10 Fun
FREE Things to Do
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- TOP 10 FREE THINGS TO DO
AT THE LAKE! -
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Ha Ha Tonka State Park 573-346-2986
The Lake area also has the largest state park in Missouri and one of the
newest parks. Certainly one of the more unusual state parks is Ha Ha Tonka; a
geological wonderland: sinkholes, caves, a huge natural bridge, soaring bluffs,
and Missouri's twelfth largest spring. It has fifteen miles of trails traversing
the park, leading visitors to spectacular scenery, natural wonders and the
famous castle ruins. Trails vary from accessible, paved walkways to rugged,
rocky trails providing a diverse experience for hikers. Hiking trails,
picnicking, fishing, swimming and gobs of history. One afternoon, and all of
those memories are yours to take home.
A Trail and Natural Area Guide is available at the visitor's center at the park
entrance, along with outside exhibits. Visitors for the day can easily arrive by
boat or car.
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Window Shopping &
People Watching at the Bagnell Dam Strip
The historic Bagnell Dam "Strip" is 3/4 of a mile of shops and
entertainment. Summer weekends are the best days for the greater form of
entertainment, people watching. From T-shirt shops to beach ware and antique
stores to tattoo parlors. You can play 10 cent skee-ball, ride go-carts, take a
scenic dinner cruise, and para-sail and never leave the Strip. |
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Historical Willmore Lodge &
Museum
Willmore Lodge is the home of Lake Area Chamber of Commerce as
well as Bagnell Dam History Museum. Stop by for visitor information and to hear
sites and sounds from Lake of the Ozarks since passed. |
The Swinging Bridges
The Swinging Bridges is named for a wood-planked suspension
bridges that crosses the Auglaize Creek. Swinging Bridges is located about 10
miles on Hwy 42 to Hwy 42-18, then a pleasant country drive along and across
Mill Creek to the area. It¹s a great place for picnicking and swimming, tubing,
wading or fishing. |
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Art & Ambiance Trail
This trail provides over 95 miles of country roads and highways winding through
the Lake of the Ozarks region featuring individual Artist & Craft studios,
Art Galleries, Upscale Gift Shops, Museums, Theatres, Wineries and Unique Local
Eateries. |
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Lake of the Ozarks State Park
Many lake area visitors don't realize a 17,441 acre playground lies just to the
south of Osage Beach. Lake of the Ozarks State Park is Missouri's largest and
can provide a pleasant diversion while vacationing in the Lake area. The park
has 85 miles of shoreline, two public beaches, boat launching areas and
the Osage Beach Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport. |
A Scenic Drive all the way around the Lake
A 90 mile Scenic Drive around the Lake will not show you all of the 1,100 miles
of shoreline, but you will see lots of lake. From blackened limestone
bluffs overlooking the lake to heavily forested hills and everything in
between. There are restaurants to have lunch or you can you can take a
picnic to eat along the way. You’ve got the whole outdoors and dozens of
beautiful panoramic scenes to be part of.. |
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St Mary’s Mother Shrine
The Shrine is known as the Mothers' Shrine and is probably the most meaningful
shrine in the country, featuring the Mothers' Wall of Life with names of mothers
engraved in the black granite, regardless of race, color or creed |
Bagnell Dam Scenic Overlook
You will not only have a view of Bagnell Dam and the city of Lake Ozark, but
also see the difference in elevation between the impounded Lake of the Ozarks
and the Osage River. The overlook has several areas explaining various
historical facts along with a turbine that was recently retired after seventy
plus years of use. Don't forget to drive down to the base of the dam to
look for Bald Eagles! |
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Tunnel Dam and Lake Niangua
Lake Niangua at Tunnel Dam is 3 miles long and was built by Sho-Me Power
Cooperative Electric in 1929. If you¹d like a lovely drive through the Ozark
backwoods to enjoy a gorgeous panoramic view, a lake dotted with gravel bars and
shallow water to wade and tube in, take a picnic lunch and take a minitrip off
the beaten path. |
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