State: Missouri
Address 1: 20431 State Hwy. 157
City: Kirksville
Zip: 63501
Phone: 660-665-6995
Open: Open all year
Open all Year: Yes
Number of Sites: 57
Electric: 42
Camp URL: http://mostateparks.com/thousandhills.htm
Full Hook: Yes
Thousand Hills State Park was created following the construction of the 573-acre Forest Lake to serve as the city’s reservoir. Today, the 3,215-acre park offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the best of northern Missouri. The park’s central feature is the lake, created by the damming of Big Creek. While the reservoir supplies water to the community, the park’s natural features recall a time when woodlands and savannas covered northern Missouri. Visitors can experience some of these natural wonders by hiking the park’s trails.
The cool waters of Forest Lake offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including swimming, fishing, boating and skiing. Hiking, mountain bicycling and nature study are popular on-land activities. An interpretive shelter displays the park’s petroglyphs – rock carvings left behind by the area’s inhabitants more than 1,500 years ago.
Thousand Hills State Park offers two campgrounds: Campground 1 is open and reservable during the on-season (April through October) and offers basic and electric campsites, modern restrooms, showers, water and a dump station. Campground 2 is open and reservable year-round and offers electric campsites. Modern restrooms, showers, water and a dump station and available during the on-season. For reservations, there is a required two-night minimum stay for weekends.