Discover Cedar: Hotels for Nature and History

A trip to Cedar can focus on water activities or local history. Travel ideas include Stockton Lake, museums in Stockton and El Dorado Springs, and a festival held every September. Specific activities vary by location and timeframe—a helpful starting point for your planning.

Water Activities at Stockton Lake

Stockton Lake covers 24,900 acres. It has five designated safe swimming areas: Stockton Beach, Orleans Trail Beach, Ruark Bluff Beach, Cedar Ridge Beach, and Masters Beach. If swimming is part of your plans, these five names offer specific places to consider. Seasonal access rules may vary; check them before your visit.

Water skiing is possible at Stockton State Park. The park is on a peninsula that extends north between the Big and Little Sac arms of Stockton Lake. Keep the location references distinct in your planning: the five swimming areas are designated at the lake, while the peninsula describes the park’s location between the two arms. This lets you consider the named swimming areas and the park as separate reference points for water activities.

Museums and Local History

The Wayside Inn Museum is housed in a former hotel that opened in El Dorado Springs in 1882. The museum has ten rooms and two halls with historical exhibits. It is open seasonally from the first Saturday in May through the last Sunday in October; visiting hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Check the schedule before you travel. The building’s former use as a hotel gives the museum visit a particular connection to the history of hospitality.

In Stockton, the Cedar County Historical Society operates a local history museum and a genealogical research center. Museum visits are scheduled for the first and third Saturdays of the month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the last Monday of the month from 1 to 4 p.m. Confirm the hours before you travel. The two institutions have different focuses: the Wayside Inn presents historical exhibits in a former hotel, while the Historical Society brings together local history and genealogical research.

Other historical points of interest include the Caplinger Mills Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and the Stockton Community Building. A National Register of Historic Places listing for the latter in Cedar County is dated December 10, 1998. These register dates place the two sites in a historical timeline; on their own, they do not indicate whether the sites are open to visitors.

Festival, Black Walnuts, and Golf

Stockton’s Black Walnut Festival takes place every September. If the date matters for your trip, check the specific event dates before booking. Hammons Emporium in Stockton also fits the black walnut theme: it is associated with a café, a coffee shop, and a gift shop, as well as an extensive selection of black walnuts.

El Dorado Springs is home to the public Gene Pray Memorial Golf Course, which has nine holes. The city was founded around a spring that was believed to have medicinal value. This means El Dorado Springs combines a specific recreational offering with a historical connection to the city’s founding. Stockton, meanwhile, is located at the intersection of State Highways 32 and 39.

Water activities and golf offer different focuses. Decide which one will shape your trip, then check the specific details of the hotels you are considering.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: El Dorado Springs, Franklin County, Wright County, Daviess, Jasper, Ozark County, Cooper, Stoddard County.

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