The Ozarks -- what are they?
Geologically, southern MO and northern ARK consist of the Ozark Plateau and Ozark Mountains. Read all about it here:
The Ozarks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aside from the beautiful hills, greenery, and roads, there is a recreation area called the "Lake of the Ozarks", which was created back in the day by the construction of Bagnell Dam, a hydroelectric dam built by Union Electric of St. Louis to make electriciy.
Lake of the Ozarks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Three rivers feed into this lake, making it the largest in the central US. Because it is not a flood control dam, it's level rarely varies by more than five feet, making it an excellent location for vacation homes, of which there are over 70,000. I told you, it's a big lake! There are lots of things to do on the lake, including boating, fishing, skiing, eating, and just chilling out.
Because of the nature of the impounded topology, there are many, many coves on the lake, commonly used for partying. A bunch of folks will meet there, tie their boats together and spend the day on the water. Very family oriented.
Because the lake is river fed, the water is not clear, and I don't recommend scuba diving. However, the water is always moving and fresh, so swimming is not an issue.
There are many motels where you can stay on the lake, and you can rent power and sail boats all over the place.
Occasionally, the lake freezes over in the winter, if it gets really cold. I have actually walked across the Lake of the Ozarks!
Locations on the lake are often referred to by their mile-marker, which is the water distance from the dam. For example, I walked across the lake at the 21 mile marker. The lake is serpentine shaped, so you can drive from here to there in 5 minutes, when it might take 45 minutes by boat. A new bridge opened a few years ago on MM that connects the St. Louis side to the KC side and makes it easier to get to the dam and the town of Lake Ozark.
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