Haha Tonka State Park
Ha Ha Tonka State Park is one of the most picturesque parks in Missouri that shouldn’t be missed. Its rich landscape has views that overlook the Lake of the Ozarks and Ha Ha Tonka Spring (Missouri’s 12th largest spring). There are plenty of hiking trails and boardwalks that lead to a turn-of-the-century stone castle, a natural bridge, caves, sinkholes and bluff overlooks.
We stopped at Ha Ha Tonka State Park in route to Oklahoma from Illinois, the backroads to get here were very scenic with beautiful rolling hills. We only had a few hours available, so we did not get to see the whole park (and the trail to the Ha Ha Tonka Spring was closed at the time).
We did get to see the Castle, Natural Bridge, hike the Colosseum Trail - and the return loop from there with views of the water tower.
Things to know when visiting Ha Ha Tonka State Park:
There is no entry fee.
The park gets very busy, you arrive before 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. you will likely beat the rush, the park gets very busy during the day, especially on weekends and the parking lots fill up fast.
Summer Hours (April through October) are 7 a.m. to sunset
Winter Hours (November through March) are 8 a.m. to sunset
Like most state parks, Ha Ha Tonka State Park is pet-friendly
The Castle, Natural Bridge and Spring are some of most widely visited areas. Consider planning ahead, and if you get there early you may want to visit these locations first to avoid the crowd.
