Take in the sweeping vistas of the Missouri Ozarks as we follow the Ozark Mountain Highroad, an 8-mile scenic expressway known officially as Missouri Route 76. This route, often overshadowed by the glitz of Branson’s strip, offers a quieter, elevated drive through wooded ridges and deep hollows—giving travelers a dramatic taste of the region’s rugged topography without ever leaving the highway.
We begin our journey at the southern terminus of the Highroad, where it branches off from Missouri Route 76 west of Branson. Almost immediately, the road begins to ascend gently, pulling away from the bustle of the tourist corridor and into more secluded terrain. Here, the pavement carves through the wooded slopes above Roark Creek, offering brief glimpses of the shimmering water below. As we cross Roark Valley Road, development thins out and the terrain becomes more dramatic—steep drop-offs to the right, densely forested ridgelines to the left, and the occasional hawk circling overhead. The road here feels engineered not just for efficiency but for experience, with broad sweeping curves and high embankments that seem to hover above the Ozarks.
Continuing northward, we pass Waterfall Hollow—a deep natural ravine that channels runoff down the hillsides. The trees close in briefly, creating a cool green canopy in the summer and a blaze of color in the fall. Around the midpoint of the drive, we encounter the sole interchange on the route: Missouri Route 248. This cloverleaf-style interchange offers a connection back into central Branson, but we stay the course, curving gently eastward as the highway begins its descent toward U.S. Route 65. It’s here, on this upper stretch, that the views really open up—rolling hills spread out toward the horizon, dotted with farms and wooded parcels that give this region its unmistakable character.
As the route arcs eastward, we approach its northern terminus at U.S. 65. This interchange lies just north of Branson proper, where the Ozark Mountain Highroad ties back into Missouri’s main north–south corridor. Before exiting south onto US-65, we look back across the ridge we’ve just traversed—a high, forested expanse that feels more remote than it really is. The Highroad may only span eight miles, but in that short distance it offers a condensed experience of the region’s geography: ridgelines, valleys, streams, and solitude, all within a few minutes’ drive of Branson’s neon glow.
The Ozark Mountain Highroad stands as both bypass and escape—relieving traffic from the jam-prone strip below while also offering locals and travelers a serene, elevated alternative. Whether you’re using it to avoid downtown congestion or simply want to soak in the Ozark beauty from a smooth, wide roadway, it’s a drive that rewards attention. The land here feels ancient and settled, but the road is modern and efficient, marrying Missouri’s natural grandeur with the rhythm of travel.
Note: In recent years, Missouri Route 76 was rerouted onto the former Ozark Mountain Highroad (MO-465) as part of a transportation effort to improve traffic flow around Branson’s congested strip. This change took effect in 2020, when the Missouri Department of Transportation officially decommissioned the MO-465 designation and extended MO-76 along its entire alignment. Now, instead of winding through the heart of Branson’s entertainment corridor, Route 76 follows the Highroad’s smoother, more direct path to US-65—offering drivers a faster, more scenic route around the city while still preserving the original alignment through downtown as a local thoroughfare.
🗺️ Route Map
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