The Lake’s Hidden Assets

The Lake of the Ozarks was created when Union Electric undertook the construction of Bagnell Dam nearly 80 years ago. Since that time, the Lake has become a Midwest vacation paradise. Boating, fishing and golf are on the minds of most visitors to the Lake, but few tourists and some locals are unaware of the hidden assets, trivia, tales and more that are associated with the area.

Paddlefish
A prehistoric fish also known as spoonbills, have likely been swimming in Missouri River basins for many thousands of years. Named Missouri’s official aquatic animal in 1997, the largest spoonbill ever caught in the Lake of the Ozarks weighed in at 111 lbs.

Paddlefish are a cartilaginous fish. They have no bones, scales or teeth, and they filter-feed in open water on zooplankton, which are microscopic aquatic animals. Like its nearest relative, the Sturgeon, the females of the species are prized for their roe, from which good quality caviar is obtained.

Osage Catfisheries in Osage Beach has been harvesting paddlefish caviar since 2000.

Thong Trees
You’ve probably seen several of these peculiar looking trees in the Lake area, but didn’t realize their significance. Native American Indians marked trails with thong trees, one branch strangely bent horizontally, pointing the way to springs, trails, caves, and medicinal herb locations. Quite a few of them are still around, so look for these unusual trees as you drive around the Lake area.

Aquarium
The site on which The Happy Fisherman restaurant stands today was once a unique marine theater featuring live aquamaids and lads performing aquatic stunts. For five summer seasons starting in 1964, the swimmers pleased audiences with such varied routines as mermaids rising out of giant seashells, a gypsy dance, clown acts and a Beatles number.

According to Happy Fisherman owner Mike Craig, an 86,000-gallon swimming pool was built for the show, featuring an air bubble curtain and a thick safety glass window front facing the audience. The pool and filtration system still exist in the basement of the restaurant, housing a huge walk-in freezer and refrigerator. Clamshells used in the show can still be seen enhancing the landscape at The Happy Fisherman.

Trailing Through the State Parks
Peace and quiet is what it’s all about at the state park, where visitors can choose from a plethora of activities. Nearly 18,000 acres offer recreation on shore or on the Lake, which encompasses most of the Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks. Hikers, backpackers and horseback riders will relish the 12 trails that wind through the splendid beauty of the surrounding woods, clearings, and Lake bluffs. Two sand beaches prove irresistible to swimmers and sunbathers. Believe it or not, an airport, Lee C. Fine Memorial, is located within the Lake of the Ozarks State Park.

Ha Ha Tonka has drawn tourists and locals for years to view the towering bluffs and the imposing ruins of Ha Ha Tonka castle, but it wasn’t until 1978 that the state named the region a state park. Take the time to explore the natural beauty encompassing the park. The rugged terrain is a showcase of Missouri’s karst topography where you will discover a honeycomb of caves that have collapsed, sinkholes, springs and natural bridges. The coliseum is a large section of fallen caves that have formed a theater of sorts, and is said to have been a place where American Indian tribes met. For a birds-eye view of the way the landscape looked before settlers came, take a hike on the winding seven-mile backpack trail and explore the valley woodlands and clearings, taking in ancient oak trees, prairie grasses and wildflowers.

Thunder Mountain Conservation Area is a 45-acre tract, north of Camdenton on Hwy. 5 and a half-mile west on Thunder Mountain Road. One can’t miss the 80-foot fire lookout tower in the clearing to the right, manned from the 1940’s up into the mid 1980’s to spot fires, a job now carried out by airplanes. Climb to the top for spectacular, panoramic Lake views. Look for thong trees as you trek the three-quarter-mile hiking trail and paved disabled accessible trail. Additionally, there is a small archery range sporting two shooting lanes at 20- and 40-yard distances.

Lover’s Leap
Missouri Historian Mike Gillespie quotes from the 1889 History of Camden County: “The chief of the Osages, Okema, is said to have fallen in love with Winona, a Delaware. Winona had a lover, Minetus, to whom she had pledged her hand, and consequently rejected the proffered hand of Okema. The latter became enraged, and said that Minetus must die. Winona fled from Okema, who pursued her to the place now known as Lover’s Leap, and there, to escape capture, she jumped from the precipice, and perished.”

Okema and Minetus then fought each other, and in a desperate struggle, both fell from the bluff to their deaths. Privately owned, the 200-foot-tall bluff is situated at a point on the southern shore of Lake of the Ozarks, at the 31.5 mm, near the mouth of the Niangua River, offering stunning views of the Lake.

Caves
Close to 300 wild caves have been mapped in the Lake area, and three of them are show caves open to the public. Caves average year-round temperatures of 50-60 degrees, making them a great place to visit in any weather.

The legend of an Osage Indian wedding ceremony taking place there early in the 1800s gave Bridal Cave its name. Set in front of a spectacular stalactite curtain, the Bridal Chapel has celebrated more than 2,000 nuptials to date.

Located in the Lake of the Ozarks State Park is Ozark Caverns, well-known for Angel Showers, where water seems to flow out of the rock wall.

On the Lake’s Westside, one finds Jacob’s Cave, the largest show cave in the Lake area, displaying prehistoric animal bones. Both Ozark Cavern and Jacob’s Cave are “walk-through” and totally accessible to the disabled. Stalagtites, stalagmites, “soda straws,” massive draperies and other cave formations can be seen in all three caves.

Lake Tidbits
“ The Lake is estimated to hold 633,000,000,000 gallons of water (that’s 633 billion). To put that in perspective, that would fill approximately 1,055,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, and 475,000,000,000,000 (475 trillion) bottles of water at 16.9 ounces per bottle.
• Target takes its final markdowns on the third Thursday of the month.
• Delivery day for Marshall’s is Tuesday.
• Randy’s, Andy’s and some Lake area McDonald’s offer free sample frozen custard cones for very young children.
• There’s a concrete space ship on Swinging Bridge Road, apparently made by some overly imaginative man who was convinced aliens were coming to get him.
• The White House Hotel building, constructed in 1931, is the oldest surviving building at the west end of Bagnell Dam.

Tags: 633 billion gallons, Ha Ha Tonka Castle, Paddlefish, Sturgeon

Category: Blog, Featured