The Airport via Maple Street

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Branson, MO, US

Route Overview

Vincent Tichenor

Road

20 mi.

2,537 ft.

The most challenging ride per mile in the Branson area.

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Route Details

"The Airport."

If a Branson cyclist asks you where you want to ride, responding with those two words may cause them to question their choice of riding partner. That's because there are few routes in the Branson area that cram so many feet of climbing into so few miles.

While this route starts at the Branson Landing, @slice["The Airport" segment](d,6948.1,25382.1) of the ride starts 4.3 miles in and ends at 15.8 miles. In those 11.6 miles, you'll climb nearly 1,900 feet. But, you can also start in plenty of other places to get to the Airport, such as C of O or Menards, which may be shorter and reduce the overal amount of climbing.

For this route though, you'll begin at the Landing. Cross Lake Taneycomo and ride through downtown Hollister on Business 65. Here many of the buildings have an Olde English aesthetic. Once you have passed through the bulk of downtown, you'll climb a hill @slice[while crossing a bridge](d,2042.1,2607.1)over the railroad. It is usually advised to take the sidewalk through here so as to not impede the traffic on that road.

Shortly after the bridge, take a @point[left onto Maple Street](d,2604.48). There is a short and steep downhill followed by a quick left. Be careful negotiating this turn. You'll then start the @slice[Maple Street climb](d,2828.2,6913.1), which is 2.5 miles long. It has some steeper sections of around 10%, but thanks to a couple of flat sections in the middle, it only averages about 3.5%.

After finally topping out on Maple, you'll turn left onto Branson Creek Boulevard and start "the Airport". A few things to know about this out-and-back: 1) There will be very little flat, and you'll complete six climbs in total. 2) Much of the property surrounding Branson Creek Boulevard is owned by Big Cedar resort and there are five of their golf courses along the way: Cliffhangers, Buffalo Ridge, Payne's Valley, Mountain Top, and Ozarks National. So, enjoy the scenery as you suffer! 3) The road surface is brand new as of summer of 2025. 4) For each downhill on this route, be careful about crosswinds as they can whip pretty quickly through the valleys, making things scary if you have a deep section front wheel.

The first downhill isn't too steep and has a couple of turns. Once you cross the bridge over Turkey Creek, you'll start the easiest of the six climbs coming. It is not too steep and stair-steps its way up to the clubhouse for the Buffalo Ridge course. Once at the top, you'll get a few hundred yards of flat before descending.

A relatively short downhill will lead you into the next climb, which has a very steady grade. The entire hillside to your right has been remodeled; an impressive sight to behold. The building on the top of the hill is the Mountain Top Grill, known for its impressive views of the Branson area and great food.

At the top of the hill, you'll go through the roundabout that accesses the other four golf courses. Head down the hill and across @point[Thorp Creek](d,8952.26), then up the last hill before the airport. This one is a doozy: eight tenths of a mile with pitches of 15%. At the top, you'll find the terminal for Branson Airport, actually one of the least travelled airports in the US.

Savor your time on the flat loop around the parking lot, because all of the descents you just went through are about to become climbs as you make your way back. The first climb is probably objectively the worst of the return climbs, but the last one being the longest can make it feel the most difficult.

Once you have made it back to Maple Street, "the Airport" is behind you! Enjoy a nice, long descent back toward Hollister. At the bottom of the Maple Street downhill, the @point[right turn](d,2608.54) can sneak up on you, so be careful there.

This route does have one last surprise for you though: a short but steep uphill back up to Business 65. After that, it is all downhill and flat as you make your way back to the Landing.

# More resources

[-Branson Landing](https://bransonlanding.com)  
[-Big Cedar Wilderness Resort](https://bigcedar.com)  
[-Big Cedar Golf Courses](https://bigcedar.com/golf/)  
[-Mountain Top Grill](https://bigcedar.com/dining/mountain-top-grill/)  
[-Branson Airport](https://flybranson.com)

# Important Reminders

- There are several places to start riding toward the Airport, including around C of O and Menards (from which you'll take Birch St instead of Maple).
- This is quite a challenging ride, so undertake it with that in mind.
- The crosswinds through the valleys really can wreak havoc, especially on deep section front wheels.
- There is shade on Maple Street, but once you get onto Branson Creek Boulevard, you will be completely exposed to the open sky. Riding The Airport during the summer can get extremely hot.

The Airport via Maple Street

Route Overview

Route Details

Other routes by Vincent Tichenor

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The Airport via Maple Street

Route Overview

Route Details

Other routes by Vincent Tichenor

5 Ugly Sisters Loop from The Landing

The Lunch Loop

Ponce de Leon Loop

Big Cedar Loop from The Landing

TuNR from Turkey Creek Brewery

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