Castles, Caves, and Crystal Springs: Unveiling the Magic of Ha Ha Tonka State Park
11 min read
Could Ha Ha Tonka State Park be the most wonderful location in Missouri? Conde Nast Travel thinks so! Right after you see our thrilling points to do in Ha Ha Tonka State Park, you may well agree. And after a journey to Camdenton, you can see for oneself.
This information takes you from historic castle ruins on the bluff tops to the crystal blue springs at lake level. In between, you are going to locate 3,700 acres of exquisite nature, such as perfectly-preserved woodlands and distinct karst attributes.
See the Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins
Picture Credit score: Jenn Coleman.
At the leading of the record and the top of the hill sits the Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins. Kansas Metropolis businessman, Robert McClure Snyder, commenced building on the castle in 1905, only to die in a motor vehicle crash in 1906. His sons, Robert Jr., LeRoy, and Kenneth, finished the undertaking in the early 1920s, just in time for the inventory industry crash. It struggled as a hotel in the course of the Excellent Depression, only to burn up to the floor in 1942. Originally designed as a 16th-century European fairy tale, these buildings additional closely resemble a switch of the century American gothic.
Right now, visitors can see the crumbling partitions of the castle, h2o tower, and stables. For a instant, you could consider that you are in Europe on the lookout at an outdated ruin established significant previously mentioned the Rhine. Interpretive indications convey to you about the design, procedure, and demise of this historic composition. Also not to be skipped are the sweeping sights of the Niagara Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. Given that the 250′ cliffs facial area west, this location is dwelling to some of the most effective sunsets in the condition.
Discover the Ha Ha Tonka All-natural Bridge
Image Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Just down below the castle ruins, you will discover the Ha Ha Tonka Organic Bridge. The bridge is 70 ft broad, spans 60 ft, and reaches more than 100 ft in the air. At one time, this bridge served as the primary entrance for the castle grounds like a medieval drawbridge. Nowadays all traffic above the best, like foot site visitors, is prohibited to protect the characteristic.
Whilst you are visiting the all-natural bridge, be guaranteed to preserve heading down the path a shorter bit to see the Colosseum, a gigantic 500 feet lengthy and 300 ft broad sinkhole. If you like, there is a modest picnic space entire with tables and grills adjacent to the organic bridge parking area.
Go for a Hike on the Ha Ha Tonka Trails
Photo Credit rating Jenn Coleman.
13 trails crisscross Ha Ha Tonka Condition Park with much more than 15 miles of marked routes. Highlights involve: the Ha Ha Tonka Castle ruins, crystal blue Ha Ha Tonka Springs, numerous karst options such as the normal bridge, Devil’s Bathtub, and many sinkholes. Path problems range from paved paths to picket boardwalks to the natural path floor. Of notice is the 316-stage wooden staircase that will take website visitors from the spring head at lake amount to the ruins at the top of the bluff.
When you’re mountaineering, spend close consideration to the confluence of trails involving the write-up place of work and the normal bridge. Up to four trails can share the similar observe, every single with its have blazes. This will reduce your overall distance traveled, as you’re hiking two or a lot more trails simultaneously, but be careful with navigation.
Unique Trail Descriptions
Photograph Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Acorn Trail (.9 miles / blazed inexperienced) is a self-guiding interpretive trail that sales opportunities hikers by way of an open up woodland and glade complex.
Boulder Ridge Path (1.5 miles / blazed red) is an old gravel road that travels by lichen-included boulders with views of Lake of the Ozarks.
Castle Trail (.4 miles / blazed yellow) is 1 of the park’s most popular trails that accesses the ruins of a 20th-century castle and features magnificent sights of Lake of the Ozarks. The trail is accessed from two parking loads. The upper large amount has restricted parking and is advisable for individuals with disabilities and the elderly. The lower good deal has additional parking areas obtainable with a brief, shaded hike to the castle.
Cedar Trail (.2 miles / blazed blue) is a brief interpretive loop about the Write-up Office environment working day-use space with indigenous tree identification markers.
Colosseum Path (.6 miles / blazed yellow) is a determine 8 loop about the Ha Ha Tonka Pure Bridge and Colosseum Sinkhole. It shares the path with portions of Devil’s Kitchen, Dell Rim, and Spring trails.
Particular person Trail Descriptions Aspect 2
Picture Credit score: Jenn Coleman.
Dell Rim Trail (.3 miles / blazed red) The initially .07 miles is a boardwalk all over the historic h2o tower before circling the 150′ deep Whispering Dell Sinkhole. The trail is aspect of the 316 stage wood staircase that potential customers to Ha Ha Tonka Spring. It shares the path with parts of Devil’s Kitchen, Colosseum, and Spring trails.
Devil’s Kitchen (1.3 Miles / blazed brown) This trail gives entry to the Devil’s Kitchen area Sinkhole and shelter cave advanced. It shares the path with parts of Dell Rim, Colosseum, and Spring trails.
Island Path (.4 miles / blazed Environmentally friendly) This trail circles a modest island formed by the Ha Ha Tonka Spring Run moving into Lake of the Ozarks. You will see karst functions like the Balanced Rock Boulder and Island Cave (gated). You’ll also locate the historic h2o pipe used to source the castle on the bluff and have quite a few good views of the iridescent blue Trout Glen Pool at the foundation of Ha Ha Tonka Springs. You can’t enter Trout Glen Pool, but you can swim in the amazing spring water previous the aged dam as it enters Lake of the Ozarks.
Lake Path (.4 miles / blazed crimson) This trail generally serves as a connector trail from the courtesy boat dock to the Quarry Trail and the Castle Ruins
Individual Trail Descriptions Portion 3
Photo Credit score: Jenn Coleman.
Oak Woodland Trail (.1 miles / blazed blue) This limited, handicapped accessible interpretive path has panels that recognize characteristic vegetation of the park’s Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland.
Quarry Path (1.7 miles / blazed eco-friendly) This path normally takes guests earlier two quarry web sites wherever sandstone was mined to establish the castle, carriage household, and drinking water tower.
Spring Trail (1.4 miles / blazed blue) This common loop trail has a minimal little bit of every thing. The very first .4 miles together the shoreline are paved and highly obtainable up to the aged mill pond. Then, a .1 mile boardwalk will take you to the attractive blue Ha Ha Tonka Spring that discharges an ordinary of 48 million gallons of drinking water a day. Then a 316 step wood staircase ascends the bluff. Finally, the path returns by the forest at the prime of the cliff band. It shares the path with portions of Dell Rim, Colosseum, and Devil’s Kitchen trails.
Turkey Pen Hollow Path (6.5 miles / blazed red) – The longest constant path in the park with spurs that accessibility the backcountry camps. Having the white connector that bypasses Camp B will cut two miles off the loop. This path shares a trailhead and some distance with Acorn, Oak Woodland Interpretive, and Devil’s Kitchen trails.
Picnicking at Ha Ha Tonka Point out Park
Image Credit history: Jenn Coleman.
Ha Ha Tonka Condition Park has three picnic regions for most people who enjoys consuming in character. Just about every a single has ample parking and restrooms. Nevertheless, the encounter at each and every is as assorted as Ha Ha Tonka Park alone.
Purely natural Bridge Picnic Area – Below you are going to obtain picnic tables and grills in the woods involving the normal bridge and the Ha Ha Tonka Ruins. Picnicking right here gives the excellent foundation camp to examine the park’s most unique aspect, the Castle Ruins, and exemplary karst formations.
Ha Ha Tonka Lake Shelter – A waterside shelter, picnic tables, and grills that allow you appreciate the lake and spring before, soon after, and even through your meal.
Put up Business Picnic Shelter – A huge shelter in a tranquil corner of the park. Get pleasure from the playground and the interpretive Cedar Trail.
Camping and Backpacking at Ha Ha Tonka State Park
Picture Credit: Missouri State Parks.
Ha Ha Tonka Point out Park does not have a campground for every se. There is a distinctive-use camping space selected for structured youth groups, but there is also some thing for day to day adventures – backpacking off the Turkey Pen Hollow Path.
Backpackers must sign-up at the park business prior to starting their journey, with soon after-hour registration recommendations exterior the park place of work. Campfires are prohibited as very well as slicing implements these types of as saws and hatchets.
Teams of 7 or extra people will have to camp in the designated tenting spots (A, B, and C on the map). Lesser groups can camp at massive so lengthy as they are at least 100 feet from the trail, 200 ft from any significant community use location, and at minimum a person-fourth mile from the path entry/exit issue. If you want to consider backpacking, a minor paperwork and a quarter-mile hike are about as uncomplicated as it will get!
Pay a visit to Ha Ha Tonka Spring
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Ha Ha Tonka Spring is the park’s namesake. In the indigenous Osage Indian language, it means laughing h2o. We didn’t hear the drinking water guffawing on our check out, but our eyes exploded with pleasure. The spring is Missouri’s 12th major, and it discharges much more than 48 million gallons of crystal blue drinking water each individual working day. The sapphire blue water collects in the Trout Glenn Pool and travels about 1/4 mile to enter the Lake of the Ozarks.
The Spring Trail boardwalk travels along the south facet of the pool, featuring remarkable sights of the spring and the outdated millpond. You can even just take the 316-move staircase up to the castle ruins if you like or discover the Island Path for much more sights. A single point you can not do is swim in Trout Glen Pool. The closest you can arrive is swimming in the discharge as it enters the lake. It is still great and blue, but you aren’t trampling in a sensitive space.
Public Boat Docks at Ha Ha Tonka Condition Park
Photo Credit rating: Jenn Coleman.
Ha Ha Tonka Condition Park has not a single but two general public boat docks. The very first 1 is adjacent to the picnic shelter on the south aspect of the spring. This dock is a attractive location for fishing or actively playing in the water, even if you appear by car.
The next dock is on the north side of the lake and largely serves boaters going to the park by the drinking water. It connects to the Lake Trail and Quarry Path to form the shortest and most straightforward way up to the castle for boaters.
Kayak or SUP the Ha Ha Tonka Paddling Trail
Photo Credit history: Jenn Coleman.
Never have your personal boat but nevertheless want to check out the Large Niagara River Trail? Ha Ha Tonka delivers kayak rentals from April by Oct. A two-hour rental is ideal for discovering the no-wake zone encompassing the park. You will require a comprehensive-working day rental if you are venturing out on the 13.3-mile paddling path to discover Niagara Arm highlights like Onyx Cave, the Tunnel Dam Powerhouse, Whistle Bridge, and several wineries and vineyards.
Rentals are organized from the park’s visitor heart (573-346-2986) with a self-assistance kiosk lakeside. The no-wake zone combined with the park’s quick entry dock makes the two-hour tour excellent for newbie paddlers. However, you ought to have some boating and navigation encounter if you are venturing out into the open up h2o. Also, be guaranteed to decide up a paddling trail brochure when you halt by the park office environment and question the rangers if you have any issues.
Ha Ha Tonka FAQs
Image Credit rating: Jenn Coleman.
Can you swim in Ha Ha Tonka Springs? You can not swim in Ha Ha Tonka Springs. Then full Trout Glenn Pool is a shielded ecological location. You can swim in the park by the docks and picnic shelter.
How numerous ways are at Ha Ha Tonka? A 316-step wood staircase that normally takes people from the spring head at lake amount to the ruins at the best of the bluff.
How extensive is the trail at Ha Ha Tonka? Numerous information guides record Ha Ha Tonka as owning above 30 miles of trail. Even so, quite a few of these trails overlap, so the park only has about 20 miles of one of a kind trails.
What is the longest path at Ha Ha Tonka? Turkey Pen Hollow (6.5 miles / blazed crimson) is the longest continual path in the park with spurs that accessibility the backcountry camps.
What are the ideal trails at Ha Ha Tonka? You should see the Ha Ha Tonka Springs and ruins. You get to attain the springs you use the 1.4 mile Spring Path and to attain the ruins you use the .4 mile Castle Path.
Wrapping Up Matters To Do at Ha Ha Tonka
Picture Credit score: Jenn Coleman.
With any luck ,, you see that Ha Ha Tonka is not only lovely but total of thrilling things to do. Its wealthy heritage and all-natural splendor make it a will have to-see attraction when you’re on a Lake of the Ozarks getaway. A great deal like its sister park, Lake of the Ozarks, readers can check out the hills and hollows in this article that make the Ozarks unique.
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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-centered Gen X couple sharing our tales of awesome adventures via activity-driven transformational and experiential vacation.
