccupied coves have me and the wife salivating. I could drive you nuts with questions. How feasible are trips over to Branson, Silver Dollar City, etc.? I assume I can just unhook the trailer and leave it.
Definitely ok to drop the trailer and leave it. You could do Branson / SDC as a day trip, it's just over an hour on a nice (and fairly straight) road. I wouldn't want to do it everyday, though. My kids are 2, 5, and 11. The 11 yr old might have had tablet withdrawal a bit, but we took some board games and actually had "old fashioned" family fun in the evenings before bed time.

We were at CCC on a weird week, apparently. We were the only cabin booked for the week. 1 cabin came in on Friday, and a couple others came in on Saturday. But, the first 3 days of our trip, we had the whole place to ourselves. They said that every year a family comes down and rents every cabin and some cabins at neighboring resorts for their annual family reunion.

I've only been once, but happy to answer questions.

Table Rock is just as big, deep and clear, but is definitely more congested. More restaurants on the water, way more boats, way more waves generated. Our annual family reunion is on Table Rock and I don't see that changing, but my wife and I have added BSL to our list of boating trips that we like to do.

Edit: @BigAbe75s Wife says it was closer to hour and a half to 2 hours to Indian Point (SDC).
 

swatski

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Thanks for the reply @swatski I was looking at that one too. You mentioned the big difference to you, outside of maybe your relationship with the owners, is the boat dock. Can you elaborate on that?

BSL versus Table Rock is a part of the debate we're having (no LOTO). We have 3 kids, two of which are teenage girls and can be drama queens so boredom and no wifi in the evenings can be a pain for Mom and Dad. However, the thought the having the run of a near empty lake and lots of unoccupied coves have me and the wife salivating. I could drive you nuts with questions. How feasible are trips over to Branson, Silver Dollar City, etc.? I assume I can just unhook the trailer and leave it.
I think @BigAbe75 hit all the important points!

Jim's resort is kind of the same way, maybe a bit more hit-or-miss. Jim's my hero though, so we really don't care. And he loves when we come, he loves teaching kids watersports and I am proud to say I'm one of the few drivers he will get behind a boat to ski with.
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Outside watersports, we enjoy our Sunset "pizza cruises" - we order from Busch's Pizza (Bob's Special - not on the menu) for pickup at the BSL Boat Dock and dine in the middle of the lake, planted in the main channel, never any traffic, no anchor either - it is 200+ft, we just chill
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Getting there... - yes, best get good directions, I'm happy to send anyone a cheat-sheet/map. A car GPS WILL steer you wrong, down there! I felt so bad for @BigAbe75 as I failed to give him heads up and he plowed through some pastures...

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