Ha Ha Tonka State Park

For the band, see Ha Ha Tonka.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a state-owned, public recreation area encompassing over 3,700 acres (1,500 ha) on the Niangua arm of the Lake of the Ozarks about five miles south of Camdenton, Missouri, in the United States. The state park's most notable feature is the ruins of a stone mansion that had been modeled after European castles of the 16th century. The park also features caves, sinkholes, and bluffs overlooking the lake. It is a prominent example of karst topography, which is geological formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock. A 70-acre (28 ha) portion of the park was designated the Ha Ha Tonka Karst Natural Area in 1981.

History

The Ha Ha Tonka castle was started by Robert McClure Snyder, Sr. in 1905. He was a Kansas City businessman who purchased the area which was known by Native Americans in the area as "ha ha tonka" which supposedly means "laughing waters," alluding to the springs below the castle. Following his death in an auto accident in 1906, the castle was completed by his sons Robert, Jr.; LeRoy, and Kenneth in the late 1920s. The building was used as a summer and weekend home by the Snyder family who lived in Kansas City. In the late 1930s it was used as a hotel until it was destroyed by fire in 1942. The state purchased the castle and grounds in 1978 and opened it to the public as a state park. The water tower was repaired in 2004, with a new roof installed, and the castle walls have been stabilized. The ruins can be seen from an observation point across from the post office.

Activities and amenities

The park has 15 miles of hiking trails leading to caves, sinkholes, natural bridges, and the castle. The park also features boating, fishing, and swimming.

External links

• Ha Ha Tonka State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources