One of Missouri's most unusual parks, Ha Ha Tonka sits on a dramatic stretch of karst terrain — sinkholes, caves, natural bridges, and springs — about 15 miles southwest of Camdenton. The park takes its name from a Osage phrase meaning "laughing waters."
The biggest draw is the ruin of a stone castle perched on a bluff above the lake. Kansas City businessman Robert Snyder began building the mansion in the early 1900s, modelling it on a European castle. He died in one of Missouri's first car accidents in 1906, before it was finished. His sons completed a portion of the structure, but it burned down in 1942 and was never rebuilt. The roofless shell now stands among the oaks, weathered and overgrown, and genuinely atmospheric.
Trails connect the castle ruins to Colosseum Sink, a massive natural amphitheatre, and to the spring that feeds Ha Ha Tonka Spring Branch.