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. |
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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