Fun Times Await at Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks

This densely wooded playground in America’s heartland abounds with aquatic activities, intriguing attractions and a wide range of resort accommodations

By Randy Mink, Senior Editor

Running 92 miles end to end and with more than 1,150 miles of meandering shoreline, Lake of the Ozarks reigns as one of the premier lake resort destinations in mid-America. Countless activities and attractions offer fun on and off the water.

Set among the thickly forested Ozark hills surrounding more than a dozen communities in central Missouri, the region encompasses two state parks, four show caves, some 200 restaurants and more than 250 lodging choices. Whether you’re a sightseer, shopper, hiker, golfer or watersports enthusiast, you’ll find something to float your boat.

Paddlers find solitude in Ha Ha Tonka Cove, Lake of the Ozarks. (Photo courtesy of Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau)

Whiffs of Nostalgia at Lake of the Ozarks

To get a handle on the history of the sprawling manmade lake, it makes sense to visit Historic Willmore Lodge for orientation. Museum exhibits in the rustic 29-room log structure, built in 1930 just northeast of Bagnell Dam, tell the story of the massive Osage River engineering project that destroyed many towns in creating the lake and dam nearly a century ago. Union Electric of St. Louis, which spearheaded the project, originally used the lodge as an administrative and entertainment center during the construction of the power-generating dam.

At the Bagnell Dam Overlook you can peruse the informational panels and see the difference in elevation between the Lake of the Ozarks and impounded Osage River.

For more nostalgia, visit the Bagnell Dam Strip, whose shops, amusements, eateries and bars have delighted generations of vacationers. Among the attractions are Malted Monkey ropes course/restaurant and Old Time Photos By Yesteryear Images, a studio with two floors of vintage costumes and backdrops.

Stewart’s Restaurant, a breakfast/lunch fixture on the Strip since 1953, recently moved into a former hotel building across the street but still offers signature items like hefty buttermilk pancakes, fried or grilled pork tenderloin with white pepper gravy, and the best biscuits and gravy around. The monster cinnamon roll, drenched with icing and served with a heavy-duty knife for cutting, can feed a family of six. Specializing in down-home cooking, Stewart’s has three other area locations.

Bridal Cave in Missouri

Lake of the Ozarks is Cave Country

Bridal Cave, another time-honored favorite among Lake of the Ozarks visitors, is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a show cave in 2024. One of the most decorative caves in America, it offers chamber after chamber of subterranean splendor, from dramatic stalactites and stalagmites to massive columns, voluminous draperies and a crystal-clear lake. There are some tight squeezes and low ceilings. More than 4,200 weddings have been performed in the stalactite-adorned Bridal Chapel or in the pavilion overlooking the lake. Vow renewal ceremonies are popular as well.

The lake area claims four of Missouri’s 22 show caves, which are wild caves that have been outfitted with lights, hand rails and paved walkways. As the temperature inside is 55-60 degrees year-round, these underground attractions provide welcome relief from the summer heat. Besides Bridal Cave, Stark Caverns, Jacob’s Cave and Ozark Caverns also offer tours.

State Parks at Lake of the Ozarks

The latter cave is in Lake of the Ozarks State Park, the largest in the state park system. Trails, ranging from one-half mile to 15 miles in length, wind through oak-hickory forests and lush ravines, across sunny glades and along towering bluffs overlooking the lake. During the summer months, park naturalists lead guided hikes and present evening nature programs. The stables offer horseback rides.

For boaters, the park’s nine-mile, self-guiding Aquatic Trail is marked with buoys along the shoreline between the marinas at Public Beach No. 1 and Grand Glaize Beach. The trail’s 14 natural features, such as fossilized reefs from an ancient sea and bluffs inhabited by swallows, are explained in an interpretive map. Boats can be rented for fishing or skiing at the park’s two marinas. Both beaches have bathhouses and shady picnic areas.

For overnight guests, Lake of the Ozarks State Park has more than 230 campsites and eight primitive log cabins with a wood-burning stove and three double beds. Several group camps, accommodating between 40 and 200 campers, include sleeping cabins, modern restrooms, a dining lodge with kitchen, play court and swimming area.

Castle ruins at Ha Ha Tonka State Park. (Photo courtesy of Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau)

The most famous feature of Ha Ha Tonka State Park is manmade. Atop a cliff above the lake’s Niangua Arm stand the brooding ruins of a stone castle that was destroyed by fire in 1942. In 1906, just a year after construction of the European-style castle began, the owner, a Kansas City businessman, died in a car accident. His sons finally completed the upper floors in 1922 and, after some financial troubles, later leased the mansion to a woman who operated it as a hotel for several years. In 1978 the State of Missouri purchased the estate, which covered thousands of acres of surrounding land, and opened it to the public as a state park.

Ha Ha Tonka’s geologic wonders equal the allure of the ruins. Hiking trails lead to caves, sinkholes, underground streams, sheer bluffs, natural bridges and one of Missouri’s largest springs. Huge caves have collapsed and created a theater-like pit known as the Colosseum. All 20 caves in the park are closed to the public.

Lake of the Ozarks Offers a Wide Variety of Places to Stay

Lodging choices at Lake of the Ozarks run the gamut, from mom-and-pop resorts and full-service luxury properties to vacation homes and condos. Among the best known luxury resorts are Margaritaville Lake Resort (formerly Tan-Tar-A Resort) and Lodge of the Four Seasons.

Alhonna Resort, tucked in a cove at the end of Horseshoe Bend, inspired the hit Netflix series Ozark, which starred Jason Bateman (who directed some of the episodes) and Laura Linney. Set in the Lake of the Ozarks, the show ran for four seasons between 2017 and 2022. Producer/writer Bill Dubuque, a St. Louis native, had worked at the Alhonna as a teenager in the 1980s.

The Blue Cat Lodge sign from the set of the Netflix series Ozark has a home at Alhonna Resort. (Photo courtesy of Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau)

Though most of the filming took place in Georgia, Ozark used aerial shots of Lake of the Ozarks between scenes and a few select scenes were shot there. Alhonna’s cabins were studied extensively and recreated for the film set’s Blue Cat Lodge. The Alhonna has the Blue Cat Lodge sign from the set, a popular photo op for lake visitors, and its restaurant/bar (formerly Bobber’s Restaurant) is the Blue Cat Lounge, named after the fictional resort.

Besides a marina with 110 covered slips and two launching ramps, the Alhonna has an enclosed fishing dock, a sandy beach and three swimming pools. Its 60 lakefront units range from motel rooms and cozy cabins to newly remodeled condo-style units with two to four bedrooms. The Alhonna, opened in 1954 by Al and Honna Vilmin, is the largest and longest-operating family-owned resort on the lake.

Fun Activities at Lake of the Ozarks

Throughout the area, many marinas, resorts and campgrounds rent speedboats, pontoons, fishing boats and personal watercraft by the hour, day or longer. Sightseeing and meal cruises are offered by the Tropic Island, docked at Lake Margaritaville Resort, and Celebration Cruises’ three vessels at Bagnell Dam.

Old Kinderhook Golf Resort. (Photo courtesy of Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau)

One of the Midwest’s prime golfing destinations, Lake of the Ozarks features well-manicured courses with undulating, tree-lined fairways affording views of the shimmering lake waters. Among the 12 championship courses on the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail are those designed by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Tom Weiskopf. Many resorts offer golf getaway packages that are priced lower than booking golf and lodging separately.

The region also has six free-admission disc golf courses and several miniature golf courses. Other commercial amusements include go-kart tracks, waterparks, game arcades, a zipline and trampoline park.

For many groups, shopping is a prime activity, and Lake of the Ozarks is loaded with possibilities. Osage Beach Outlet Marketplace features the factory outlet stores of retailers like American Eagle, Eddie Bauer, Polo Ralph Lauren, Carter’s, Brooks Brothers and Under Armour. Also in Osage Beach is The Landing on Main Street, which has more than 20 shops and eateries and is home to Main Street Music Hall. Classic souvenir stores are Dogpatch in Lake Ozark and Ozarkland in Camdenton.

Lake of the Ozarks is 180 miles from St. Louis, 175 miles from Kansas City and 125 miles from Branson.