Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park

It may be a few more weeks until spring actually gets here but spring has sprung here at Thunder Mountain Park ! The weather is warming up and we opened up our sluice for the season!  Bridal Cave has offered visitors the chance to pan for gemstones from bags of sand (plus a lot more) into our sluice for many years! The beautiful gemstone treasures that are found make excellent trip souvenirs. What is a sluice? Just in case you aren't familiar with what we are talking about, here is an explanation. A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at the head by a gate. When the gate is lifted, water flows from a tower through the sluice. Guests are invited to dump a sluice bag full of sand (and more) into the channel of clear, pristine water and pan for the gemstones which are hidden within the sand. Sluice Bags  Guests can enjoy finding unique gemstones to take home from panning in our sluice. We offer a variety of bags to choose from with different price points a...

Why travel a long distance for Spring Break when the #1 recreational lake in the nation is right here next to Bridal Cave ? The lake area is beautiful year-round, but witnessing it in the spring allows you to watch a bright new season "spring" to life.  Right around St. Patrick's Day every year, the Lake of the Ozarks begins waking up for another exciting season on the water. You begin seeing boats again all over the lake and many of the local waterfront bars and restaurants open their doors. It's an exciting time to experience everything that this gorgeous area has to offer.   St. Patrick's Day Weekend St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on both land and water around here. The 32nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on the Bagnell Dam Strip is happening Saturday, March 12 at 1:00 pm. Local residents and lake area visitors all begin lining the streets along the parade route well before noon, ready to enjoy the decorated floats, bands, candy, and beads....