Visitors Guide to
Mark Twain Lake
Ralls and Monroe Counties, MO

With over 18,000 acres of water and 285 miles of shoreline make Mark Twain Lake the largest lake in Northern Missouri. The lake is the result of the Joanna Dam project, which was first proposed in 1937 to control flooding in the Salt River valley. Construction of a dam, which impounds the upper Salt River about 63 miles upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River, began in 1970 and was completed in 1983. The dam was renamed the Clarence Cannon Dam after Representative Clarence Cannon who was a major proponent of the project.

The sparkling waters of lake and the 36,000 acres of natural area surrounding it provide a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. Activities include boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking, hiking, camping, and hunting. The region includes developed recreational areas equipped with facilities such as campgrounds, beaches, and picnic shelters, as well as areas that are being managed for wildlife habitat. Facilities include 6 major boat ramps, 29 hunter/fisherman access areas, 2 full-service marinas, 2 beaches, 3 campgrounds with 440 sites, 2 group campgrounds, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and trails. There are also 30,000 acres of land and water open for hunting in season.

Visiting Mark Twain Lake
There is no charge to visit Mark Twain Lake


Directions: Mark Twain Lake is bounded by US-24 & US-36 to the north, MO-154 on the south, MO-15 on the west, and CR-J on the east.


www.mostateparks.com - Official site of Mark Twain State Park provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
 
 
 
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