Ha Ha Tonka State Park
Short Loop

The trail on this page explores a good sampling of the extensive karst topography of Ha Ha Tonka State Park. The trail curves through the Devils Kitchen, a remote feeling area of undercut cliffs and a rock house/natural bridge, then follows a shoreline section of Ha Ha Tonka spring and ends with a traverse of the Colosseum and an enormous natural bridge.

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Ha Ha Tonka is a place of long views and intricate scenery. There is an amazing mix of cultural and natural elements to explore. This is a park worth visiting many times - the hike on this page is just a sample of what you will find there!

Approach

From the junction of Missouri Hwy 7 and Interstate Hwy 54 northeast of Camdenton Missouri, drive 3.1 miles southwest to Missouri Hwy D.

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Turn left and drive southeast 0.4 miles on Hwy D to Bumper Hill Rd.

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Take a right to stay on Hwy D, then drive 1.9 miles southeast to Turkey Pen Ct on your right, which is the entrance to the parking lot for the hike.

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Coordinates for the hike: 37.9738700,-92.7625440

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Parking / Trailhead amenities

The paved parking lot is large and a bit tilted. Their is an informational kiosk adjacent to the parking lot and no other amenites. There are flush toilets available at the visitor center 0.4 miles north on Hwy D.

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Trail observations

The trail leaves the parking lot near the kiosk. The trail is paved for a few feet after the first junction, then turns to gravel and dirt, with frequent rocky extrusions. Walking the Devils Kitchen section of the hike can be tough at times due to the slippery rock surfaces along some parts of the path.

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There is one place along the trail that made my ten year old son nervous as it involved a step across a gap a bit larger than he could comfortably make. There are metal handholds at the spot that probably would have helped if we had crossed the section a bit differently.

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After the Devils Kitchen the trail climbs a ridge to a paved road that runs along Ha Ha Tonka spring. Follow the big white footprints painted on the pavement to reach the continuation of the trail on the far side.

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The hike descends to the water level in the spring, follows a short walk on a paved path along the spring, then ascends via a long series of fun wooden staircases. From there the hike descends into the Colosseum and under the natural bridge, then loops back to cross over the natural bridge to the Turkey Pen parking lot.

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Trail statistics

The trail is 2.66 miles long. The sum of all the uphill climbs is 381 feet.

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Trail waypoints

0.05 mi	Parking	Parking Lot
0.16 mi	Trailhead	Trailhead
0.26 mi	Right on red	Go right and stay on the red trail
0.34 mi	Go right	Junction - go right on the Devil's Kitchen Trail
0.94 mi	Go straight	Cross the dirt road to the trail on the far side
1.08 mi	Stay right	Branch - stay right
1.10 mi	Follow footprints	Follow the white footprints on the pavement
1.16 mi	Down stairs	Head down the stairs
1.17 mi	Tee left	Tee - go left
1.29 mi	Keep right	Branch - keep right to go straight
1.44 mi	Sharp right	At the bottom, go right along the paved trail
1.79 mi	Climb stairs	Scenic but strenous sign
1.97 mi	Overlook	Scenic overlook into huge sinkhole
2.05 mi	Tee right	Head right along the blue trail
2.10 mi	Branch left	Follow the left branch up the rocks - yellow blazes
2.46 mi	Curve left	Curve left up the steps into the picnic area
2.52 mi	Tee left	Head left across the natural bridge
2.61 mi	Cross road	Cross the road to the parking lot
2.66 mi	End of trail	End of trail