Thousand Hills State Park Trails, Petroglyphs and Dark Sky

Photo Credit: Adam Knaebel

Join Sierra Club on SATURDAY for a day of hiking at Thousand Hills State Park. There are a couple of short trails but we plan to hike at least four miles out and four miles back on this trail - https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/TrailDetails-ThousandHillsTrail.pdf . 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 shelterhelps 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.
This is the only structured activity led by Sierra Club from 9-4 although there are several other things to do if you are coming for the weekend.

It is off-season but there is one campground that you can stay at FRIDAY AND SATURDAY nights. Potable water is available. Reservations are on your own. Sites are limited to two cars and six people and you will need to make your own arrangements if you want to share. The campground has just four sites left and leaders have already reserved their electric sight #54 which is right across from the bathroom. If the campground sites are full, the park superintendent said it was OK to have several tents on one site as long as you park your car at a nearby parking lot.
Join Eileen & Melissa for happy hour at 4 PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY afternoon at campsite #54 for socializing and brief discussion about what is happening at the National Park Service https://www.npca.org/ and with the Missouri State Parks and Soils Tax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0cm_XzpulA. BYOB and Snacks. This is not a structured activity led by the Sierra Club.

Join park staff and representatives from Truman State University on FRIDAY night for an open house 5-7 PM to explore the stars and sky above you. Telescopes will be set up at the Point Shelter, but everyone is welcome to bring telescopes of their own, along with chairs, blankets and binoculars. Collaboration between Thousand Hills State Park and partners such as the Adair County Public Library, Truman State University staff, and others have resulted in outreach events to raise awareness of night sky conservation. Park staff will continue to educate the community about proper outdoor lighting and continue long-term monitoring of the night sky. The park has implemented a lighting management plan that regulates outdoor lighting. With 78 percent of the outdoor lighting currently compliant and plans for 100 percent compliance by the end of 2025. https://darksky.org/places/thousand-hills-state-park/
This is not a structured activity led by the Sierra Club.

Join the park superintendent who is hosting a tour of the petroglyphs at 9 AM on SUNDAY morning. Here, visitors can see ancient rock carvings left by Native Americans who lived in the area as many as 1,500 years ago. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the petroglyphs are historically and culturally significant. This is not a structured activity led by the Sierra Club.

At sign-in, all participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard participant agreement you can read here, if you would like to read it b4 you choose to participate, www.tinyurl.com/sonsite

The outing officially begins & ends on the dates & the locations designated by Sierra Club. Carpooling for this outing is not included or arranged by Sierra Club leaders. It is at your discretion with other participants to & from the outing; each participant is personally responsible for all risks associated with this travel. For directions and park information go to - https://mostateparks.com/park/thousand-hills-state-park

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The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with over 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit [www.sierraclub.org. ]