Camdenton has deep roots in the Lake of the Ozarks
Camdenton has been around as long as the Lake of the Ozarks. Before the town’s founding in 1931, Camdenton was just 160 acres of land 9 miles south of Linn Creek, which was the original Camden County seat. After the lake construction flooded the old town, Camdenton became the new county seat due to its location in the middle of a major highway intersection. Today, Camdenton has many recreational options and a highly rated school system south of the 54,000-acre reservoir. “It’s a little bit of old-school America,” says Ed Schmidt, a 20-year resident and Realtor for Lake of the Ozarks EXP Realty. “It’s a small, tight-knit community where everybody is friendly, waves and knows each other. If you enjoy quiet, family and tradition, Camdenton is a good spot for you to be.”
State parks, golfing and the Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins
The Big Niangua Arm of the lake sits on Camdenton’s west side with lakeside resorts, golf carts and boat docks along the shoreline. Tour guides have led visitors through Bridal Cave’s speleothem formations for over 75 years. Ha Ha Tonka State Park has natural springs, rock bluffs and old castle ruins from the 20th century, and Bennett Spring State Park is a popular fishing destination for rainbow trout. The Old Kinderhook Golf Club and the Lake Valley Country Club are two championship golf courses around 3 miles west past the river. The 120-acre city park has playgrounds, baseball fields and tennis courts along with an aquatic center, a skate park and an 18-hole disc golf course. The city is also building a new 14,000-square-foot convention center that aims to open by summer 2026.
Ranch-style homes and lakefront properties
Older homes built between the 1940s and 1950s are most common in Camdenton, with houses growing in square footage and acreage closer towards the lake. “Camdenton has more affordable housing in the inner-city limits,” Schmidt says. “It’s one of the cheapest places in the state of Missouri and in the country.” Log cabins, container houses and small fixer-uppers cost between $100,000 and $175,000, and ranch-style homes range from a quarter acre to 5 acres with prices of $200,000 to $600,000. Lakefront homes with clubhouses and decks are made of brick and stone masonry, vinyl and wood, costing $600,000 to $1 million. Newer custom homes with fire pits, three-car garages and home security systems are most expensive, ranging from $1 to $1.3 million.
Boutique shops, beignets and barbecue
Visitors will find most storefronts downtown at the main highway intersection. The Funky Buffalo is a full-service coffee shop with breakfast burritos, bagels and pastries, while the Highlander Public House offers brunch specials such as chocolate beignets, French toast and chicken and waffles. The El Caporal Mexican Restaurant specializes in tacos, chimichangas and chile rellenos, and the Tavern Smokehouse has brisket and burnt end sandwiches. The Ozarkland General Store and the Bear Market Consignment Sales shop have clothing, outdoor apparel and home goods, and there are plenty of grocery options between Walmart, Gerbes, Vernetti’s Italian Grocer, The Butcher Shop and Farris Fruit & Vegetable Market.
Two elementary schools and a new high school
People move to Camdenton due to the strength of the Camdenton R-III School District, which earns a B-plus on Niche. There are two elementary schools between Dogwood and Hawthorne Elementary, both of which have B ratings on Niche. Fifth and sixth-grade students go to the B-plus rated Oak Ridge Intermediate School before moving on to seventh and eighth grade at Camdenton Middle, rated a B. Camdenton High School has a new campus and a career and technical center and earns a B.
An annual festival and air show
The annual Dogwood Festival is a weekend-long event in late April that features a carnival, live music and a parade. Summer concerts are held at the Ozarks Amphitheater, a 10,000-seat pavilion that was voted Missouri's best live entertainment venue nine times. Every September, the Lake of the Ozarks Air Show features aerial tricks alongside historical aircraft at Thunder Mountain Park.
Two highways and OATS Transit
Linn Creek is around 3 miles northeast when driving on U.S. Route 54. Taking Route 5 leads 30 miles north through the mountain lake system. OATS Transit provides public transportation throughout the county on weekdays, including the 24-hour Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach.
