JEFFERSON CITY, MO, APRIL 9, 2026 – Thousand Hills State Park team members invite the public to join them at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, for the ribbon cutting of Thousand Hills Trail’s new 5.5-mile extension. The event will take place at the trailhead at the front of Campground 1 following the park’s Earth Day event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Originally, the trail was 10.5 miles in one direction, but it will now offer a 16-mile loop through the park. This extension follows the lake’s east side, connecting a biking, hiking and backpacking trail around the lake. This new extension is a cooperative effort between the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Forest Lake Area Trail System. FLATS volunteers provided most of the labor to build the extension and also are committed to helping maintain the trail.
The trail extension will offer parking options within the park at Campground 1 Trailhead, the park office and Thousand Hills Trail trailhead on Big Loop Road, as well as in Kirksville at Michigan Street and Rainbow Basin.
Thousand Hills State Park is located at 20431 State Highway 157 in Kirksville.
For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
