Lake of the Ozarks State Park, at 17,441 acres, is the largest in the Missouri parks system. Eighty miles of the lake’s 1,100-mile shoreline is in the park, and the remainder of the acreage is a combination of woodlands and wild places. Opened by the National Park Service in the 1930s and ceded to the state in 1946, the park has dams, bridges and log buildings erected by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Ozark Caverns, open for tours in the summer, is at the south end of the park. A boardwalk crosses Coakley Hollow Fen, a wetland where native plants bloom.
Full-service marinas on the lake have swimming beaches, boat rentals and paved launches. Boats of unlimited horsepower are permitted on the lake, where catfish, walleye, bass, crappie and bluegill thrive. The park has hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails, and an aquatic trail marked by buoys winds along the Grand Glaize Arm of the lake. The multiuse 13.5-mile Trail of Four Winds, the longest in the park, provides an introduction to each of the park’s geological features. Rock climbing and metal detecting are allowed in some areas of the park on certain days with a permit.
The park has four campground areas grouped closely together in a bend of the lake. Some sites have limited hookups, and water is from shared spigots. A handful of sites, reserved for families, have extra space, and 10 sites are accessible for the handicapped. The park’s eight rustic cabins have wood-burning stoves, electricity and room for eight guests, but they do not have running water. Bathhouse facilities are shared with the campground. Two yurts have log furnishings and sleep up to six. The campground, cabins and yurts can be reserved year round.
Ozark Homestead Riding Stables (lakehorse.com) rents horses and leads one- or two-hour guided tours in the state park. Pony rides are available for children as young as 1 year old. Tan-Tar-A Resort (tan-tar-a.com) has an indoor waterpark with a three-story treehouse, a huge whirlpool and a lazy river. Big Surf (bigsurfwaterpark.com) is an outdoor waterpark with flume rides and a wave pool. The stone ruins of a castle built on a bluff by a Kansas City businessman are the highlight of Ha Ha Tonka State Park (mostateparks.com). Karst features in the park include a 70-foot natural bridge, sinkholes and caves used by 19th-century outlaws.
