Big Cedar Lodge voted no. 1 Resort in the Midwest for second consecutive year in Travel + Leisure’s 2017 World’s best awards

Prestigious Readers’ Poll Honors America’s Premier Wilderness Resort with Top Ranking

RIDGEDALE, MO. (July 11, 2017) – Big Cedar Lodge, a rustic luxury wilderness resort situated on 4,600 acres in Missouri’s ruggedly serene Ozark Mountains, has been named the No. 1 resort in the Midwest for the second consecutive year in the reader-voted Travel + Leisure 2017 World’s Best Awards. Celebrated as America’s premier wilderness resort, Big Cedar Lodge has received consistent recognition in this annual readers’ poll with Best U.S. Hotel for Families accolades from 2012-2014 and the No. 1 ranking in the Midwest hotels category in 2016. The World’s Best Awards from Travel + Leisure is one of the world’s most respected hospitality awards programs where winners are selected through a reader survey for favorite hospitality experiences across categories including hotels, spas, cruises and airports.

“As we approach our 30th anniversary next year, we are incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized for the second year in a row as the best resort in the Midwest by the readers of Travel + Leisure,” said Debbie Bennett, Vice President of Hospitality for Bass Pro Shops. “We are proud to welcome travelers from around the world with our genuine Ozarks hospitality, and it is our mission to offer lasting memories, set in the beauty of the outdoors, for every guest.”

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018, Big Cedar Lodge draws inspiration from the rich heritage and landscape of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains to offer a rustic-luxury vacation experience rooted in the great outdoors that has delighted travelers for nearly three decades. Accommodations include a collection of private log cabins, cottages and grand lodges that pair nature-inspired décor, handcrafted furnishings and artwork with premier amenities and services for today’s travelers. Special luxury accommodations also include a Spa Cottage nestled among trees and connected to the spa, a historic new Carriage House Cottage at the heart of the resort, and a Governor’s Suite that evokes a beautiful home space across 2,500 square feet. Overlooking the 43,000-acre Table Rock Lake, the resort is celebrated for its sprawling grounds featuring lush gardens, forests, streams and waterfalls as well as its charming, historic buildings dating to the early 1920s when they were luxurious country retreats for two prominent Missourians.

World-class resort amenities include six dining outlets with heartland-inspired cuisine; the 18,000-square-foot Cedar Creek Spa that is a landmark destination spa for the region; five swimming pools; a state-of-the-art fitness center with daily programming; Bent Hook Marina & Market that is the gateway for water fun on Table Rock Lake; a lakefront beach experience; and a new Fun Mountain indoor adventure wonderland offering 50,000 square feet of fun including an underwater-themed bowling alley, pirate ship play area, bumper cars, high-tech climbing wall, wilderness fort laser tag, dining options and more. Dynamic land and water adventures range from guided bass fishing, water skiing and sunset lake cruises on one of the country’s top bass fishing lakes to arts & crafts workshops, scenic hiking, mechanical bull riding, campfires with s’mores and spirited music from the resort’s own “Singin’ Cowboy.”

The one-of-a-kind resort experience continues at nearby Top of the Rock, a majestic clifftop outpost that opened in 2014 and includes three signature restaurants with jaw-dropping views of Table Rock Lake and the rolling Ozark Mountains; a nature trail and cave tour that takes guests through scenic rock formations and waterfalls; the groundbreaking Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum; a 9-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus along with an Arnold Palmer practice facility; a wine cellar and cigar room; a Civil War era cabin restored by Amish craftsmen; and a three-story wedding chapel perched at the edge of the bluff top. The resort’s evolving golf portfolio includes Buffalo Ridge Springs, an 18-hole golf course that has been rated the No. 1 public course in Missouri by Golf Magazine, with forthcoming additions including The Mountain Top Course from World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player in 2017 and Payne’s Valley golf course that will open in 2019 as the first-ever public access golf course designed by 79-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods and his TGR Design firm.

With endless ways to explore the great outdoors and connect with nature, Big Cedar Lodge also offers guests access to a 10,000-acre natural paradise, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. An immersive wilderness and conservation experience located 15 minutes away, Dogwood Canyon offers an indoor-outdoor Canyon Grill Restaurant overlooking Indian Creek; a working mill; a magical two-story treehouse and education center with programming; and adventures including wildlife tram and guided jeep tours, horseback riding, biking and hiking, archery, a fly fishing school and various fishing pursuits.

For information about Big Cedar Lodge, please visit www.bigcedar.com or call 1-800-225-6343.

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About Big Cedar Lodge

Located in the heart of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, Big Cedar Lodge is America’s premier wilderness resort. A passion of Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, the 4,600-acre lakeside retreat connects families to the outdoors with a variety of nature-based experiences including fishing, boating, hiking, spa and wellness offerings. Signature attractions include Top of the Rock, home to world-class golf, dining, and entertainment; and Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, a 10,000-acre nonprofit wildlife preserve. Named “Number One Resort in the Midwest” by the readers of Travel + Leisure, the resort offers genuine Ozarks hospitality and a convenient location just south of Branson. Learn more at www.bigcedar.com.

About Bass Pro Shops®

Bass Pro Shops is a leading destination retailer offering outdoor gear and apparel in an immersive setting. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today more than 100 retail and marine centers host 120 million people annually. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is known as a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

Media Contact:
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