The Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a fine example of the beautiful geology to be found in the state of Missouri. Located near Camdenton, the Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a veritable wonderland of sink holes, natural limestone caves, towering bluffs, and the twelfth largest hot spring in Missouri.
Aside from the many natural attractions, the Ha Ha Tonka State Park has plenty to keep the whole family entertained. It is the ideal attraction for those with a taste for adventure, and if you enjoy exploring on foot, there are fifteen miles of hiking trails traversing the park. The hiking trails are very diverse: some are paved walkways suitable for a pleasant stroll on a warm summer's day, whereas others are a lot more challenging and involve rugged climbs across all kinds of terrain.
The ruins of a turn of the century stone built castle preside over a large portion of the park. Built by a wealthy businessman, an empty shell is all that remains of what would once have been a fine residence. The ruins sit on top of a soaring bluff and afford visitors a superb view across the Ha Ha Tonka State Park and Lake of the Ozarks.
The Ha Ha Tonka caves are the other main attraction, and like the other major tour caves in the Missouri area, these spectacular limestone caverns regularly attract hundreds of visitors during the summer months. Another unique natural attraction worth visiting the Ha Ha Tonka State Park for is a huge natural bridge reaching more than one hundred feet into the air.
But apart from hiking and exploring the wonderful natural attractions, visitors can also enjoy the hunting and fishing opportunities in the park, boating on the Big Niangua arm of Lake Ozark, and of course picnicking in one of twenty scenic picnic areas dotted around the park.
Ha Ha Tonka Park / Visitor Center Hours
Summer Hours (On-Season) - April to October (7 AM to Sunset)
Winter Hours (Off-Season) - November to March (8 AM to Sunset)
The outdoor interpretive area, restrooms and brochures are available during these times. The park gates are closed at sunset.
HA HA Tonka Park Office Hours
Summer Hours (On-Season) - April to October (7 AM to 5PM) - On occasion the park office may be temporarily closed while park staff assist large groups or conduct outdoor interpretive programs.
Winter Hours (Off-Season) - Office is not regularly staffed. Park staff are usually available in the park daily. The office telephone answering machine is monitored for messages during daytime hours.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park Map
The Story of Ha Ha Tonka State Park
In 1904, the Ha Ha Tonka Lake, spring and surrounding land was bought by Robert McClure Snyder, a successful businessman from Kansas City. He intended to use the land as his own personal retreat from the stresses of city life and he immediately set about constructing roads and building a private residence.
The mansion was designed in a late English-Renaissance style popular in Europe at the time, but most of the construction materials were obtained from the surrounding land. Snyder's dream of a private retreat to rival the spectacular castles of Europe meant that preparations for the building work were extensive.
Construction work finally began on the house, stables and adjacent tower in 1905 and because no expense was spared, progress was swift. The main house was three storeys high and contained sixteen bedrooms over two floors, twenty eight large rooms and multiple small rooms. Gas and water were piped into the house and external buildings and a large furnace in the basement provided central heating in winter.
Greenhouses, stables and a large garage were built adjacent to the main house. A large water tower was constructed at the highest point on the property to provide a constant supply of water to the house and stables.
Tragically, Snyder did not live long enough to enjoy his dream home-he was killed in an automobile accident in 1906. Following his untimely death, the house remained unfinished until 1922 when one of Snyder's sons completed construction work on the upper floors and the family were finally able to use the house to entertain guests.
The Snyder family continued to use the mansion until 1937, after which they decided it was too costly to run and turned it into a motel. Sadly, a fire broke out in 1942 and the mansion burned to the ground, leaving only the stone walls still standing.
In 1977, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources bought the land. Work was carried out to make the ruined mansion and stables structurally safe and the Ha Ha Tonka State Park was opened to the public in 1979.
Dolomite Kitchen Trail
The Dolomite Trail is comprised of two loops-a south loop and a north loop. The south loop is 0.50 Miles long and will take approximately thirty minutes to complete. The route passes through the entrance of the River Cave sinkhole and along Dry Hollow, a tributary of the River Cave. An interpretive panel at this section provides information on the effects of water on bedrock. The Dolomite Rock Trail then continues across woodland and a dolomite glade. The north loop of the Dolomite Trail is an extra 2 Mile continuation of the south loop and gives trail walkers the opportunity to explore the local woodlands and glades in greater detail via a series of interpretive information kiosks. This section should take approximately two hours. You can learn about native vegetation and the effects of periodic prescribed fires as you walk, and eventually you will end up back at the trailhead in the River Cave Day-Use Area.
Island Trail
The Island Trail is 0.50 Miles long and will take you approximately thirty minutes to complete. The trailhead begins at the Old Mill site along the Spring Trail. It is a rugged route and is not suitable for anyone with major mobility problems. The trail passes Balanced Rock, a huge cylinder shaped dolomite boulder, and the old abandoned water pipe, which is all that remains of the pipe carrying water from the mill to the water tower. The Island Trail then continues to where the Ha Ha Tonka Spring converges with the Lake of the Ozarks and onwards to the Island Cave. For further information on access to the gated Island Cave, information is available from the park office. The Island Trail loop passes around the island and joins back with the Spring Trail. You also have the option to shorten or lengthen the route at two separate sections of the trail.
Spring Trail
The Spring Trail is 1.50 Miles long and the trailhead is located at the east end of the lake parking lot. It should take you approximately one hour and ten minutes to traverse the Spring Trail. The first section of the Spring Trail is paved and takes walkers along the edge of Lake of the Ozarks and Ha Ha Tonka Spring, and past the old gristmill. There are plenty of opportunities to see wildflowers and wildlife along this section and you will find an interpretive information kiosk at the mill site. The next section of the path is boardwalk and it continues on towards the spring, a particularly scenic section of the trail. From here the trail ascends a strenuous 316 steps and 200 vertical feet. At the top you can either choose to head back to the castle along the Dell Rim Trail, or continue on for some amazing views from the upper section of the trail.
Quarry Trail
The Quarry Trail is 1.75 Miles long and should take approximately one hour and twenty minutes to complete. The trailhead starts just north of the castle ruins. As you might expect from the name, the Quarry Trail passes through two of the park's quarry sites. From here, sandstone was taken to build the original castle, water tower, and carriage house, and the trail passes the site where the foundations of the huge castle greenhouses still remain. The quarries are relatively shallow compared to modern quarries, but you can stills learn more about how sandstone was removed for building purposes. The trail then continues through a large dolomite glade, from where you can enjoy some beautiful views of Lake of the Ozarks. At the white connectors at points 5 and 6, the trail can be shortened or extended: leaving the trail at the carriage house takes you directly back to the parking lot.
Acorn Trail
The Acorn Trail is a 0.90 Mile loop that begins at the park office and tracks through open woodland and pretty tree glades. It should take you approximately forty minutes to complete. The trail is kept clear through periodic prescribed fire to enable easy passage at all times. Walkers can collect a trail guide from the park office and use it to guide them along the designated route. There are eight stops along the Acorn Trail route. The first section is quite steep and between stops one and two you can admire the blackjack oak trees growing in amongst the rocky landscape. This part of the trail is more exposed and is characterized by loose rocks and an uneven surface. At the end of the trail, between stops seven and eight, the trail opens out in a south facing woodland glade with a lovely view of a traditional Ozark farm.
Boulder Ridge Trail
The Boulder Ridge Trail begins at the Spring Trail trailhead and is 1.5 Miles long. It should take you approximately one hour and ten minutes to complete the distance. The trail is a loop over uneven terrain with a few changes in elevation, so it is not suitable for anyone with a mobility problem. The first section passes in a counter clockwise direction through ancient oak woodland and the slopes down towards a county road. Once across the road, the trail takes back up into rocky terrain where you will see the massive lichen coated sandstone boulders, rocky bluffs and craggy shelves that give the trail its name. The final section of the route is a perfect photo opportunity across the Lake of the Ozarks. Once you have admired the beautiful view, continue back down hill to the county road and walk back through the woodland until you read the trailhead once again.
Castle Trail
The Castle Trail is a short 0.40 Mile linear trail that is suitable for anyone with mobility issues, wheelchairs, and strollers. There are also twelve park benches en route. It should take walkers about twenty minutes to traverse one way along the trail. The starting point for the Castle Trail is from either of the Castle parking lots; the lower parking lot has more spaces, but the upper parking lot is more suitable for those with disabilities. The Castle Trail is paved and takes walkers through scenic woodland. It runs past the ruins of the carriage house and at this point you can enjoy a refreshment stop at a conveniently located water fountain. Here you will also find an interpretative kiosk providing further information on the history of the Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Further along the Castle Trail, there are three more stopping points with superb views of the surrounding area.
Cedar Trail
The Cedar Trail is a very short 0.20 Mile trail that should only take you approximately ten minutes to traverse. The trail begins south west of the Post Office Shelter and follows a small loop around the picnic sites to the back of the shelter. Unlike some of the more arduous trails at the Ha Ha Tonka State Park, the Cedar Trail is perfect for small children and their parents. The walking surface is easy for little feet and there is tree identification labels all the way round the loop to enable younger children to become more familiar with the native tree species found in the local Ozarks area. If you decide to walk the trail in the evening following a family picnic during the warmer half of the year, you might even be lucky enough see deer emerging from the woods to graze on the grass around the vicinity of the shelter.
Colosseum Trail
The Colosseum Trail is a 0.70 Mile natural surface trail across the Karst Natural Area, taking in the famous Ha Ha Tonka Colosseum sinkhole and the natural bridge, an impressive geological feature left behind when one of the underground cave systems collapsed. The trail is a loop and should take approximately forty minutes to traverse. During the summer, you will be treated to a beautiful display of wild flowers, but the real attractions are the sinkhole and the stone bridge. The sinkhole is 150 feet deep and the trail climbs out of this enclave and uphill steeply to the top of the ridge. For this reason, the trail is only suitable for those with full mobility. From the top of the ridge, you can enjoy some impressive views of the park before crossing the 100 feet high natural stone bridge and heading back to the trailhead located at the natural bridge parking lot.
Dell Rim Trail
The Dell Rim Trail is 0.30 Miles long and is a short linear route that should take you approximately fifteen minutes to walk one way. The trailhead begins at the upper castle parking lot, next to the water tower. The first section of the trail is along a wooden boardwalk and is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. It leads from the water tower to the Whispering Dell Sinkhole and there are interpretive panels along the trail route providing useful information about the Water Tower and the geological complexities of sinkholes. An overlook at the Whispering Dell Sinkhole gives walkers a great view of the water tower from across the huge void. The next section is more difficult and involves steep steps leading up to the Ha Ha Tonka Spring and a second overlook point. From here you can connect to the Colosseum Trail, the Spring Trail, and the Devil's Kitchen Trail.
Devil's Kitchen Trail
The Devil's Kitchen Trail is 1.25 Miles long and is a loop that should take you approximately one hour and fifteen minutes to traverse. The trail begins at the Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland Natural Area parking lot and it passes through woodlands and glades before heading inside the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole. The trail is named after a small cave shelter within the sinkhole known as the Devil's Kitchen and if you walk inside the cave, you will be able to see the sky through a small chimney opening to the rear of the cave. The next section of the trail takes you to a rocky bluff known as the Devil's Promenade. Further on, you can enjoy some lovely views of the castle and an interpretive information panel on the town of Hahatonka. The latter section of trail joins up with the Spring Trail, Dell Rim Trail, and the Colosseum Trail.
Lake Trail
The Lake Trail is 0.40 Miles long and is a linear trail that begins near the northern boat dock on Lake of the Ozarks. The trail takes walkers to the ruins of the castle and joins up with the rest of the Ha Ha Tonka trail complex. It will take approximately twenty-five minutes to complete the trail. You will find extra information including a map about the trail in an interpretive kiosk located at the trailhead. The Lake trail is fairly steep and climbs up 250 feet but the surface is an easy to follow smooth gravel. The route passes through open oak woodland and into the small quarry where the remains of Robert Snyder's ten greenhouses can still be seen. The trail intersects with the Quarry Trail at this section. The trail reaches completion at the castle ruins and from here you can continue along the Castle trail and beyond.
Oak Woodland Interpretive Trail
The Oak Woodland Interpretive Trail is a very short trail that begins at the Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland Natural Area parking lot. The trail is only 430 feet long and should take a maximum of ten minutes to complete. It is a paved section of trail that is suitable for wheelchair and stroller access and there are four interpretive stops along the route. Each information panel describes how prescribed fire has been used as a woodland management tool since the mid 1980s. There are also plenty of information panels identifying characteristic plants and trees native to the Ha Ha Tonka Oak Woodland Natural Area. Due to the easy access nature of this section of the Ha Ha Tonka's trail system the Oak Woodland Interpretive Trail is suitable for families with small children or those with serious mobility issues. It is also ideal for anyone who wants to learn more about how woodland can be carefully managed with prescribed fire.
Turkey Pen Hollow Trail
The Turkey Pen Hollow Trail is a lengthy 6.5 Mile trail that will take you approximately six and a half hours to complete. The trail passes through woodland and dolomite glades, an area that is managed with prescribed fire techniques. Hikers will be able to see one of the park's large sinkholes and the access point to the primitive special-use campsite. There are many areas of special geological interest along the trail route, including areas of bedrock that have shifted and moved, plus an outcrop of rock that is a remnant of the Red Arrow geological fault line. Once you reach the top of the ridge, you can cut deviate from the trail and shorten the route to 4.75 Miles. Beyond this section, a further campground in a sheltered valley is available for larger groups of campers. Smaller groups are not obliged to use the designated site, but they must camp away from the main trail.
