Thousand Hills State Park is a public recreation area covering some west of

Kirksville Kirksville is the county seat and most populous city in Adair County, Missouri. Located in Benton Township, Adair County, Missouri, Benton Township, its population was 17,530 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Kirksville is home to ...

in Adair County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

features Forest Lake and Native American

petroglyphs A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

History

By the late 1940s, the nearby city of Kirksville was in need of a larger and more reliable water supply than the

Chariton River The Chariton River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 26, 2011 tributary to the Missouri River in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri. The river forms in southe ...

could provide. In October 1948, the family of local physician George Laughlin donated to the city. The city of Kirksville matched the donation by purchasing an additional . Following voter passage of a special bond issue, land was acquired to construct a dam across Big Creek, a tributary of the Chariton. Upon its completion in summer 1952, the new reservoir was known as "Lake Kirksville" but by September that year the Kirksville city council, through ordinance, officially designed the reservoir "Forest Lake" (with one "r") so named for the surrounding woodlands. The lands, but not the lake itself (owned by the city of Kirksville), were presented to the state of Missouri free of charge in return for the promise of establishing a state park. Upon its official dedication in July 1953, it was named Thousand Hills State Park, in honor of Doctor Laughlin's Thousand Hills Farm that had formerly occupied the land. Missouri Governor

Forrest Smith Forrest Smith (February 14, 1886 – March 8, 1962) was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of Missouri. He was a Democrat. Personal life Forrest Smith was born February 14, 1886, near Hardin in Ray County, Missouri. After ...

, who attended the 1953 ceremony, has been erroneously linked to several historical accounts that claim Forest Lake was named in his honor. Debi Boughton, "Happy 70th Birthday to Thousand Hills State Park," The Adair Historian, July 2022, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 4; Blytha Ellis, "Thousand Hills State Park--Full of History and Memories," The Adair Historian, July 2022, vol. 19, no. 6, p. 9.

Petroglyphs

A series of Native American rock carvings, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, are protected in an enclosed observation and interpretation center. The carvings are estimated to date back at least 1,500 years.

Activities and amenities

The park's lake is used for fishing, swimming, and both motorized and non-motorized boating. A marina offers boat and equipment rentals. Two campgrounds provide a total of 57 campsites. Overnight accommodations are also offered at seven duplex cabins. Trails are available for hiking and bicycling and include the Forest Lake Trail, which is being developed in cooperation with the community volunteer organization FLATS (

Forest Lake Area Trail System The ultimate goal of the Forest Lake Area Trail System (FLATS) is to develop a trail system connecting Kirksville and Thousand Hills State Park. The first phase of the trail is a ten-foot wide concrete trail between the Petroglyph Site and Marina i ...

Annual events

The park hosts an annual bass tournament in spring. The NEMO Triathlon formerly held in September was discontinued in 2017.

References

External links

Thousand Hills State Park
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Thousand Hills State Park Map
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{authority control Protected areas of Adair County, Missouri State parks of Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Adair County, Missouri Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Petroglyphs in Missouri Protected areas established in 1952 1952 establishments in Missouri