Northern Missouri
Happy Holler is Andrew County's big MDC lake-and-bottomland area
Happy Holler Lake Conservation Area gives Andrew County a large MDC-managed outdoor area tied to the One Hundred and Two River, fields, wetlands, timber, and public-use rules.
Happy Holler began in 1980 with 622 acres, much of it along the One Hundred and Two River. Later purchases grew the conservation area to 2,207.5 acres. What looks like one place name on the map is really three tracts, and only part of the ground was traditionally called Happy Holler.
The land is managed like the mixed northwest Missouri landscape around it. Fields are farmed, hayed, burned, or disked. Wetlands and timber get their own work, while planted trees, shrubs, and grasses add cover. Upland habitat and river-bottom habitat sit inside the same public area, supporting both game and nongame wildlife.
The lake entrance is reached from Savannah by taking Route E east for four miles and Route D north for six miles. The other two tracts need the conservation-area map. That split is worth seeing before a visit: Happy Holler is not just a lake stop, but a large patchwork of fields, woods, wetlands, and One Hundred and Two River bottom.
Where to see it
- Happy Holler Lake Conservation Area
Use MDC for current access, allowed uses, and area map details.
References
More from Andrew County: browse every local note for the county.
Last checked against the sources above: July 16, 2026.