In a USA Today readers poll, voters across the country chose the 3,751-acre Ha Ha Tonka State Park as the fourth best state park in the country, finishing behind Letchworth State Park in New York, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan and Watkins Glen State Park, also in New York. 

According to Ozark folklore, the curious name of this Ozark beauty, Ha Ha Tonka, is derived from an Osage Indian phrase believed to mean "laughing waters," in reference to the park's large natural spring. The spring is just one of many features that attracts roughly 520,000 visitors to the park each year.

Paved walking paths around the ruins of the "castle" make it easy for tourists to explore the park's most popular feature.

"For many, Ha Ha Tonka State Park is a favorite place to explore," Bryan adds. "The park includes trails for all ages and experience levels, as well as an opportunity to view and experience some unique history in our state.  It's a place where families make memories and have experiences that last a lifetime."  

The ruins of a 1900s-era "castle" stand out amid the scenery of this magnificent park. Crafted from stone quarried on the property, the structure that sits atop a bluff overlooking the Niangua arm of the Lake of the Ozarks is all that remains of the dream of Robert McClure Snyder. As a wealthy Kansas City businessman, Snyder purchased roughly 5,000 acres in 1904 and began construction on his elaborate country estate in 1905. Snyder never saw his dream materialize as he was killed in one of the states' first auto accidents the following year. The home was finally completed by his sons in the late 1920s and served as Robert Snyder, Jr.'s residence for several years. It was later operated as a hotel until it was destroyed by fire in 1942. The skeleton of Snyder's dream home is now the centerpiece of the park. 

The natural bridge at Ha Ha Tonka State Park piques visitors' curiosity. This state park is a wonderful example of karst geology and how water shapes and carves the carbonate bedrock found throughout the Ozark landscape.

Although the "castle" ruins are the most recognizable facet of the park, Ha Ha Tonka offers so much more for those looking to explore this gorgeous natural setting. The park is Missouri's premier showcase of karst geology and is unique in the quantity and quality of its remarkable geological features. Some key features are: a massive natural bridge, 70 feet wide, spanning 60 feet in length and reaching more than 100 feet into the air; a steep-sided sinkhole, named "The Colosseum," measuring 500 feet long and 300 feet wide; the "Whispering Dell," a 150-foot deep sink basin with two bluff shelters that were used as hide-outs by criminals in the 1830s; 250-feet high bluffs that tower over Ha Ha Tonka Spring, the state's twelfth largest spring, which discharges approximately 48 million gallons of water daily. All of these wonders are the result of the collapse of underground caverns in ancient geological times.

Although Ha Ha Tonka often steals the spotlight, there is another massive state park and many other natural wonderlands in the area. Lake of the Ozarks State Park, consisting of 17,626 acres, is the largest and also the most popular of Missouri's state parks. Lake of the Ozarks State Park includes activities for every member of the family. Boat rental, public ramps, docks and a self-guided aquatic trail are perfect for boating activities and fish are abundant in the cool waters. On land, 12 trails, ranging from 0.8 of a mile to 13.5 miles, wind through the park. Lake of the Ozarks State Park also features mountain biking and equestrian trails for those who would like to explore the park by bicycle or on horseback. And, hidden below the surface of the park is Ozark Caverns. Informative park interpreters offer hour-long hand-held lantern tours of the area's underground beauty from mid-May until mid-September. For more information on the Lake of the Ozarks' two state parks, visit www.FunLake.com/state-parks.