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Ha Ha Tonka in Camden County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Water: Sculpting The Landscape

Ha Ha Tonka State Park

— Missouri State Parks —

 
 
Water Sculpting The Landscape Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 25, 2020
1. Water Sculpting The Landscape Marker
Inscription.
Ha Ha Tonka is a classic example of what geologists call karst topography

This cutaway shows how ground water dissolved a large cave System in dolomite bedrock millions of years ago.

After regional uplift, lowering of the water table, and erosion of the land surface, portions of the cave roof collapsed. This created a chasm several sinkholes, an island a natural bridge. and an outlet for a large spring.

The chasm in which you are now standing and the surrounding Natural features are the result of this large-scale collapse. Subsequent erosion soothed the scarred landscape as soils accumulated and vegetation became established. The water of Ha Ha Tonka Spring pools behind small mill dams constructed in the 1830s, then flows into the Lake of the Ozarks which was created in 1931.
 
Erected by Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public WorkIndustry & CommerceNatural FeaturesWaterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.
 
Location. 37° 58.517′ N, 92° 46.017′ W. Marker is in Ha

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Ha Tonka, Missouri, in Camden County. It is on Natural Bridge Road half a mile west of State Highway D, on the left when traveling west. The marker is in the parking lot of the Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Camdenton MO 65020, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Missouri. It is also in the American Ozarks, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Water Tower (within shouting distance of this marker); Snyder's Legacy (within shouting distance of this marker); One Man's Dream (within shouting distance of this marker); American Indians, Trappers and Settlers (within shouting distance of this marker); Camden County Veterans Memorial (approx. 2.6 miles away).
 
Water Sculpting The Landscape Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Craig Doda, January 25, 2020
2. Water Sculpting The Landscape Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 10, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
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Jul. 22, 2026