Lake of the Ozarks State Park
Lake of the Ozarks State Park is a public recreation area on the Grand Glaize Arm of the Lake of the Ozarks; it is the largest state park in Missouri. The park includes of shoreline on the lake ; two swimming beaches with imported sand, 12 trails, the Ozark Caverns, a boat launch, and the Lee C. Fine Memorial Airport which has a runway. In addition there are campsites and cabins within the park.
One of the most famous aspects of the park is Party Cove which is a rowdy gathering spot that has been featured on the Playboy Channel and the front page of the New York Times Travel Section.
History
The park's initial development began in 1934 with creation of a Recreational Demonstration Area, one of 46 nationally and three in Missouri established by the National Park Service to convert sub-marginal farm lands to recreational purposes. Missouri's largest RDA, now known as Lake of the Ozarks State Park, was established three years after the impoundment of the Osage River at Bagnell Dam. Three Civilian Conservation Corps camps were busy over sixteen camp periods constructing group camps, administrative buildings, roads, a landscaped public beach, and other facilities. In 1946, all RDAs were donated by the federal government to the state park system.;Historic sites
The following CCC-related buildings and national historic districts were individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 under their respective NRIS number and are included in the Emergency Conservation Work Architecture in Missouri State Parks, 1933–1942, Thematic Resources:
- Barn/Garage in Kaiser Area
- Camp Clover Point Recreation Hall
- Camp Hawthorne Central Area District
- Camp Pin Oak Historic District
- Camp Rising Sun Recreation Hall
- Highway 134 Historic District - This historic district encompasses 17 contributing buildings and 80 contributing structures originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1942. They include several notable log structures, including a small shelter at the park entrance, the park office, the old pumphouse, and a rest room in the main picnic area.
- Pin Oak Hollow Bridge
- Rising Sun Shelter
- '''Shelter at McCubbin Point'''