Lake of the Ozarks is the Midwest’s premier lake resort destination, offering
world-class boating, golfing, shopping and fishing, and a wide variety of
lodging, restaurants, state parks, and other recreational activities to suit
any budget and taste. Yet, there are “hidden
treasures” at that Lake that many visitors don’t know about but are worthy of
exploring. Many may think these
treasures would be costly but it is exactly the opposite. I am talking about the FREE things to do at
the Lake that will take your breath away.
Here
are the Top 15 Free “hidden treasures” at the Lake of the Ozarks
1.
Lake of the Ozarks State
Park: The
Lake of the Ozarks has the largest State Park in Missouri with over 17,441
acres of things to do. At the park you
will find two public beaches, boat launches, camp sites, Lee C. Fine Airport,
hiking trails, horseback riding and much more.
2.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park: This is an amazing park
and a must see place to visit at the lake.
This park contains over 3,600 acres with 12 hiking trails, 8 caves (not
open to the public), picnic areas, playground, exhibits, and castle ruins.
3.
Mother’s Shrine: The Shrine is known as “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. A beautiful outdoor shrine with a 14 ft.
sculpture of Mary standing above the fountains.
4.
St. Patrick’s Church & Museum: Historic St. Patrick’s Church is the oldest church in Morgan County and
the oldest stone church in the three counties surrounding the Lake of the
Ozarks. St. Patrick’s Church was
built by Irish Catholics, a first generation German-American and a Protestant
Scotsman. The church was designed to hold 80 people and was ready for worship
by 1870. The small living quarters were added to the old church in 1936 for the
circuit riding priest. These quarters have been turned into a museum that
contains many of the vestments, photos and artifacts of the early church. The last regular church service was held at
this Historic Old Church July 20, 1952. It was placed on the National Register
of Historic Sites, March 2, 1979. (Information provided by St. Patrick’s Church
website.)
5.
Camden County Museum: Located in what was once
the Linn Creek School, each classroom has been devoted to a specific theme,
ranging from archives to a weaving room, where woven rugs can actually be
purchased.
6.
Miller County Museum: This museum serves as a
monument for the folk life of central Missouri society, with its Indian
heritage, early home accessories, machines, crafts, schools, churches and
agriculture.
7.
Morgan County Museum: Located in the old Martin
Hotel in Versailles, the Martin Hotel was established more than 150 years
ago. There are 28 rooms decorated with
exhibits, including a Chapel, a doll room, a military room and a tool room.
8.
Bagnell Dam Historical
Museum:
This historic log building was completed in 1930 by the Union Electric Company
(now Ameren Missouri) and served as an administrative and entertainment center
for the mammoth Bagnell Dam construction project that created Lake of the
Ozarks. The building is now refurbished
and serves the Lake area and its visitors as a museum, cultural activities
center and offices of the Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.
9.
Bagnell Dam Overlook: This overlook has a
breath-taking view of the Bagnell Dam in Lake Ozark, but it also shows the
difference in elevation between the 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.
10.
Eldon Airpark Disc Golf
Course:
Disc Golf is a great individual or family sport. It is played like regular ball golf but with
disc (or frisbies). Eldon has a great 9
or 18 hole course (you can move the baskets) that can be played at any time.
11.
Camdenton Disc Golf
Course: Camdenton just finished building its disc
golf course last year. This course is
located at its city park and has more of a rugged terrain. This is an 18 hole course dug deep into the
valleys of Camdenton.
12.
Swinging Bridge and
Shallows:
This is a marvel all on its own and truly a Lake of the Ozarks “hidden
treasure”. As a kid I used to swim here,
and it is still around to admire. This
bridge is comprised of 400 feet of wooden planks to go across the Auglaize
Creek. This location is great for
fishing, site seeing, swimming or even a picnic. Travel down the country side to see this
“hidden treasure”, truly a great way to showcase the beauty of central
Missouri.
13.
Tunnel Dam and Whistle
Shallows:
Lake Niangua at Tunnel Dam is 3 miles long and is at the end of the Big Niangua
River. This area retains the rustic
charm of the Ozarks with majestic hills and dense forests. The gravel bars make perfect spots for
afternoon picnics, swimming or just relaxing in the water. The shallow water in this area is ideal for
kayaks or canoes. This is also a good
area for wade fishing or fishing from the bank.
14.
Aquatic Trail: This trail is administered by the MO
Department of Natural Resources as part of the Lake of the Ozarks State Park;
it is nine miles, which is a two hour boating excursion that runs from Public
Beach #1 to Grand Glaize Beach. One may
start from either end and a booklet with a map with a detailed explanation is
available at the park office. You will
see everything from a logging chute, caves, naturally solar heated bluff and
much more natural phenomenon’s.
15.
MO Department of
Conservation Area: North of Camdenton there is a 40 acre conservation area, with an 80
foot viewing platform that is open to the public which allows visitors to get a
bird’s eye view of the Lake. In addition
to the tower, there is a 1-1/4 mile hiking trail and an archery practice range
(no onsite archery equipment available).
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