On our last full day of travel between Verona, Wisconsin and Branson, Missouri we explored a little of Mark Twain Lake before driving south to a Harvest Host Brewery near Lake of the Ozarks.
30 September 2025
On our last morning here we walked the trail to Mark Twain Lake and…
…finally found the mapped tower at site 45.
After a walk and breakfast we emptied our holding tanks then cleaned up with hot showers in the bath house.
Quick Review of Site #41 at Frank Russell Campground.
Downsides are walnuts pinging off the roof from trees and an occasional scent of sewer from the vent pipe on a pumping station one site away. Upsides are full hook-ups, a cement pad and driveway, a fire ring, and a glimpse of the lake through the trees. AT&T cell signal was 2 bars of LTE.
We would definitely recommend this campground. It is an easy drive to Hannibal and provides plenty of hiking and boating access if you want to enjoy nature. US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds are some of the best values anywhere.
Go back to the end of our September 28 post to see photos of this site and the campground map.
1020 75,675 75°F Leave Frank Russell Campground
1042 75,678 76°F COE Dam Visitor Center
Only three miles down the road we found the Visitor Center at the Dam that formed Mark Twain Lake.
Other dam builders were on display inside the visitors center. There was also a modern playground and picnic area.
Looking back across the lake at our campground and the tower. Asked a park ranger and he said that the “tower” was a water level sampling station.
From the visitors center, we drove down to the base of the dam where three black vultures kept watch over the area.
Per the US Army Corps of Engineers website:
Clarence Cannon Dam is a 138 feet high and 1,940 feet long. The dam contains a hydroelectric power plant, with two generators, capable of producing up to 58 megawatts (78,000 hp) of power.
Mark Twain lake covers 54,000 acres and hosts three COE recreation areas. We enjoyed our time here, but it is time to head south towards Branson.
1104 – Leave Mark Twain Lake
Crossing the Missouri River from Cedar City to Jefferson City
We didn’t stop, but couldn’t resist driving through Missouri’s capital The most impressive building in town is the Missouri State Capitol & Museum.
Beth snapped pictures of a couple of other interesting buildings as we drove through Jefferson City.
Almost to our overnight stop, this was the view as we crossed Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge. The Lake is a reservoir formed from the Osage River upstream of Bagnell Dam.
1519 75,828 83°F Laurie, Missouri
Demolition Brewing, a Harvest Host near Lake of the Ozarks
The brewery is owned by Ryan and Samantha Lair, a pleasant couple with a 1 year old, very friendly, 90 pound dog.
We sampled a few beers and bought some to share with friends at the Pleasure-Way Rally that starts tomorrow night.
Board games were available, but some of the patrons were unresponsive when we asked if they would like to play.
Enjoyed chatting with another Harvest Host member couple from Florida that had just retired from the printing industry. This is their rig just after sunset.
Good night from Laurie, Missouri.
Today’s route from Hannibal to Laurie, Missouri
Leave a Reply