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Thousand Hills State Park

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Park Information

The cool waters of Forest Lake provide the centerpiece for Thousand Hills State Park, whose woody shores and broad savannas recall a time when northern Missouri was far less developed. The lake offers fishing, swimming and boating. The park offers hiking, mountain biking and abundant opportunities to see wildlife. An interpretive shelter helps visitors understand the petroglyphs left behind by the area’s inhabitants more than 1,500 years ago. The park also offers campsites and cabins for overnight stays.

NEW IN 2024: The park now offers a beach wheelchair that visitors with mobility issues can use during normal beach hours. Click here for more information.

Park Hours

For temporary closures related to weather, stewardship activities and maintenance, as well as temporary trail closures, click here to visit our Park and Site Status Map.

On the following days (actual or observed), staff will not be available and park buildings will be closed: Thanksgiving Day; Nov. 29, 2024; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve; New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; and Presidents Day. 

Day-Use Areas:

  • April through October (On-Season)
    7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily
  • November through March (Off-Season)
    7 a.m. to sunset, daily

The day-use area gates close at these times.

Park Office hours

The office telephone is monitored for messages between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., daily, year-round.

Please note there may be times when the office is closed while staff are working in the park.

April through October (On-Season)

Usually available in park daily

November through March (Off-Season)

Usually available in park Monday through Friday

Beach hours

Beach closed for the season

Carolyn Bagley Harding Trail hours

Click here for more information about trails at this park.