An Underrated Trail In Missouri, Island Trail, Leads To A Hidden Turquoise Lake

In the center of the state is a popular Missouri State Park known for spectacular sights and beautiful castle ruins. However, one of the park's most beautiful trails is often overlooked for the more popular Castle Trail. To see a whole new side to the Lake of the Ozarks, take a different trail at Ha Ha Tonka and find a gorgeous hidden turquoise lake along this lakefront trail in Missouri. We bet this Ha Ha Tonka Spring trail will become a new favorite!

At the Lake of the Ozarks, a stunning stone castle lies in ruins at the top of a cliff in Ha Ha Tonka State Park. The ruins attract people from across the state, but there is another beautiful sight in the park that visitors often overlook.

Ha Ha Tonka Spring also sits inside the park, and it creates a spectacular turquoise lake among the murky waters of the Lake of the Ozarks.

The spring is the twelfth largest in the state. Water from the stream was once piped into the water tower that sits at the top of the cliff.

Island Trail is under a mile and will take hikers past Balanced Rock and down toward the spring.

After crossing the small channel, hikers then have the opportunity to see a small cave.

Click here for the official website of Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Or, go here for Facebook.

Rated moderate, this impressive lakefront trail is one that many Missourians miss when visiting Ha Ha Tonka State Park.

Find the park at 1491 State Road D, Camdenton. Then locate the trail head at the old mill site along Spring Trail.

Have you hiked Island Trail, a lakefront trail in Missouri, at Ha Ha Tonka State Park? What did you think about this Lake of the Ozarks hike? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. If you're on the lookout for a way to spend a lovely day, plan a visit to Stockton Lake, a breathtakingly beautiful and crystal-clear lake.