THE LUCAS OIL LOOP 111.5 MILES • Hwys 54, 65; Rtes 83, 7, 5
[ 60 ] 2016 Missouri Motorcycle Guide
see the Lucas Oil Speedway, a three-eighthsmile, semi-banked oval track that is one of the country’s most highly regarded dirt racing venues. Plan your trip ahead of time, and take in a race, or pitch a tent for free camping. Get information and race schedules at LucasOilSpeedway.com. Back on Highway 54, head west to Route 83 and turn north for a beautiful trip up to Truman Lake. Just south of Warsaw, you’ll catch Highway 65 for a short run that will connect you to Route 7, which heads back east through Edwards and Climax Springs. Be sure to check out Moonies Bar and Grill for a great time and good food. Or head for the waterfront and Sharkbite Bar & Grill. Follow Route 7 east until it connects with Route 5, and then take Route 5 south back into Camdenton.
COURTESY OF LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY
THIS SCENIC LOOP starts and ends in Camdenton, but for a more fun experience, you might want to stop short of Camdenton at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri’s favorite summer vacation destination. Take Highway 54 west out of Camdenton. You won’t get far before you come to Ha Ha Tonka State Park. It’s worth a brief detour to explore the ruins of a turn-of-the-twentieth-century castle built high on a bluff overlooking Ha Ha Tonka Spring. The park offers visitors boating, swimming, fishing, and a fifteen-mile hiking trail that leads to sinkholes, caves, and the aforementioned castle. Back on Highway 54, continue west through Macks Creek. Keep an eye on the speedometer as you cruise through; until 1995, Macks Creek was one of the most infamous speed traps in the country. In Wheatland, you’ll
MISSOURI STATE PARKS
Lucas Oil Speedway