Thousand Hills State Park
Thousand Hills State Park
4.5
About
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.
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The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1 within 3 miles
Attractions
12 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
88 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
25
Average
5
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Kevin C
2 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Beautiful park. Restaurant food quality use to be the best in town, not anymore. It appeared to be all pre-packed and warmed, if that. It was clear my beef tips were only warmed by the hot gravy poured over them. At least that explains why they didn’t ask how I wanted them cooked. Rolls were clearly packaged and stale not fresh baked. Sangria was $10 a glass and mostly ice.
Written February 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marcia H
Manhattan, Kansas, United States3 contributions
Jun 2013 • Family
We spent the weekend here at the end of June and rented 4 of the cabins. Cabins have been updated since the last time we were here and were very nice. My sister even brought her dog, as some of the cabins are pet-friendly. Ours looked right out onto the lake (also a very easy walk down the hill to the dock), where we could watch a beautiful sunrise! All the cabins have firepits with grill tops and nice kitchens with all the basic supplies. My parents stayed in one of the accessible cabins, and my grandmother (that uses a walker) was able to navigate the area with no problems. We also rented a pontoon boat for a few hours and did a little fishing and swimming. The lake wasn't crowded at all and we had a great time. Saw some wildlife - deer, birds, snake!, racoon...The marina is very nice and so is the restaurant where we had great service and a nice buffet. Highly recommend for a place for fun with family or friends and some r & r.
Written July 8, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeremy S
Saint Charles, MO9 contributions
Nov 2019 • Family
My family and I spent some time at this park when we were visiting our daughter at Truman. We walked on a couple of trails and visited the lakeside. There are lots of interesting trails to hike, including a ten mile one around the lake. It's actually a pretty hilly area so there are some challenging trails. The ones we went on are mostly dirt but are well marked. There are several places to get out and see the lake and the usual park stuff like picnic areas and playgrounds. If the weather is nice, this is a really picturesque and peaceful place to visit.
Written November 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
183Jerry
Newton, IA125 contributions
Oct 2019
Had a great long weekend spent at campground # 1. Hiked some of the trails. Went down one night to the restaurant on the lake. If you go, take time to see the 1500 year old or older Indian art.
Written October 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kayla Brown
Cameron, MO149 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
We took our camper and camped in campground 2 at site 57 last year and then in campground 1 at site 9. Campground hosts were VERY friendly, welcoming, and wished us a nice stay. Our campsite was fairly shaded and faced towards timber. There is good space between sites so you feel like you have space. We ate at the restaurant the night we arrived and the breakfast buffet on Sunday morning. The food is always good and wait staff are courteous and welcoming. We rented a pontoon boat a couple days. Boat in great condition both mechanically and cosmetically. Staff are super helpful and nice. A big kudos to John McConnell and Nicholas (didn’t catch his last name). Both of these gentleman were so down-to-earth and helpful!! We didn't have to pay until we returned with the boat and only were charged for the amount of time and gas used. They asked each time upon returning if we had a good time.
We had glass and plastic to recycle but couldn't find the receptacles for it so ended up throwing it away. Put some near dumpster! :-)
This park is a Missouri best kept secret! It's not packed full or over crowded, has great amenities, exceptional staff, beautiful grounds, and lots of water fun!!
We had glass and plastic to recycle but couldn't find the receptacles for it so ended up throwing it away. Put some near dumpster! :-)
This park is a Missouri best kept secret! It's not packed full or over crowded, has great amenities, exceptional staff, beautiful grounds, and lots of water fun!!
Written July 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken P
Cedar Falls, IA48 contributions
Jun 2013 • Family
Awesome park, great restaurant, fun lake. We loved the cabins on the lake which feature the quietest air conditioners I've ever (not) heard. The restaurant is pricey but the food is great and the view is priceless. And an excellent, patient waitstaff.
Written September 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joerosa08
Davenport, IA126 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We stayed at Thousand Hills State Park in Kirksville, MO and this cam pground was clean and had spacious RV campsites. The campsites were clean and the campfire pits were clean. The shoers and bathrooms were v ery, very clean. We were at campground 1 and although extremely hot weather, we enjoyed our stay.
Written August 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Franz K
Kirksville, Missouri, United States13 contributions
Jul 2013 • Family
If you travel a lot in Missouri and are looking for a great place to camp, fish, boat or hike here is a perfect destination for you.
Thousand Hills has it all. The camping is sweet, quiet it has nice tent, RV or pop up tent camping sites. There are a lot of electric hookups in campsite 1 and a few in campsite 2.
There are nice bathrooms in campsite 1 with...........showers!!!! so you don't have to go a few days without one unless you want to!
We live in Kirksville and even though it is so close we camp there often because it is so close and so nice!
It is well patroled by the Ranger and the Adair County Sheriff's Offce, so no worries about safety there.
The hiking trails are nice, not too short or too long. There is a primitive hike in camp site on the south side of the lake.
Free (WIthout life guard) swimming area, and the petroglyphs left by the native inhabitants many years ago.
If you wish there are cabins to rent as well and yes a VERY nice restaurant! With VERY good food.
Toss in a marina where you can rent canoes, kayaks, fishing boats or pontoon boats and you can see it has it all!!
Come and enjoy one of the best kept secrets in Missouri!
Thousand Hills has it all. The camping is sweet, quiet it has nice tent, RV or pop up tent camping sites. There are a lot of electric hookups in campsite 1 and a few in campsite 2.
There are nice bathrooms in campsite 1 with...........showers!!!! so you don't have to go a few days without one unless you want to!
We live in Kirksville and even though it is so close we camp there often because it is so close and so nice!
It is well patroled by the Ranger and the Adair County Sheriff's Offce, so no worries about safety there.
The hiking trails are nice, not too short or too long. There is a primitive hike in camp site on the south side of the lake.
Free (WIthout life guard) swimming area, and the petroglyphs left by the native inhabitants many years ago.
If you wish there are cabins to rent as well and yes a VERY nice restaurant! With VERY good food.
Toss in a marina where you can rent canoes, kayaks, fishing boats or pontoon boats and you can see it has it all!!
Come and enjoy one of the best kept secrets in Missouri!
Written July 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Window of opportunity
Decorah, IA35 contributions
we love kirksville and loved forest lake for boating and spending the day. we stayed at the cabins this time and were pretty disappointed. they are run-down and smelled of cigarettes and a dead animal somewhere inside that smelled worse each hour. blankets were dusty and the whole place felt very dirty. we tried to get past that and enjoy the view and the weather. but we were disappointed again to find that although all signs in the room and at the restaurant say they are open until 9 pm, we hurried there to be told it was actually 845 and we couldnt be seated even though it was still only 840. the worst part is the manager didnt even care that we were way out here and now couldnt eat dinner. seemed almost happy to say nope you cannot eat even though it is only 840 and our sign says 900. clean up the cabins, clean up the management, and you have a very special place nestled in the outskirts of kirksville, missouri.
Written September 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill C
Livingston, NJ16 contributions
Aug 2012
We visited here in August for the KCOM medical school welcome picnic. The park is clean and nice and the lake (Forest Lake) which also supplies some of the community's drinking water, is beautiful. Boat rides on the lake are available.
Written August 10, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabriel R
Unionville, Missouri
hello can someone tell me if they have meat grills
Tks
Written July 10, 2020
Around 7 miles a 15-minute drive.
Written April 12, 2019
Is there internet (wifi) access anywhere in the park?
Written November 6, 2015
Not when we visited, however Missouri has completed and continues to complete installations at all state parks. Recommend a call to the park Ranger to see if WIFI has been installed at Thousand Hills.
Written November 6, 2015
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