Thousand Hills State Park, an Urban Night Sky Place
A lake park a few miles west of Kirksville in northeast Missouri, with free telescope nights at the Point Shelter on select Fridays from March to November.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Food & town
- Kirksville · about 10 mi
- Certified
- Urban Night Sky Place · 2024
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way overhead on a clear night, though glow from nearby towns washes out the sky near the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 4, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 6–12.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–12 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and a meteor shower peak (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 2–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 1–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| May 1–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–7 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 6 | Mostly none · crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 4 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 3 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Late Feb to early Oct. Out of season until late Feb. In season now, through early Oct. Out of season until late Feb.
Meteor showers ahead: Leonids on Nov 17–18 (half moon, sets around midnight), Geminids on Dec 13–14 (thin crescent, sets early), Ursids on Dec 22–23 (full moon, up all night), and Quadrantids on Jan 3–4 (thin crescent, rises late)Lyrids on Apr 22–23 (bright moon for most of the night)Eta Aquariids on May 5–6 (none · darkest skies)Southern Delta Aquariids on Jul 30–31 (thin crescent, rises late)Perseids on Aug 12–13 (bright moon for most of the night).
Email me before the next dark window at Thousand Hills State Park.
About one email a month, a few days before the moon goes dark: the dates here, the moonlight, and what's worth staying up for. Unsubscribe in one click.
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What it's like
Thousand Hills is built around Forest Lake, a 573-acre reservoir a few miles west of Kirksville, with wooded shores and broad savannas around it. The park became an Urban Night Sky Place in 2024. It has a lighting plan for its own outdoor lights, monitors the night sky over time, and works with Truman State University and the Adair County Public Library on night sky outreach.
The easiest way to start is a dark sky program. Park staff and people from Truman State set up telescopes at the Point Shelter on select Friday nights from March to November. The programs are free, need no registration, and depend on the weather. Bring chairs, blankets, binoculars, or your own telescope if you have one, and check the park's events page for the next date.
On your own, mind the gates. Day-use areas close at 10 pm from April through October and at sunset from November through March, so plan your evening around those times or stay the night. Campground 2 is open all year with electric sites, and it has potable water in the off-season. Campground 1 adds basic, electric, and family sites from April through October. There are cabins too, and campsites can be reserved up to 12 months ahead.
By day, there's fishing, swimming, and boating on the lake, the 10.5-mile Thousand Hills Trail around it, and an interpretive shelter over petroglyphs left more than 1,500 years ago.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Kirksville, MO is about 10 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Walmart Supercenter, ALDI, Hy-Vee), 11 gas stations, and 20+ places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Arby's (about 10 mi), KFC (about 10 mi), and Wendy's (about 10 mi).
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jun 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · darkness: Bortle 4, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Thousand Hills State Park
No other dark sky place on this site is within 150 miles of Thousand Hills State Park. The closest is Stacy Park, about 168 mi southeast. Or browse every place by state.